Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) Scholarships
February
1) ScholarSHPE
Why It Slaps: If your HCI path leans into computer science, software, product development, or human-centered technology, ScholarSHPE is one of the cleanest fits because it is built for Hispanic students in STEM and runs through a major national network. This is a smart scholarship to target if your HCI interests sit inside CS, engineering, data, or technical product work rather than pure visual design. It is also attractive because SHPE runs a known scholarship pipeline instead of a random one-off award page, which usually means stronger credibility and better long-term value.
Amount: Varies by sponsor and award.
Deadline: February 16, 2026.
Apply/info: https://shpe.org/engage/programs/scholarshpe/
March
2) PAVE Global Bergmeyer Scholarship + Mentorship Experience
Why It Slaps: HCI students often get overlooked when scholarship lists only focus on straight computer science, so this one stands out because it rewards design-centered talent and adds mentorship instead of cash alone. That matters in HCI, where portfolio quality, professional feedback, and exposure to real-world design practice can be just as valuable as tuition money. If your work touches user experience, spatial experience, product thinking, or visual systems, this is the type of scholarship that can help you build both your résumé and your network.
Amount: $6,000 scholarship plus mentorship experience.
Deadline: March 16, 2026.
Apply/info: https://www.paveglobal.org/bergmeyer
3) PAVE Global Shop! Scholarship + Experience
Why It Slaps: This is one of the best direct-fit scholarships on the list for HCI-adjacent students because the eligibility language explicitly includes UX design, along with engineering, industrial design, and product design. That makes it unusually useful for students building toward interface design, interaction systems, retail tech experience design, or human-centered product work. On top of that, the award combines cash with travel support, which can turn into exposure, inspiration, and career access beyond the check itself.
Amount: $1,200 travel grant plus $600 cash award.
Deadline: March 30, 2026.
Apply/info: https://www.paveglobal.org/shop-scholarship
4) SWE Scholarships
Why It Slaps: National SWE scholarships are a strong play for HCI students whose academic path sits in computer science, computing, engineering, or related technical fields. HCI is often housed inside CS departments, informatics programs, or engineering-adjacent schools, so this scholarship can make sense even when the title does not say “HCI.” The big advantage here is scale and legitimacy: SWE is a longstanding national organization, and its scholarship program covers a wide range of technical students, which gives HCI majors a realistic place to compete if their coursework is technical enough.
Amount: Varies by award.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
Apply/info: https://swe.org/apply-for-a-swe-scholarship/
April
5) Antelope Valley SWE Scholarships
Why It Slaps: This is a good regional option for HCI students who qualify geographically and want a scholarship that is much less crowded than the giant national competitions. For students in interface design, computing, or technical UX paths housed under STEM, smaller regional SWE awards can be a smart “high-probability” application. You are not just chasing prestige here. You are playing for realistic odds, a verified deadline, and an official local section page that clearly states the award structure.
Amount: One $1,000 scholarship and two $500 scholarships.
Deadline: April 12, 2026.
Apply/info: https://antelopevalley.swe.org/scholarships-2/
6) Progress Mary Székely Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is one of the strongest academic-fit scholarships here for HCI students coming from the technical side of the field. If your HCI route runs through computer science, software engineering, information technology, or computer information systems, this scholarship lines up especially well. The best part is the size and renewability. A renewable award can matter more than a flashy one-time check because it supports your degree path over multiple years, which is a huge deal in majors where software, devices, and project costs pile up.
Amount: $10,000 per year, renewable up to four years.
Deadline: April 13, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. ET.
Apply/info: https://www.progress.com/social-responsibility/stem-scholarships
7) Lime Connect Pathways Scholarship for High School Seniors
Why It Slaps: This is one of the smartest scholarships for students interested in the accessibility side of HCI. Human–computer interaction is not just about making interfaces pretty. It is also about making systems usable for real people with different needs, including disability access and inclusive design. This scholarship supports high school seniors with disabilities who are entering college, which makes it especially relevant for students who want to build careers around accessible UX, assistive technology, inclusive product design, or human-centered computing more broadly.
Amount: $1,000.
Deadline: April 14, 2026.
Apply/info: https://limeconnect.com/awards/lime-connect-pathways-scholarship-for-high-school-seniors/
8) PAVE Global Student Aid Program
Why It Slaps: This one is broader and more need-based, which makes it useful for HCI students who fall on the design side of the field and need faster financial help rather than a perfect keyword match. If your work involves user experience, visual communication, product thinking, exhibit design, experience environments, or related design tracks, this can be worth applying for because it is simple, current, and clearly posted. It is not the biggest award on the page, but smaller grants can still cover software, prototyping materials, travel, fees, or a chunk of tuition.
Amount: $1,000.
Deadline: April 20, 2026.
Apply/info: https://www.paveglobal.org/student-aid
9) AIGA DC Design Continuum Fund Scholarship
Why It Slaps: If your HCI interests lean toward UX, UI, product interface work, digital design systems, or the visual side of interaction design, this is one of the better design-community scholarships to watch. AIGA’s brand alone makes it more credible than the average design scholarship floating around online, and the DC chapter’s 2026 announcement gives this entry a real current-cycle anchor. The strongest angle here is that it supports design students with financial need, which makes it especially attractive for students building HCI skills through graphic, digital, or experience design programs.
Amount: The 2026 DC announcement does not post a fixed amount; prior posted Design Continuum Fund awards ranged from $500 to $2,500.
Deadline: April 22, 2026.
Apply/info: https://dc.aiga.org/applications-open-for-the-2026-2027-design-continuum-fund-scholarship/
10) Cedar Valley SWE Scholarships
Why It Slaps: Regional awards like this are underrated for HCI and computing students because they usually attract fewer applicants than national scholarships, and that can improve your odds. If your HCI direction includes engineering, computer science, or technical design work and you match the local eligibility rules, this is the kind of scholarship that can pay off with less competition. It also has a clearly posted official page and clearly posted award range, which makes it a safer application target than vague aggregator listings.
Amount: Generally $500 to $1,000.
Deadline: Postmarked by April 24, 2026, or electronically received by May 1, 2026.
Apply/info: https://cedarvalley.swe.org/scholarships/
May
11) GMiS STEM Scholarships
Why It Slaps: Great Minds in STEM is a serious scholarship pipeline for students in technical fields, which makes it a good target for HCI students coming from computer science, engineering, or other STEM-heavy programs. The main appeal here is volume and credibility. GMiS has awarded millions over time, so this is not some tiny scholarship with no track record. If your HCI studies are grounded in coding, technical systems, computing, or engineering methods, this deserves a spot on your application list.
Amount: Varies by scholarship.
Deadline: Supporting documents due May 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST.
Apply/info: https://greatmindsinstem.org/gmis-scholarship-application/gmis-scholarships/
Closed now or next cycle not yet posted
12) LinkedIn Possibilities in Tech Scholarship
Why It Slaps: Even though the current cycle is closed, this is absolutely one to bookmark because it is unusually generous and highly relevant for students moving into tech. For HCI students, especially those studying computer science, software, web development, or related technical paths, this scholarship can be a powerful long-game opportunity. The multi-year structure also makes it more meaningful than a small one-time award because it supports persistence through college, not just the start.
Amount: Up to $40,000 total, paid as $10,000 per year and renewable for up to three additional years.
Deadline: The scholarship for students entering college in the Class of 2030 is currently closed; the next official date is not posted on the page I verified.
Apply/info: https://careers.linkedin.com/pathways-programs/possibilities-scholarship
13) Johnson & Johnson Access-Ability Lime Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is a strong watch-list scholarship for students whose HCI interests overlap with accessibility, health tech, assistive product design, or inclusive systems. The official program is aimed at students with disabilities in STEM or healthcare-related paths, which makes it a smart match for accessibility-focused HCI students who want to build better digital or physical user experiences. It is not an open-cycle application at the moment, but it is exactly the kind of scholarship worth bookmarking early.
Amount: The official page I verified did not post a fixed 2026 award amount.
Deadline: 2026 application details were listed as “stay tuned.”
Apply/info: https://limeconnect.com/awards/jnjaccessabilitylimescholarship/
How HCI students should actually use this list
The best scholarship strategy for HCI students is to apply in three lanes:
1. Technical lane
Go after scholarships open to computer science, software engineering, IT, informatics, and engineering students. That is where many HCI students fit on paper.
2. Design lane
Target design scholarships that make sense for UX, interface design, product design, visual systems, and digital experience work.
3. Accessibility and inclusion lane
Do not ignore disability, inclusive design, assistive technology, and access-focused scholarships. Those are often a natural HCI fit.
That mix gives you better odds than waiting for scholarships with “Human–Computer Interaction” in the title.
FAQs
Are there many scholarships specifically called “HCI scholarships”?
Not really. Most students in HCI end up applying to scholarships in computer science, UX, design, engineering, accessibility, or product design instead of finding large numbers of scholarships labeled exactly “HCI.” That is why the best real-world list is usually a best-fit list, not a literal keyword list.
What majors count as a good fit for these scholarships?
Common good-fit majors include Human–Computer Interaction, UX design, interaction design, computer science, information science, informatics, software engineering, product design, industrial design, graphic design, and accessibility-focused technology fields. The exact fit depends on how each scholarship defines eligible majors.
Can a high school senior apply for HCI-related scholarships?
Yes. Some scholarships on this list work for high school seniors, including programs like Lime Connect Pathways, several SWE awards, and Microsoft/tech pipeline scholarships when those cycles are open. Always check whether the scholarship is for high school seniors, current college students, or both.
Is UX design close enough to HCI for scholarship applications?
Usually yes. In practice, UX, interaction design, accessibility design, human-centered product design, and HCI overlap a lot. If the scholarship is aimed at UX, product, computing, or design students and your coursework lines up, it is usually worth applying.
Should I skip regional scholarships?
No. Regional scholarships can be some of the best opportunities because they often have smaller applicant pools. If you qualify by location, those are often worth more effort than a giant national scholarship with huge competition.
What should HCI students emphasize in essays?
Talk about how you solve real human problems with technology. Good HCI essays usually connect people, usability, inclusion, design decisions, and measurable outcomes. If you have portfolio pieces, classroom projects, app prototypes, accessibility audits, or user research experience, use them.
