Apply: Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Program (AFE)
If you are a high school senior with a passion for technology and you are looking for a scholarship that does more than just pay tuition, the Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) Program might be exactly what you have been waiting for. This is not just another financial aid opportunity. It is a full package that includes scholarship money, a paid internship at one of the biggest tech companies in the world, mentorship from industry professionals, and a real chance to launch your career in computer science before you even graduate from college.
In this guide, we are going to walk you through everything you need to know about the Amazon Future Engineer program, from what it is and who qualifies, to how much money you can receive, what documents you need, and how to submit a competitive application. Whether you are a student just starting to research scholarship opportunities or someone who is almost ready to apply, this article covers it all.
What Is the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Program?
The Amazon Future Engineer program is a childhood-to-career computer science education initiative launched by Amazon. It was designed specifically to inspire and support students from underrepresented and historically underserved communities to pursue careers in technology. The program covers a wide range of activities including free coding courses, teacher training, and most notably, a scholarship and internship opportunity for high school seniors in the United States.
Since it was first introduced in 2019, Amazon has awarded more than 1,950 scholarships and internships, totaling over $70 million in college tuition support for students from underserved communities across the country. Globally, the scholarship has already reached more than 4,150 students. Those numbers tell a clear story: Amazon is deeply invested in building the next generation of software engineers, and the AFE program is the vehicle it is using to get there.
The core belief behind the program is simple. Amazon believes that every young person deserves a fair shot at discovering their potential in tech, regardless of their ZIP code, family income, or whether they attended a school with strong STEM resources. With that in mind, the AFE program was built to remove financial and access barriers that stop talented students from entering the field.
What Does the AFE Scholarship Actually Offer?
Let us talk about the real numbers here, because this is where the Amazon Future Engineer program truly stands out from many other scholarship programs.
Scholarship Amount
Each year, Amazon selects 400 high school seniors to receive the AFE Scholarship. Each winner receives up to $40,000 total, paid out at a maximum of $10,000 per year over four years of undergraduate study. The scholarship is designed to cover your unmet financial need, meaning the program looks at your existing financial aid package and fills in the gaps up to the $10,000 annual limit. So if your financial aid shows an unmet need of $7,500, you receive $7,500. If your unmet need is above $10,000, you still receive the full $10,000 maximum for that year.
The award is renewable for up to three additional years (four years total) or until you earn your bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first. To keep receiving the scholarship each year, you need to remain enrolled full-time in an eligible degree program and maintain good academic standing at your university.
Paid Summer Internship at Amazon
This is what separates the AFE Scholarship from almost every other undergraduate scholarship out there. Every single scholarship winner also receives an offer to complete a paid summer internship at Amazon. This is not a peripheral add-on to sweeten the deal. It is a real, embedded internship where you work directly on a software engineering team alongside full-time Amazon employees.
As an AFE intern, you will collaborate with your manager, tech mentors, and team members on projects that have a direct impact on Amazon customers. You will get exposure to some of Amazon’s most advanced technologies and core platforms, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), seller logistics systems, and the Amazon retail platform. By the end of the summer, most interns actually ship production-level code, which means real code that goes live and affects real users.
Beyond the technical work, AFE interns also participate in fireside chats with senior leaders at Amazon, deep dives led by technology teams, and a dedicated career mentorship program. You will build genuine professional relationships with fellow interns and Amazonians across the company. For many students, this is the moment that transforms a vague interest in tech into a clear career path.
Mentorship and Networking Opportunities
AFE Scholars do not just receive financial support and an internship offer. They also gain access to a wider network of Amazon professionals and alumni. The program connects students with people already working in the tech industry, giving them access to guidance, career advice, and connections that can be invaluable when navigating the world of STEM education and employment.
Who Is Eligible for the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship?
The AFE Scholarship has been deliberately structured to be as inclusive as possible. Amazon and its scholarship partner, Scholarship America, designed the eligibility criteria to welcome a wide and diverse pool of applicants. Here is a full breakdown of what you need to qualify.
Academic Requirements
You must be a high school senior in the United States who is currently enrolled in or has already completed a high school or college dual-enrollment course where computer science or engineering is the subject. This includes courses like AP Computer Science, IB Computer Science, Computer Programming, Robotics, or any related engineering class.
If you have not taken a qualifying computer science course, you still have a path forward. Amazon offers an alternative assessment that you can take to demonstrate your fundamental knowledge of technology and computer science concepts. The assessment includes multiple sections and can be completed using various supported programming languages. This is Amazon’s way of making sure students who had limited access to CS coursework are not automatically disqualified.
The minimum GPA requirement is 2.3 on a 4.0 scale. This is intentionally set at a level that reflects genuine academic effort without being so high that it excludes students who may have faced difficult circumstances at home or in school.
Degree and Major Plans
You must be planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree in a computer science-related field at an accredited four-year college or university. Students at two-year community colleges can also apply, provided they intend to transfer to a four-year institution.
The list of eligible majors is broader than most people expect. It includes Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Programming, Mathematics (including Applied Math), Data Science, Electrical Engineering, Cognitive Science, Informatics, Information Technologies, Computer Information Systems, Transportation Technology, and related fields. If you are unsure whether your intended major qualifies, it is worth checking the official program page or contacting Scholarship America directly.
Financial Need
Demonstrable financial need is a core requirement for the AFE Scholarship. The program was designed specifically for students who have the talent and drive to succeed in tech but lack the financial resources to pursue higher education without support. There is no specific income cutoff, but financial need becomes a significant factor during the evaluation process once basic eligibility is confirmed.
Citizenship and Work Eligibility
Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents (green card holders), or Employment Authorization Document (EAD) holders. Employment authorization must be valid for at least two years from the time of application. This means that certain DACA recipients and visa holders may also be eligible, depending on their specific documentation status.
AFE Program in India: A Note for Indian Students
The Amazon Future Engineer program also operates in India through a partnership with the Foundation for Excellence (FFE). The India version of the scholarship is somewhat different from the US program. It is targeted specifically at academically gifted and financially needy girl students pursuing engineering degrees, preferably in computer science or information technology branches at accredited Indian institutions.
Indian AFE scholars receive a scholarship of INR 50,000 per year, which is renewed annually until graduation. The program also provides a laptop, mentorship, skill-building opportunities, networking access, and a chance to appear for an Amazon internship. Up to 500 scholars are selected through this program in India, and applications are processed by the Foundation for Excellence on behalf of Amazon. The selection process is based on merit and financial need, and the program does not discriminate based on caste, creed, or religion.
How Competitive Is the AFE Scholarship?
Let us be honest: this is a competitive scholarship. In past cycles, Amazon has received more than 8,000 applications for just 400 spots, which works out to an acceptance rate of roughly 5 percent. That said, the competition is not simply about having the highest GPA or the most advanced coding skills. Amazon and Scholarship America use a holistic review process that looks at the full picture of who you are as a student and as a person.
The selection criteria include academic performance based primarily on GPA, real-world experience in tech-related activities such as coding clubs, hackathons, robotics teams, self-taught projects, and after-school programs, contributions to racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in STEM, demonstrated financial need, and leadership both inside and outside the classroom.
Past scholarship winners have come from a wide range of backgrounds and stories. Some organized coding programs for young girls in their communities. Others founded STEM mentorship groups, taught refugee and immigrant students, or built personal projects that solved real-world problems. What stood out in their applications was not just what they had achieved academically, but how they had used their interest in technology to make a difference in the lives of people around them.
The 400 winners selected in the most recent cycle came from nearly 40 U.S. states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, reflecting the program’s commitment to geographic and demographic diversity.
Required Documents for the AFE Scholarship Application
To submit a complete application, you will need to gather the following materials in advance. Missing even one required document can result in your application being marked incomplete, so it is important to start collecting these early.
You will need your completed online application form with all personal, academic, and financial details filled in accurately. You will also need to provide your unofficial high school transcript, which should display your name, school name, all courses taken, grades, credit hours, and the term in which each course was completed. If you attended multiple schools, transcripts from all of them may be required.
For the financial information requirement, you need to submit a copy of the first two pages of your household’s most recently filed IRS 1040 tax return. If you are claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return, you must submit the first two pages of that person’s tax return. Make sure to black out any Social Security Numbers before uploading this document.
You will also need a letter of recommendation from an educator. Amazon prefers this to come from a computer science, robotics, or hardware engineering teacher, but any teacher who knows you well and can speak meaningfully to your academic character and potential is acceptable. Give your recommender plenty of time to write a strong, detailed letter. A rushed recommendation rarely reflects well.
If you are taking the alternative Amazon assessment instead of submitting proof of CS coursework, you will need to complete and pass that assessment through the HackerRank platform. You can use Amazon’s practice assessment to familiarize yourself with the format before taking the actual version.
How to Apply for the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship: Step by Step
Applications for the AFE Scholarship are typically managed through Scholarship America and open in the fall of each academic year, usually around October or November. The application deadline for the most recent cycle was in January 2026. The 2026 cycle for the following year is expected to follow a similar timeline, but always verify the exact dates on the official program page because deadlines can shift slightly each year.
Here is how the process works in practice.
Start by visiting the official scholarship page through Scholarship America’s AFE portal and reading through all the eligibility requirements and instructions before you do anything else. Create a profile and complete the online application form carefully. Every field matters, and once your application is submitted, you cannot go back and edit it, so double-check everything before you hit submit.
Next, work on any short-answer questions or essays included in the application. These prompts are your opportunity to tell your story in your own words. Write about your passion for technology, the experiences that shaped your interest in computer science, what challenges you have overcome, and how you plan to use a tech education to create an impact. Be specific, be authentic, and avoid generic language. Admissions reviewers read thousands of applications and they can tell the difference between a student who genuinely cares and one who wrote what they thought the committee wanted to hear.
Request your letter of recommendation early, ideally several weeks before the deadline. Provide your recommender with context about the scholarship and about specific achievements or qualities you would like them to highlight. This makes their job easier and usually results in a stronger letter.
Gather your transcripts and financial documents well before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues. Upload everything through the designated portal and confirm that your application shows as complete before the closing date and time. Extensions are not granted, and exceptions are not made for missed deadlines.
Results are typically announced in April or May following the application cycle. Past winners have been notified around April 15. If you are selected, you will receive detailed information about next steps, including information about the internship offer and scholarship disbursement process.
To submit your application, visit the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship application page on Scholarship America and complete your application before the deadline.
Tips to Strengthen Your AFE Application
Given how competitive this scholarship is, it pays to think carefully about how you present yourself as an applicant. Here are some practical things that can genuinely improve your chances.
Get involved in tech-related activities outside of school if you are not already. Coding clubs, robotics teams, hackathons, and personal coding projects all demonstrate initiative and a genuine interest in the field beyond classroom requirements. You do not need to have won a national competition. What reviewers are looking for is evidence that you are curious about technology and that you pursue that curiosity on your own terms.
Start your application essays early and write multiple drafts. The short-answer questions are often what differentiate otherwise similar applicants. Spend real time on them. Ask a teacher, counselor, or mentor to read your responses and give you honest feedback. Then revise.
If you have not taken a CS course in high school, do not just skip the scholarship. Take the Amazon assessment instead and prepare for it by using the free practice resources available through HackerRank. Showing that you sought out that opportunity on your own is itself a signal of the kind of initiative the program is looking for.
Make sure your financial documentation is accurate and complete. Missing or incorrect financial information is one of the most common reasons applications are flagged or disqualified. If anything about your household’s financial situation is complicated, contact Scholarship America for guidance rather than guessing.
Finally, apply early. Do not wait until the final days before the deadline. Technical issues happen, documents get delayed, and things come up. Submitting well in advance gives you time to fix problems if they arise.
What Happens After You Win the AFE Scholarship?
Winning the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship is only the beginning of what can be a genuinely transformative experience. Past AFE scholars have gone on to attend some of the most respected universities in the country, including Georgia Tech, Purdue University, and UC Berkeley. The internship that comes with the scholarship has, for many students, served as the direct pathway into a full-time career at Amazon.
Take the story of Axel Toro Vega, who grew up in a small town in Puerto Rico. When he first applied, he thought the AFE scholarship was just a way to pay part of his tuition. It was only when he received his acceptance letter and realized the internship was included that the full scope of the opportunity hit him. After completing three internships with the same team at Amazon, Axel converted to a full-time software engineer role, where he now builds machine learning infrastructure for pricing systems that power the entire Amazon marketplace.
Jessica Bradley from Birmingham, Alabama had a similar journey. She was hesitant to apply because she did not feel confident in her technical abilities. Her computer science teacher pushed her to try. Today, she is a software engineer at Amazon. Parker Landsman from Orcas Island, Washington, was stunned when she received her acceptance letter. She is now an Amazon software engineer working on systems that deliver meals to families across the United States and the United Kingdom.
These are not exceptional outliers. They are the kind of outcomes the Amazon Future Engineer program was designed to create, and they are becoming more common as the program grows and matures.
The Bigger Mission Behind the AFE Program
It is worth stepping back and understanding why Amazon built this program in the first place. The tech industry has long struggled with representation. Students from low-income households, rural communities, students of color, and young women have historically been underrepresented in computer science programs at top universities, and later in the workforce at major tech companies.
The AFE program is Amazon’s attempt to address that imbalance at the source, starting with access to education and financial support for students who might otherwise never consider a career in technology. By combining a substantial financial award with real work experience at a world-class company, the program does something most scholarships cannot: it reduces both the financial and confidence barriers that prevent talented students from entering the field.
Since 2019, Amazon has committed more than $70 million in scholarship funding through this program. That investment reflects a genuine commitment to changing who gets to participate in the tech economy, not just for the benefit of the students themselves, but for the long-term health and creativity of the industry as a whole.
Final Thoughts
The Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) Program is one of the most comprehensive and impactful scholarship opportunities available to high school seniors in the United States today. The combination of up to $40,000 in scholarship funding, a paid summer internship at Amazon, mentorship from industry professionals, and access to a network of tech leaders and fellow scholars makes this program stand out in a crowded field of STEM scholarships.
What makes the AFE Scholarship especially worth your attention is that it was built with real-world impact in mind. It is not just trying to help you pay for school. It is trying to help you build a career. The alumni network, the internship opportunities, the mentorship connections, and the hands-on experience at one of the world’s leading technology companies are all designed to give you a genuine head start in the industry.
If you are a high school senior with an interest in technology, even if your CS background is limited, even if your GPA is not perfect, and even if you have never written a single line of code before, this scholarship is absolutely worth applying for. The worst that can happen is you do not get it this time. The best that can happen changes your entire future.
Start gathering your documents, work on your story, get your recommendation letter organized, and apply. The deadline comes faster than you think, and this is one opportunity you do not want to look back on and wish you had taken.
Ready to take the first step? Visit the official Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship application portal to get started. You can also explore the full program details and course offerings on the Amazon Future Engineer official website.
