Ralph W. Shrader Graduate Diversity Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association

Overview
The Shrader Graduate Scholarship provides a $3,000 award to support graduate students enrolled full time at an accredited U.S. institution. It is intended for students who are past their first semester of graduate study and who are registered for at least two semester-equivalent courses. Applicants must reside in the United States and be pursuing an eligible STEM major that aligns with the AFCEA Educational Foundation’s mission.

Purpose
This award was established to help students who require financial assistance to continue advanced study in STEM fields relevant to defense, homeland security, and the intelligence communities.

Important eligibility note
Your expected graduation date cannot fall within the same calendar year in which the scholarship is granted.

Permitted use of funds
Scholarship proceeds may be used only for tuition and course-related costs such as required fees, textbooks, supplies, and necessary equipment.

Eligibility requirements
To be considered, applicants must satisfy every item below:
- Be a U.S. citizen and live in the United States.
- Be enrolled as a graduate-level, full-time student.
- Have completed at least one semester of graduate study (i.e., be in their second semester or beyond).
- Be registered for two or more semester-equivalent courses at an accredited U.S. college or university at the time of application.
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.
- Demonstrate financial need.
- Pursue a major in STEM or a related hard science that supports AFCEA’s focus on defense, homeland security, and intelligence, including areas such as information technology, cybersecurity, telecommunications, and electronics.

Qualifying majors
The scholarship supports graduate study in the following fields:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Astronomy
- Biometry/Biometrics
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Forensics Science
- Computer Programming
- Computer Science
- Computer Systems
- Cybersecurity
- Electrical Engineering
- Electronics Engineering
- Geospatial Science
- Industrial Engineering
- Information Science
- Information Technology
- Information Resource Management
- Intelligence
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Network Engineering
- Network Security
- Operations Research
- Physics
- Robotics Engineering
- Robotics Technology
- Statistics
- Strategic Intelligence
- Telecommunications Engineering

Application checklist
Submit all of the following:
- A completed application form.
- An official, current graduate transcript issued by your institution’s Registrar’s Office.
- An undergraduate transcript (official or unofficial is acceptable). If any coursework in progress is not shown on the transcript, include registration documentation that verifies current enrollment.
- Transcripts should be sent electronically by the school directly to edfoundation@afcea.org.
- If electronic submission is not possible, official paper documents must be mailed to the address provided (see application materials) and must arrive no later than May 1, 2026. Applications will only be considered complete when all required materials have been received.
- Two letters of recommendation from faculty in your major field.
- Recommenders must email their letters as PDF attachments to edfoundation@afcea.org.
- It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure recommenders submit letters on time.
- A current résumé.

Submission timing and completeness
All application materials and supporting documentation must be included for the application to be reviewed. If you cannot submit transcripts electronically, ensure mailed documents reach the specified address by May 1, 2026.