FIRST ROBOTICS · STEM · COLLEGE FUNDING
Robotics Scholarships for High School Students
From four-year, full-tuition awards at top engineering schools to local Florida STEM grants, robotics students have far more college funding available than most families realize.
Why colleges love FIRST students
Universities, corporations, engineering firms, and STEM nonprofits collectively offer millions of dollars to robotics students every year. Many of these awards specifically target FIRST participants because admissions offices know FIRST kids show up with multiple disciplines on their résumé on day one:
- Engineering & CAD design
- Programming and automation
- Project management under deadlines
- Public speaking, judging interviews, outreach
- Business, marketing, and fundraising
- Leadership and team management
Major FIRST scholarships
These are the largest, most well-known scholarships available specifically to FIRST Robotics participants. All amounts verified from official school sources as of May 2026.
WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
WPI Robotics Scholarship
Up to ~$220,000
A full-tuition, four-year undergraduate scholarship for one FRC, FTC, or FIRST Global Challenge participant per cycle. WPI is one of the most robotics-friendly universities in the country and the application window typically opens December 15 and closes late February. Apply at WPI »
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
RPI FIRST Scholarship
$50,000 minimum
RPI offers up to ten four-year FIRST scholarships at a minimum of $12,500 per year ($50,000 total) for FIRST Robotics participants. Submit a separate FIRST scholarship form alongside your RPI application. Apply at RPI »
HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE
Harvey Mudd FIRST Scholarship
$27,183
Merit-based award for FIRST Robotics participants entering Harvey Mudd. The unusual $27,183 amount references π (3.14159 × the Mudd way). Apply at Harvey Mudd »
MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Michigan Tech FIRST & VEX Scholarship
$16,000
Renewable scholarship for FIRST or VEX Robotics participants pursuing any major at Michigan Tech. Available for incoming first-year students.
KETTERING UNIVERSITY
Kettering Robotics Scholarship
Up to $5,000/year
Renewable merit scholarship for robotics competitors. Kettering hosts a major FRC kickoff and is one of the most FIRST-active campuses in the country. Apply at Kettering »
DREXEL UNIVERSITY
Drexel FIRST Scholarship
Variable award
Drexel offers a renewable FIRST Robotics Scholarship to former or current FIRST participants admitted to the engineering or computing programs. Amount varies by applicant. Drexel undergraduate scholarships »
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Georgia Tech FIRST Robotics Scholarship
Variable award
TE CONNECTIVITY (CORPORATE SPONSOR)
TE Connectivity FIRST Scholarship
$2,500
Sponsored scholarships for graduating seniors who participated on FIRST teams, available through the FIRST Pearson Futures portal each year.
Florida-specific scholarships
Florida students have access to additional regional STEM and robotics awards.
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT / NEXTERA ENERGY FOUNDATION
FPL / NextEra STEM Scholarship
Up to $20,000
FPL and the NextEra Energy Foundation award sizable STEM scholarships to Florida students involved in FIRST, VEX, and other robotics or engineering programs. Florida-resident applicants only.
FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Florida Tech Robotics Award
$2,500
Florida Tech offers scholarships for incoming students who participated on FIRST or VEX Robotics teams.
STATE OF FLORIDA
Florida Bright Futures (general STEM)
Variable tuition
Not robotics-specific, but worth flagging: Florida high schoolers who hit GPA, SAT/ACT, and service-hour thresholds qualify for state-funded tuition coverage at any Florida public college. FTC team participation counts toward community-service hours, and the leadership/STEM résumé you build through robotics also strengthens applications for the higher-tier Florida Academic Scholar award. Florida Student Financial Aid »
Awards that unlock scholarship doors
Some FIRST honors aren’t scholarships in cash, but they sit on a résumé in a way that opens doors at admissions offices and sponsor scholarships.
🎖️ FIRST Leadership Award (formerly Dean’s List)
Per-team nomination for 10th/11th graders. Semi-finalists, State-level Finalists, and 10 worldwide Winners receive recognition that follows them into college applications, internship interviews, and scholarship pools.
🏆 Inspire Award winner
Inspire Award teams advance to State and Worlds. Both are credentials that schools and STEM scholarship reviewers recognize immediately.
How to maximize your chances
🏆
Document every award
Competition awards, outreach events, leadership roles — every line item matters when scholarship reviewers compare applicants.
📘
Build a portfolio
Your engineering portfolio doubles as a college-application asset. Many scholarship applications now ask for a link.
🤝
Highlight outreach
Mentoring, demos, and STEM community work consistently move scholarship needles — sometimes more than match wins.
Robotics can literally pay for college.
For students passionate about engineering, programming, automation, and innovation, FIRST robotics is far more than an after-school activity — it’s a verified pipeline to scholarships, summer internships, and long-term STEM careers. Start documenting now. Apply early. The portal is open.
Open the FIRST Scholarship Portal »
Amounts and details verified from official school and sponsor sources, May 2026. Scholarship terms change — always confirm details on each program’s page before applying.
