Petroleum Scholarships
Scholarship funds are available from many sources for students interested in pursuing careers in the oil and gas industry. The list below includes information on scholarships offered throughout the world by SPE, the SPE Foundation, local sections, and others. Please check the sponsor name link for the latest information before emailing the contact. You can sort the table to identify the eligibility requirements.
SPE offers Star Scholarships in each of SPE's 15 geographic regions. Created in 2008, this program provides funding for an undergraduate scholarship in each region valued at USD 5,000/year, and a graduate level fellowship for each region valued at USD 10,000/year. Each scholarship is renewable yearly for up to four years. To meet the needs of students in each region, Regional Selection Committees can customize criteria, applications, and the number and value of scholarships. Applications are due by 15 December each year.
In addition, the SPE Foundation supports two scholarship programs open to students globally --- The Gus Archie Memorial Scholarship and the Nico van Wingen Memorial Graduate Fellowship in Petroleum Engineering.
SPE Sections' scholarship support continues to grow, increasing 3% in 2008. In addition to scholarships, many sections offer funding for university student travel and purchasing of books and computer software, as well as other forms of educational outreach such as supporting teacher education, science fair sponsorships, and Engineering Week events . Total funds reported as of June 2008 were just under USD 1,000,000 worldwide broken down in the following categories:
- Individual scholarships- $862,397
- Student Travel Support- $33,368
- Books/Software/Pubs.- $8,199
- Educational Outreach- $78,805
Sponsor name
|
Deadline
|
Region
|
Eligibility | Amount | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen Aberdeen, U.K. (Scotland) |
November | Europe | Applicants must be registered, full-time post-graduate students studying Oil & Gas industry related courses, while attending a Scottish University. This bursary is not for potential students seeking financial aid to gain entry into university. Eligibility criteria are mainly: studies relevant to and plan to work in the oil & gas industry, academic merit, and involvement in SPE. | Five bursaries offered per year, value £3,000 each. | |
| Alaska Section College Student Scholarships Alaska Section Anchorage, Alaska |
1 March | US/Canada | Any undergraduate scholarship is contingent upon the recipient being officially registered at an accredited university and enrolled as a full time student in a curriculum leading to an undergraduate degree in petroleum engineering, a related discipline, or to a career in the petroleum exploration and production industry. The applicant must have graduated from a high school in Alaska, is currently attending college in Alaska, or is a dependent of an SPE-Alaska Section member. | Two undergraduate scholarships awarded | |
| Alaska Section H. S. Graduate Scholarship Alaska Section Anchorage, Alaska |
1 March | US/Canada | Graduating Alaska High School Seniors who will be entering college and pursuing a degree in an engineering or earth science field that could lead towards employment in the petroleum industry (including petroleum, chemical, mechanical, environmental, and civil engineering) are eligible for the scholarships. The applicant must have graduated from a high school in Alaska, is currently attending college in Alaska, or is a dependent of an SPE-Alaska Section member. | $1,500 to $2,500 scholarships to Alaska high school graduates and qualified college students who are studying Petroleum Engineering or fields related to the petroleum industry. | |
| Amarillo Petroleum Section Amarillo, Texas USA |
Not Specified | US/Canada | Contact section | Contact section | |
| Austin Section Austin, Texas USA |
Not specified | US/Canada | Contact section | Contact section | |
| Balcones Section San Antonio, Texas USA |
1 May | US/Canada | Be from the 21 county area covered by the Balcones Section; either be a high school graduate or college undergraduate student; intend to work in the petroleum industry; be enrolled or plan to enroll in an accredited engineering college; possess and maintain a 2.5 or higher cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale. | Number of Scholarships and amounts to be determined. | |
| Big Horn Basin Section Cody, Wyoming USA |
15 April | US/Canada | Students must be pursuing a college degree in engineering or science directly related to the industry and have definitive plans to pursue a career within the oil and gas industry. Preference will be given to students who are, or plan to pursue a petroleum engineering degree. Preference will also be given to students whose permanent residence (hometown) is within the Big Horn Basin. In addition, students will be judged on their historical academic performance, and their interest in and knowledge of the petroleum industry. | $500-$1,000 each | |
| Billings Petroleum Section Billings, Montana USA |
15 March | US/Canada | Qualified high school seniors intending to enroll in a petroleum related engineering curriculum. All high school seniors that are residents of Montana are eligible to apply. These scholarships are not need based. The recipients will be chosen based upon academic merit, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and written essays. | Check website for current scholarship information | |
| Boliva Section Santa Cruz, Bolivia |
31 May | Latin America | Geographic and academic eligibility requirements. | $1,000 | |
| Canadian Section Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
January | US/Canada | Be enrolled full-time in any diploma or degree program related to the Petroleum Industry; be an active student member of the SPE; satisfactory academic standing; demonstrate financial need; extra-curricular activities through SPE, university and community; Canadian citizen or landed immigrant status. | Funds will be awarded on merit and the information provided by the applicant | |
| Dallas Section Dallas, Texas USA |
1 May | US/Canada | Must attend an accredited Petroleum Engineering program at 1 of the 9 regional schools. Must have a declared PE major, completed at least 1 semester, have at minimum 13 credit hours. Awards are based on academic achievement, financial need, industry involvement. | There is no maximum or minimum award amount or number of awards. | |
| Denver Section Denver, CO USA |
Early Fall | US/Canada | Open to upper classmen carrying a minimum of 12 hours and 3.0 GPA. | Amount established per funds available. |
|
| Children of East Texas Section Membership Scholars East Texas Section Tyler, Texas USA |
1 April | US/Canada | See section website for details. Contact Mike Diehl for application. | Two scholarships worth $1,000 each, $500 in the fall semester and $500 in the spring semester. | |
| East Texas Scholarship East Texas Section Tyler, Texas USA |
1 April | US/Canada | 4 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who plan on majoring in petroleum engineering, mechanical engineering or chemical engineering at an accredited four year university. To remain eligible a student must maintain a 3.0 GPA and 30 hours of course work per year. Only students who live in the East Texas Region are eligible. | Freshmen receive $500 per semester, upper classmen receive $1,000 per semester for a total of $7,000 given over 4 years. |
Application |
| Evangeline Section Lafayette, Louisiana |
30 April | US/Canada | Petroleum engineering student at LSU or ULL | $20,000 awarded annually; individual amounts vary |
Application |
| Evangeline Section Lafayette, Louisiana |
30 April | US/Canada | Child of Evangeline section member; full-time student with 3.0 GPA working toward BS or MS | $1,000/year; may reapply; up to 10 awarded |
Application |
| Fort Worth Section Fort Worth, Texas USA |
15 April | US/Canada | The primary requirement is that the applicant be a graduating high school senior in Tarrant County or the surrounding area,* or an entering college freshman, studying petroleum engineering. Scholarship recipients are then required to take at least 12 credit hours per semester and achieve at least a 3.0 GPA (out of a maximum 4.0) in each semester to continue receiving the scholarship. * Eligible counties include the following: Brown, Callahan, Coke, Coleman, Comanche, Coryell, Eastland, Erath, Hamilton, Haskell, Hood, Johnson, Jones, Lampasas, McCulloch, Mills, Nolan, Palo Pinto, Parker, Runnels, San Saba, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Stonewall, Tarrant, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wise. | Two scholarships offered at $3,000 per year, paid $1,500 per semester. The scholarships are renewable up through the fourth year (total of $12,000 per scholarship over 4 years) |
Application |
| Four Corners Petroleum Section New Mexico and Colorado, USA |
1 May | US/Canada | * Academic excellence * Studying petroleum engineer; consideration will also be given to other engineering disciplines or fields of study which are related to the petroleum industry * Emphasis will be given to students who will be juniors or seniors. However, consideration will also be given to sophomores and some freshmen * Students should be from the San Juan Basin Area | The number and amount of awarded scholarships is determoned by the Four Corners Petroleum Section | |
| Great Yarmouth Petroleum Great Yarmouth, U.K. |
September | Europe | About to enter first year undegraduate studies on a course leading to the award of a degree suitable for emplyment within the Oil and Gas industry, e.g. Mechanica, Civil, Electrical, Petroleum, chemical engineering, geology, or physics. Applicants are requested to forward a one-page resume providing details of their studies to date, proposed course of study, interests and hobbies. | Two student scholarships each worth £500 | |
| Gulf Coast Section Scholarship Gulf Coast Section and Houston SPE Auxiliary Houston, Texas USA |
15 February | US/Canada | For First Time applicants: Currently reside in Houston and 28-county Gulf Coast Area; enroll in an engineering or science program at a university in the Fall; currently be a high school senior; Minimum SAT score of 1100; be a U.S. citizen; completely fill out the scholarship form and turn in by deadline. | Renewable yearly scholarship ($1,500/semester, $3000/academic year) up to 4 years. |
Application |
| Hobbs Petroleum Section Hobbs, New Mexico USA |
1 April | US/Canada | Awarded to engineering students attending either New Mexico Tech or Texas Tech from one of 5 counties (Eddy NM, Lea NM, Gaines TX, Andrews TX, Winkler TX) | 2 scholarships/year for $2,000 each | |
| Java Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia |
30 November | Asia Pacific | Student of Petroleum Engineering or other related study, enrolled in an Indonesian University currently graduating engineering students at the S1 level or greater. All applicants need to write a semi-technical article related to oil and gas and at the end of this program will be compiled into a ?Student Journal?. The guidelines for writing an article can be found in the link below; http://GuidelineToWrite Article.pdf | Five scholarships worth Rp 2,500,000 per semester for two semesters. | |
| London Section |
October | Europe | Petroleum engineering MSc at Imperial College | £20,200 to cover tuition plus a stipend | |
| L. A. Basin Graduate Scholarship Los Angeles Basin Section Los Angeles, California USA |
1 April | US/Canada | The graduate student must be pursuing their studies or conducting research in energy and petroleum related subjects. They must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above in their major field of study and be active SPE student members. See website for additional eligibility requirements. | $1000 scholarships awarded to graduate students. | |
| L.A. Basin Section Undergraduate Scholarship Los Angeles Basin Section Los Angeles, California USA |
1 April | US/Canada | The undergraduate students must be pursuing their studies in petroleum, geology, chemical, mechanical, or environmental-related subjects. They must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above and be active SPE student members. See website for more details | $500 awarded to undergraduate students | |
| L. A. Basin Mei Chang Memorial Scholarship Los Angeles Basin Section Los Angeles, California USA |
1 April | US/Canada | $500 awards are available for H.S. graduates entering college in the fall of their graduating year. | ||
| L. A. Basin Bruce Davis Memorial Scholarship Los Angeles Basin Section Los Angeles, California USA |
5 April | US/Canada | Awarded to candidates pursuing his/her graduate studies or conducting research in petroleum related fields at USC, including petroleum or chemical engineering or chemistry. | $1,000 awards are available for USC students pursuing graduate studies in petroleum related fields, chemical engineering and chemistry. | |
| Lou-Ark Section Shreveport, Louisiana USA |
15 June | US/Canada | Preference given to local applicants majoring in PE or geology. Academics, geography, SAT/ACT test scores and extra curricular activities are all considered in the selection | Four scholarships awarded at $2,000 each year |
Michael J. Sutherland |
| Michigan Section Michigan |
1 July | US/Canada | Current college students or high-school seniors admitted to a 4-year institution in engineering or science B.S. degree program and enrolled in the fall. Must be a Michigan resident at the time of original application or attend a Michigan academic institution, and must be a U.S. citizen. See website for additional eligibility requirements. | $1,000, annually. A student who has received a Michigan Section SPE scholarship may apply in a subsequent year to receive a renewal of the scholarship amount based on certain criteria. | |
| Mid Continent Section Tulsa, Oklahoma |
15 April | US/Canada | Students who plan to study petroleum engineering. (Children of Members of the Mid Continent section are allowed to study any science.) The scholarship committee considers academic performance, test scores and essay questions to determine the recipients. Preference is given to children of SPE members and students from Northeastern Oklahoma. | Each scholarship is for $3000 | |
| Mid-West Gas Storage Illinois, USA |
27 February | US/Canada | The scholarship is intended for a student pursuing a career in the petroleum industry or geosciences. | USD 1,000 for a student pursuing a career in the petroleum industry or geosciences. | |
| Mississippi Section Jackson, Mississippi USA |
1 May | US/Canada | MSU: Applicants should have good academic records and are required to submit a short essay on "Why I Would Like to Work in the Oil and Gas Industry". No prior work experience is required. Applications are submitted through Dr. Donna Reese in the Bagley School of Engineering Dean's Office. An unofficial transcript is required to be submitted to verify academic performance. LSU: Academic achievement is heavily weighted and scholarships are generally awarded on the recommendation of the P.E. Department Head. Thus applicants should contact the Department Head who will make recommendations to the Section Scholarship Chairman. | Mississippi State University: 2 - 3 scholarships of $1,000 - $2,000 each are awarded each year to engineering students who plan to pursue employment in the oil and gas industry. |
Jim Stephens, Scholarship Chairman |
| Netherlands Section The Netherlands |
31 May | Europe | The scholarship is awarded annually to an entering freshmen pursuing a petroleum engineering, geosciences, or related 4-year degree. Must be in top 25% of graduating (high school) class and must maintain a 3.0 GPA. | One EUR 2,000 scholarship per academic year for up to four years. | |
| New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory Sydney, Australia |
31 May | Asia Pacific | Criteria for the award are academic achievement, need for funding, social/sporting activities, SPE/student group activities, and the quality of the application. | One scholarship of US$2000. Sometimes shared depending on applicants. |
Henry Irrgang |
| New Zealand Section New Plymouth, New Zealand |
31 March | Asia Pacific | 1. NZ citizen or permanent resident 2. Study through recognised and approved Engineering course ? NZSPE Scholarship trust will have right to approve the place of learning. 3. Engineering or technology course of study related to the petroleum industry, which could enable the candidate to progress into a full petroleum engineering postgraduate programme. 4. Undergraduates studying in the second or subsequent years of their degree course. | 3 NZ 2,000 or 2 NZ 3,000 scholarships dependent or Scholarship Trust earnings and income awarded to 2nd and 3rd year NZ resident students studying fulltime for a 4 year Engineering degree (Chemical an | |
| North Texas Section Wichita Falls, Texas USA |
None specified | US/Canada | Proof of enrollment and acceptance at accredited petroleum engineering school. Reside in the North Texas Section area. | $1,500 per semester. Maintain proof of enrollment. Renewable for 4+ years. Can offer up to 4 scholarships per year. Deadline is prior to Fall semester. | |
| Ohio Petroleum Ohio, USA |
1 June | US/Canada | Any scholarship awarded by the Ohio Petroleum Section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Inc. is contingent upon the recipient's being officially registered as a full time student at an accredited university and enrolled in a curriculum leading to the minimum degree of Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering or other field of study related to the petroleum industry. | Number and amount of scholarships is to be determined by the Ohio Petroleum Section. | |
| Oklahoma City Section Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA |
1 March | US/Canada | Available for Petroleum Engineering majors and/or sons/daughters of current SPE members majoring in Engineering or Science. | Up to $2,000 awarded. The awards will be distributed when the recipient is registered and declared as a full-time college freshman in an accredited university. |
Mike Clark |
| Permian Basin Section Midland, Texas USA |
Contact section | US/Canada | Contact section | Contact section | |
| Pittsburgh Petroleum Section Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
1 March | US/Canada | Any scholarship awarded by the Pittsburgh Section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Inc. is contingent upon the recipient?s being officially registered at an accredited university and enrolled in a curriculum leading to the degree of bachelor of science in petroleum engineering or other field of study related to the petroleum industry. | USD 2,000 | |
| Port Harcourt Port Harcourt, Nigeria |
31 July | Africa | Valid for one academic year, renewable each year depending on academic performance rated at 70% on average on a yearly basis for a maximum period of 4 years or the duration of the course which ever is shorter. 1. The applicant must be a current, registered student SPE member. 2. The scholarship is open to those who are already full-time students of tertiary institutions (1st degree or Diploma programmes) studying Petroleum Engineering or related courses (Engineering or Sciences). 3. The application shall be submitted by the student and must be received by the published submission deadline. Late applications will not be rejected but filed for consideration in the next scholarship round. 4. Two academic reference letters must accompany the application form preferably from the student?s department. | Number and amount of scholarships to be determined by the Port Harcourt Section. | |
| Powder River Basin Section Gillette, Wyoming USA |
9 March | US/Canada | Scholarship applicants should have a desire to pursue a career in the oil and gas industry, and meet the following requirements: 1) Major in Engineering (preference to Petroleum Engineering and Petroleum Technology); 2) Enroll in at least 14 credit hours each semester; 3) Maintain a semester and cumulative GPA of at least 2.75/4.0; 4) Entering freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior of a four year program, or freshman or sophomore of a two year program. | Awarded amounts will range from $500 to $2,000, with the number of scholarships awarded ranging from 5 to 15. |
Bob Christofferson |
| Queensland Section Brisbane, Australia |
April | Asia Pacific | Australian citizens or residents, university students in Queensland that are SPE members | $1,000 Australian, two scholarships |
Jorge E. Pinedo, SPE Scholarship Chair |
| Roswell Section Roswell, New Mexico USA |
1 April | US/Canada | Preferebly a junior or senior; U. S. resident; attending New Mexico Tech at Socorro, New Mexico | Amount of scholarship varies for one undergraduate engineering student. Preference is given to New Mexico residents. | |
| Nico van Wingen Memorial Graduate Fellowship in Pe SPE Foundation |
1 November | Worldwide | Eligible students must be members of an official SPE Student Chapter and must be at the Ph.D. level intending to pursue a career in academia. Application must be in English. | $5000/yr renewable for up to 4 years | |
| Gus Archie Memorial Scholarship SPE Foundation |
30 April | Worldwide | Application for scholarship to be submitted by student. Statement by student that it is his/her intent to enroll in petroleum engineering in an accredited university. Appraisal of student from principal, adviser or counselor. An SAT score of 1800 (or ACT score of 27) or higher for U.S. candidates. Non-U.S. candidates should provide exit examination or placement scores with documentation explaining how to interpret the score. | $6,000/yr for 4 years |
Application |
| SPE- Seccion Mexico Mexico City Mexico |
15 June | Latin America | Any geoscience student ( > 80/100) | 8 annual scholarships, $900 USD each | |
| Salt Lake Petroleum Section Salt Lake City, Utah USA |
February | US/Canada | Contingent upon the recipient being officially registered at an accredited university or college and enrolled in a curriculum leading to a degree in an engineering discipline that can lead to career opportunities in the petroleum industry | One scholarship per academic year for the amount of $2,000.00 | |
| Singapore Singapore, Singapore |
Not specified | Asia Pacific | Resident in Singapore | Awarded as funds allow. |
Edmund Piercy, Rigtech |
| Southwest Oklahoma Section Duncan, Oklahoma USA |
April | US/Canada | Each year, the Southwest Oklahoma Section of SPE awards 1-year scholarships to outstanding high school seniors planning to major in engineering, science, or mathematics, areas of study directly applicable to a career in the petroleum industry. To apply for the scholarship, a student must meet the following requirements: Enroll in an engineering, science, or mathematics program at a university in the fall; currently be a high school senior; currently reside in the area covered by the SW OK Section of SPE; be a U.S. citizen. | Three scholarships awarded at $1,000 each |
Application |
| Southwest Texas Section Corpus Christi, Texas USA |
1 March | US/Canada | College scholarships to qualifying high school graduates who plan to major in an engineering field related to the petroleum industry at an ABET accredited university and to college students currently enrolled in Petroleum Engineering. Minimum grade requirements are 2.5/4.0 and students must complete 12 hours per semester. Awarded to resident of South Texas (from Laredo to Victoria and south) | Several four-year $1,000/semester scholarships to both high school graduating seniors and undergraduate petroleum engineering students. | |
| Stavanger Section Stavanger, Norway |
None specified | Europe | Students enrolled in Petroleum/Offshore engineering program(s) of UiS can apply for scholarships. To be eligible to receive a scholarship a student should be a student member (or a member) of SPE. | NOK 75000 awarded annually to most outstanding MS and PhD students at the University of Stavanger. | |
| Sumatra Section Duri, Sumatra Indonesia |
1 October | Asia Pacific | University at Sumatra Island, Indonisia, Sarjana (S1) degree in Petroleum Engineering, Geology, Mining, Chemical, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering GPA >= 3.0 | Rp. 2,500,000 per year to 20-50 students, depending on available budget. | |
| Thailand Section Bangkok, Thailand |
None specified | Asia Pacific | Each academic institution may have their own selection processes to award the scholarship money. The following criteria may be adipted in selecting the recipients of SPE Thailand Scholarship: 1) Studying a full-time relevant course; 2) Student must have a good academic standing; 3) Demonstrate a need for additional financial support; 4) show an interest and engage in SPE activities. | Each academic institution receives 20,000 Baht for scholarships | |
| Trans Pecos Section Odessa, Texas USA |
Not specified | US/Canada | Contact section | Contact section | |
| Victoria and Tasmania Section Melbourne, Australia |
August | Asia Pacific | All student undertaking the first year and last of a Bachelor of Engineering degree at the University of Melbourne are eligible to apply. | One Scholarship per year for AU 1,000 for final year students; AU 1,000 for first year students. Applications for the scholarship are via The University of Melbourne, Engineering Faculty. | |
| Warrior Basin Section |
April 1 | US/Canada | A man or woman who is currently a senior at a high school in the State of Alabama who has been accepted to an ABET accredited university with a Petroleum Engineering curriculum and who is enrolled for the Fall 2008 Semester/Quarter in the Petroleum Engineering or Pre-Petroleum Engineering curriculum. You must be able to show proof of acceptance to both the ABET accredited university and the Petroleum Engineering or Pre-Petroleum Engineering curriculum. | USD 1,000 |
Carol Stanley |
| Western Australia Section Western Australia Section Perth, Australia |
3 April | Asia Pacific | Three undergraduate and two graduate scholarships for SPE student memebrs enrolled at one of the following institutions: School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of WA; Petroleum Engineering Department at Curtin University of Technology; Australian School of Petroleum at the University of Adelaide; or School of Petroleum Engineering at the University of New South Wales. | Five scholarships worth AU 2,500 each for SPE student members enrolled full time in a course of study that leads to a career in petroleum engineering. | |
| Western Wyoming Rock Springs Western Wyoming Rock Springs Section Rock Springs, Wyoming USA |
1 May | US/Canada | Priority given to 1)students enrolled in accredited petroleum engineering curriculum or any accredited field of study related to the petroleum industry; 2)students who have indicated academic achievement; 3)students participating in school activities and community involvement; 4)University of Wyoming students or students in the Wyoming Junior College system; 5)students residing in or from Western Wyoming enrolled in an accredited university or college; 6) economic necessity. | Scholarship amounts to be determined by the Section. |