NSBE Scholarships 2027 | Study in United States — National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
NSBE runs one of the largest sponsored scholarship pools in U.S. engineering education, but not every award within it is open to international students. Knowing which specific tracks accept non-citizens matters before you apply.
About the Scholarship
NSBE’s fall scholarship cycle distributes over a million dollars across more than 100 individually sponsored awards from companies including Intel, Cummins, Honeywell, Deloitte Foundation, Chevron, and Cargill. While some of these are restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, a meaningful number, including the Intel Scholarship, Cummins Inc. Scholarship, NSBE Academic Improvement Scholarship, and Leroy Callendar NSBE Jr. Scholarship, explicitly accept non-U.S. citizens.
Active, paid NSBE membership is a baseline requirement across the scholarship program, along with a verified GPA on file through an official transcript or registrar-signed letter.
NSBE has grown into one of the largest student-run organizations in the country, with chapters spanning hundreds of universities and a professional membership base that extends well beyond the collegiate level. That scale is part of why its scholarship program can offer such a large number of individually sponsored awards each cycle.
For international students specifically, the key practical step is distinguishing between sponsor-funded awards that require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency and the smaller set that explicitly accept non-U.S. citizens, since applying broadly without checking this first can waste valuable preparation time.
Scholarship Benefits
- Individual award amounts ranging from $5,000 to $17,500 depending on the specific sponsored scholarship
- Access to a large pool of sponsor-funded awards within a single application process
- Connection to NSBE’s broader professional and collegiate network
- Several tracks explicitly open to international students, not just citizens and permanent residents
Eligibility Criteria
- You must hold active, paid NSBE membership
- You must have a verified GPA on file, via official transcript or registrar letter
- You must apply to scholarship tracks that explicitly accept your citizenship status, since this varies by individual sponsored award
- You must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate engineering or related STEM program
Fields of Study Covered
NSBE scholarships center on engineering and closely related STEM fields, reflecting the organization’s core mission of supporting Black engineers and STEM professionals specifically.
Required Documents
- A completed NSBE scholarship application
- Proof of active NSBE membership
- An official transcript or registrar-signed GPA verification letter
- Any additional materials required by the specific sponsored scholarship you’re applying to
How to Apply (Step-by-Step)
- Confirm or activate your paid NSBE membership
- Review the list of sponsored scholarships to identify which tracks accept your citizenship status
- Secure your official transcript or GPA verification letter
- Submit your complete application before the December 11 deadline
Selection Process
Each sponsored scholarship within the NSBE program is reviewed according to its own sponsor’s specific criteria, though academic performance and genuine engagement with NSBE’s community consistently matter across tracks. International applicants should confirm eligibility for each specific award before applying, since this varies significantly across the more than 100 sponsored scholarships.
Tips to Improve Your Chances
- Carefully check each sponsored scholarship’s citizenship requirements before applying, since this varies widely within the NSBE program
- Keep your NSBE membership and GPA verification current well ahead of the December deadline
- Apply to multiple eligible sponsored scholarships within the same cycle, since NSBE’s single application process can cover several tracks at once
- Engage with your local NSBE chapter, since active involvement can strengthen your overall application profile
- Compare this against other engineering-focused funding like the SWE International Scholarship if you’re weighing multiple STEM scholarship options
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all NSBE scholarships open to international students?
No, eligibility varies by specific sponsored scholarship; several, including Intel and Cummins-sponsored awards, explicitly accept non-U.S. citizens, while others are restricted to citizens and permanent residents.
Do I need to be a member of NSBE to apply?
Yes, active, paid NSBE membership is a baseline requirement across the scholarship program.
Can graduate students apply, or is this undergraduate-only?
Both undergraduate and graduate students in eligible fields can apply, depending on the specific sponsored scholarship’s own criteria.
What is the typical award amount?
Individual sponsored scholarships range from approximately $5,000 to $17,500.
How many scholarships does NSBE distribute each cycle?
NSBE has distributed over a million dollars across more than 100 sponsored scholarships in recent fall cycles.
Is there a separate application for each sponsored scholarship?
Generally, NSBE runs a centralized application process covering multiple sponsored scholarships, though you should confirm current guidance for any track-specific requirements.