Squared Scholars
Direct Investments in Your Success
At San Diego Squared, we invest directly in the success of high school and college students and their educators. We are proud to partner with innovative companies, foundations, and community leaders who are taking action and sending a clear message: You belong in STEM. Our scholarships come as either a direct financial support or will cover the fee to STEM-centered programs offered throughout San Diego County by one of our partners. Explore these opportunities and apply today. We are here to support you!
SCHOLARSHIPS
FOR HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND
STEM EDUCATORS
(Updated monthly)
This scholarship may be used for tuition, books, fees, room & board, and educational supplies. Every Squared Scholar will be paired with a STEM professional to serve as a mentor for a year.
The scholarship may be renewable (depending upon available funds) for one additional year of STEM undergraduate coursework provided the student maintains a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, good citizenship, and continues to have financial needs.
Criteria:
- Be graduating high school seniors or current community college students
- Plan to enroll or transfer to an accredited four-year university in the US in the fall
- Have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale (with rare exceptions for extenuating circumstances)
- Plan to major in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics
- Demonstrate an interest in the advancement of historically underrepresented populations in the sciences and related fields
- Students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply
- Have a demonstrated financial need
- Open to those applicants above, with a focus on reducing historical educational disparities for those furthest from
opportunity
Average number of awards: 4-5
Average award amount: $2500-$10000
Opens: January 14th, 2026
Deadline: March 4th, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. PST
Applicants Notified: By June 1st, 2026
San Diego Squared (SD2) is Empowering Tomorrow’s STEM Leaders Today! SD2 connects underrepresented students to the power of STEM by providing access to education, mentorship, and the resources they need to lead the talent workforce. As part of the Squared Scholars program, we invest directly in students that are pursuing a college degree in a STEM-related field (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math).
This scholarship may be used for tuition, books, fees, room & board, and educational supplies. Every Melody SD2 Scholar will be paired with a STEM professional to server as a mentor for a year.
The scholarship may be renewable (depending upon available funds) for one additional year of STEM undergraduate coursework provided the student maintains a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, good citizenship, and continues to have financial need.
Criteria:
• Be graduating seniors at the Samuel F. B. Morse High School
• Plan to enroll at an accredited four-year university in the US in the the fall
• Have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0 with a demonstrated potential of a 3.5
• Plan to pursue a degree in S.T.E.M related field
• Have a demonstrated financial need
• Preference for schools in CA Required
Opens: February 17, 2024
Deadline: March 6, 2024
The Melody SD2 Scholarship was established by Louise and Marc Stapley. Louise and Marc both graduated from Reading University in England in 1991. They were the first members of their respective families to have the opportunity to attend college after high school and earn a degree. They were able to use that solid educational foundation to build careers for themselves. Consequently, they would like to help enable other students, who might not otherwise have the opportunity, to attend college and earn a degree.
Neurocrine Biosciences, SD2 and the Boz Institute have partnered to pilot an all-expense paid 6-week virtual and collaborative life science research program. Toxicants in our water supply, food, and common household products bioaccumulate in the food chain, plants, animals, and people. In this course, students will learn to maintain and differentiate female and male fruit flies, expose them to problematic chemical pollutants, isolate their brains, extract RNA and analyze differential gene expression via RNA sequencing methods. Students will manage and analyze large gene expression sequencing data and present their findings in a formal science seminar at the end of the course.
Eligibility:
Dates: July 6th, 2021 – Aug 12th, 2021 (6 weeks)
Awards Available: up to 5 students will be selected
Grade Level: Students must currently be in 10th – 12th grade
Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays (1:00pm – 3:00pm PST), 4 hours of work required outside of online lectures
Application Deadline:
July 1, 2021
The Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute gives students research experience from developing a hypothesis, conducting field work, designing and running experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating their results.
Neurocrine Biosciences, SD2, and the Boz Institute have partnered to pilot an all-expense paid 6-week virtual and collaborative life science research program. This course utilizes marine invertebrates to assess ecological health of a local estuary. Students will test the water and sediment quality using microbiology, environmental toxicology, and analytical chemistry to better understand the sensitivity and resistance of marine organisms and laboratory fish to environmental stressors. This immersive research course is part of an ongoing effort to develop both real-time and long-term broad testing/monitoring programs resulting in effective mitigation strategies to minimize the human and ecological risk due to pollutant exposures within a delicate local estuary.
Eligibility:
Dates: July 7th, 2021 – Aug 11th, 2021 (6 weeks)
Grade Level: Students must currently be in 10th – 12th grade
Awards Available: up to 5 students will be selected
Schedule: Monday and Wednesday (3:00pm – 5:00pm PST), 4 hours of work required outside of online lectures
Application Deadline:
July 1, 2021
The Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute gives students research experience from developing a hypothesis, conducting field work, designing and running experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating their results. Image: Courtesy of Boz Institute