Aralia Students Are 3x More Likely to Place Top Computer Science Competitions
1. What Is the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship?
Originally launched in 2021 to uplift underrepresented and underserved students from low-income families to pursue careers in tech, the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship has grown to support a broader range of high school students to pursue careers in tech. Amazon Future Engineer offers college scholarships up to $40,000 per winner and summer internships at Amazon. Outstanding high school seniors who demonstrate financial need and intend to major in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or other computer science-related field will be awarded this highly competitive, prestigious award.
400 Amazon Future Engineer Scholars will receive up to $10,000/year and be invited to intern at Amazon the summer after their freshman year of college. The scholarship amount winners receive from the $40k is determined by the financial aid the winner’s college provides. If your college financial aid package leaves an unmet need of $9,000, then your Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship will be $9,000 per year for a total of $36,000.
What can the scholarship be used for?
The amount awarded can be used for education-related expenses associated with student’s cost of attendance.
2. What Internships Do Amazon Future Engineer Scholars Receive?
Winners of the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship get the chance to do a paid summer internship at Amazon. During the internship, students join real software engineering teams, work with mentors, and help build projects that directly impact Amazon customers. Many interns even release real code used by Amazon.
Beyond technical work, interns also learn about Amazon’s business, meet senior leaders, and get career advice from mentors. They connect with other interns through events and activities, both online and in person, building strong friendships and professional networks.
Internship Pay
Internship salaries vary by position, location, and level of prior experience. Based on job postings, the base pay can range from $47.84 to $96.15 per hour, depending on the cost of living in the internship city. According to previous data, in Summer 2025, an Amazon undergraduate sophomore intern based in Boston, MA, will earn an estimated $52.72/hour. In contrast, in Summer 2023, a sophomore undergraduate intern based in the Bay Area, CA, will earn $60.65/hour. Internships at Amazon typically last 10-12 weeks, resulting in an estimated total pay of $25,200 to $29,078 for a 40-hour workweek. Amazon may also provide housing stipends or accommodations.
3. What Are the Eligibility Criteria for the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship?
- Current high school seniors who have taken or are currently enrolled in a computer science or engineering class at a high school or in a college dual program. (Students who have not taken a related course may qualify by taking an assessment created by Amazon to test fundamental knowledge of tech.) Class examples: AP Computer Science, Computer Programming, IB Computer Science, etc.
- Will pursue a bachelor’s degree in a CS-related field at an accredited 4-year college (or a 2-year community college with the intent to transfer to a 4-year college). Accepted majors include Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Programming, Math (Mathematics; Applied Math), Data Science, Electrical Engineering, Transportation Technology, Computer Info Systems, Computer Info Science, Cognitive Science, Informatics, and Information Technologies.
- Demonstrate an official need for financial assistance by submitting legal documents.
- Minimum 2.3 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.
- Must be authorized to work in the US as an international student with an Employment Authorization Document, a Permanent Resident/Green Card holder, or a US citizen.
Personalized Programs in Coding, AP Computer Science, and ACSL Prep
4. When Will Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships Be Announced?
Recipients of the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship for the 2025 cycle will be notified in April 2026
For context, the previous year’s winners were announced on April 15, 2025.
5. How to Apply for the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
Application Requirements
Transcript of Grades:
Recommendation letter from a computer science teacher, or a teacher who knows students well
Copy of the first two pages of your household’s most recent IRS 1040 form(s).
Deadline
January 15, 2026 3:00 PM CT
6. How Hard Is It to Get the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship?
The Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship award is highly competitive and prestigious, and it’s only getting more challenging to win this award. In 2021, Amazon awarded 100 scholarships; in 2022, 250; and in 2023, 500. However, starting from 2024, Amazon lowered the number to 400. Amazon reports the acceptance rate for Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships to be around 7%. In 2023, over 8,000 students applied for Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships, and 500 were awarded, resulting in an acceptance rate of 6.25%. With an estimated increase in future applicants and fewer scholarships offered, the newer acceptance rates may fall below 6%.
7. Tips on How to Win the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
Amazon looks for “Students are selected based on academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, community involvement, work experience, future goals, and financial need.”
Internships and Community Involvement
We recommend that applicants have hands-on experience in computer science/engineering so they can speak to their professional work ethic and accomplishments in their application. Additionally, if internships aren’t available in your area, get involved with community service organizations or related school clubs to demonstrate your commitment to driving social change in your community and your leadership skills. The more experiences you gain outside of required high school classes, the more sense of direction you’ll develop for your future goals. What matters is showing initiative, teamwork, and an interest in solving real problems.
Exploring Your Interests
Don’t be afraid to explore different opportunities, even if you’re not sure they’re the right fit. You’ll learn useful skills like communication and organization, and you’ll figure out what kind of work actually excites you. That self-awareness will help you write a stronger application essay because you’ll be able to explain why computer science matters to you and where you see yourself making a difference.
Learning from Past Winners
Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Winners from 2024 have mentioned inspirational influences from students’ high school science teachers, movies starring scientists who share their backgrounds or self-identifiers, and family struggles. Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship winners have organized coding programs for young girls, led youth business groups, founded STEM mentorship programs, volunteered to teach refugee and immigrant students, and achieved many other impressive accomplishments. Their stories show that what really stands out isn’t just perfect grades, it’s using your skills to make a positive impact.
8. Prepare for Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship with Aralia Education
To stand out in the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, students need a strong foundation in computer science and experiences that show initiative and problem-solving. Aralia Education helps students build both.
Through Aralia’s Computer Science programs, students can start from the basics of programming and computational thinking, then advance to more challenging topics in AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles. These courses not only strengthen coding and algorithmic skills but also prepare students for college-level coursework and technology careers.
Students interested in competition-based learning can also join ACSL (American Computer Science League) Prep with Aralia. This program trains students in logic, data structures, and real-world programming challenges.
ACSL Competition Prep
The program begins with two weeks of dedicated programming practice to provide participants with an opportunity to enhance their skills. Subsequently, each of the 12 ACSL topics is allocated a two-week period, allowing ample time for in-depth exploration and understanding. Prior to each contest, participants are presented with two programming problems that are intentionally unrelated to the current topics. These problems are designed to enhance the coder’s skills and foster comfort in tackling diverse challenges.
Intro to Computer Science
Introduction to computer science with a focus on programming. Learn the basics of computer programming using Java as an example language but with the concepts will apply to all languages. Topics include program control, abstraction, making decisions and user input. We will focus on how to design a program, how to write code well and how to read and analyze existing code.
AP Computer Science Principles
AP Computer Science Principles Preparation class is designed to foster a profound understanding of programming structures, providing hands-on practice in reading and writing code for various computer programs. Through targeted instruction and practical application, students will not only gain mastery over essential programming concepts but will also refine their skills in problem-solving and algorithmic thinking.
