For over 50 years AAUW Naperville Area has funded scholarships to help women pursue higher education. Meet the amazing recipients of past scholarships.

The application process for 2025 scholarships begins January 14, 2025. Applications must be received in our P.O. box by March 15, 2025. No online applications will be accepted.  Selections for the scholarship awards will be made by March 30, 2025.

Applicants for AAUW Naperville Area scholarships must reside in or attend school in DuPage, Will, Kendall or Kane Counties in Illinois. Scholarships may be awarded to part-time as well as full-time students who are in traditional or accelerated programs. Candidates may already be receiving financial aid.

The scholarship committee will select finalists to interview based upon their applications and personal statements. Official transcripts are required of all finalists. Scholarship recipients also must be able to attend the AAUW Naperville Area awards brunch, usually held in May.

NOTE: In all cases where we use the terms “woman,” “women” or “girls,” our intent is to include the category “non-binary presenting person.“

Questions: aauwnapervillescholarship@gmail.com

2025 Angeline Gale Scholarship

AAUW Naperville Area established the Angeline Gale Scholarship in 1971 in memory of Angeline Gale, an educator and the founder of the branch. This scholarship is intended to encourage females or non-binary presenting persons to engage in scholarly pursuits, even when their education may have been interrupted for various reasons.

To qualify for the Angeline Gale Scholarship, an applicant must:  (a) be a female or non-binary presenting person at least 26 years of age; (b) be enrolled in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program at an accredited institution; (c) have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0; and (d) will graduate by December 31 of the year the scholarship is awarded, if enrolled in an associate’s degree program, or achieve junior status by March 31, if enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program.

Application – 2025 Angeline Gale Scholarship – PDF format
Application – 2025 Angeline Gale Scholarship – Word format
Criteria – 2025 Angeline Gale Scholarship
Checklist – 2025 Angeline Gale Scholarship

2025 AAUW Naperville Area STEM Scholarship

In 2025 AAUW Naperville Area is pleased to offer a special scholarship to support STEM education. The AAUW Naperville Area STEM Scholarship is intended to encourage and support females or non-binary-presenting persons engaging in scholarly pursuits in a STEM-related field, even when their education may have been interrupted for various reasons.

To qualify for the 2025 AAUW Naperville Area STEM Scholarship, an applicant must: (a) be a female or non-binary presenting person at least 26 years of age; (b) be enrolled in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program in a STEM-related field at an accredited institution; (c) have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0; and (d) EITHER (a) be on track to earn 30 semester hours or its equivalent by July 1, 2025, if enrolled in an associate’s degree program, with the intent to continue and complete their associate’s degree OR (2) be on track to earn 60 semester hours or its equivalent by July 1, 2025, if enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program, with the intent to continue and complete that degree.

2025 Application – AAUW Naperville Area STEM Scholarship – PDF format
2025 Application – AAUW Naperville Area STEM Scholarship – Word format
2025 Criteria – AAUW Naperville Area Scholarship
2025 Checklist – AAUW Naperville Area Scholarship

AAUW Naperville Area has partnered with local colleges since 2012 to sponsor college women to attend the National Conference of College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL or “nick-whistle”). The conference offers leadership training, inspiration and networking.

Meet Tahbata Zuniga Diaz, the student selected to the 2024 conference.

Since 1888, AAUW has been one of the largest funders of women’s graduate education. AAUW grant programs include American Fellowships, Career Development Grants, Community Action Grants, International Project Grants, Research Publication Grants in Engineering, Medicine and Science, and more. AAUW provided over $6 million in funding to grantees in the 2023-2024 award year.