Quebec Adapts Scholarship Program to Encourage Women in STEM

Women in Quebec STEM programs can receive up to $12K in scholarship money.

Recently, the Quebec Minister of Higher Education is taking strides at combatting underrepresented women in typically male-dominated programs. Women in STEM are underrepresented and overwhelmed by a statistically larger number of men in these same programs.

A study by StatsCanada based on the 2016 census reveals that “although women now account for the majority of university graduates, they are less likely than men to hold a degree in a STEM field of study.” More specifically, “over one-third of men (37.5%) with a bachelor’s degree had studied in a STEM field, compared to 15.3% of women with a bachelor’s degree.”

So how is Quebec working to erase this gender divide in Stem programs? The Quebec Minister of Higher Education has adapted their information technology scholarship programs to encourage more women to pursue these fields.

Scholarship for University students:

All women who are enrolled full-time in computer science, computer engineering and construction of computers, and electrical, electronic and communications engineering will be eligible for this scholarship program.

This scholarship of $3,000 will be available in the next award year, 2021-2022, and is able to be redeemed each year of full-time study for up to $12,000 (four years).

Scholarship for College Students:

The scholarship program has also been adapted for women in college wanting to pursue programs related to Information Technology. There are two scholarships available for the college level

To be eligible for this scholarship, a woman must be enrolled full-time in computer systems technology, industrial electronics technology, engineering physics technology, computer science technology, electronic technologies and science, and computer science and mathematics.

The first scholarship of $3,000 is available to students who have completed two full-time semesters and are registered for their third semester.

The second scholarship of $3,000 is available for women who have recently graduated from an Information Technology program

These scholarship programs will be available in the next award year, 2021-2022, and will be in effect until 2024-2025.