Amazon.com Inc.

04/22/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/22/2026 07:22

Amazon commits over $70 million in scholarships to students across the U.S. since 2019

Key takeaways

  • Amazon awarded 200 high school seniors with Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships for 2026, each worth up to $40,000 over four years.
  • Since 2019, the program has awarded 1,950 scholarships and internships totaling more than $70 million in college tuition for U.S. students.
  • Each scholarship includes a paid internship opportunity at Amazon, where students gain hands-on experience and mentorship from technology leaders.
Amazon awarded 200 high school seniors with Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) Scholarships for 2026, providing college tuition support for the next generation of computer science and engineering talent. Each recipient receives up to $40,000 over four years to pursue a degree in computer science or engineering at a U.S. college or university of their choice, along with a paid internship opportunity at Amazon to gain hands-on experience under the mentorship of technology leaders.
"Every student deserves the opportunity to discover their potential. With the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships, we're investing in the leaders who will shape the future of work-the talented, determined students in communities across this country" said Candi Castleberry, vice president of Amazon eXperiences and Upskilling. "The 2026 scholarship recipients demonstrate what's possible when we create upskilling pathways together and remove the barriers standing between young people and their dreams."

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Scholarship recipients were selected based on academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, community involvement, work experience, future goals, and financial need.
Since 2019, Amazon has awarded 1,950 scholarships and internships totaling more than $70 million in college tuition for students from underserved communities across the U.S. Globally, the scholarship has reached 4,150 students.

From scholarship to career: The Amazon Future Engineer journey

For many recipients, the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship is more than financial support-it's a launchpad that transforms uncertainty into opportunity. The program's combination of tuition assistance, paid internships, and mentorship creates a pathway from classroom to career, as three recent graduates show.

Jessica Bradley, Birmingham, Alabama

When her high school computer science teacher told her to apply for the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship, Jessica Bradley hesitated. Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, with no family in STEM roles for guidance, she wasn't sure she could do it.
"I wasn't super confident in my technical abilities," Jessica said. "My computer science teacher really needed to push me to apply, and I'm so thankful that she did because here I am at Amazon."

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That push changed everything. Today, Jessica is an Amazon software engineer building the backend foundation that powers tech tools for hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide. But the journey wasn't easy-when she started her first internship at Amazon, imposter syndrome hit hard. "It was a lot of trial and error and faking it till I made it," she said. "I think that imposter syndrome is super normal in this industry."
What changed? Mentorship. "It wasn't until I had great mentors at Amazon that encouraged me to step into the confident version of myself that I am today that I felt like I could be a software engineer," Jessica said. "I'm so thankful that the Amazon Future Engineer program gave me the opportunity to be surrounded with these kinds of brilliant minds at such a young age."

Axel Toro Vega, Puerto Rico

Axel Toro Vega, from a small town in Puerto Rico, didn't realize what he was signing up for when his brother and high school computer science teacher encouraged him to apply for the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship.
"I initially thought it was just a scholarship to pay some part of college," Axel said. "But then when I read the letter that I also had the internship included, I was like, oh my god, I can't believe it."
That disbelief turned into reality. Today, Axel is a software engineer building machine learning infrastructure for pricing at Amazon-the systems behind everything shipped or sold by the company.

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Coming to his first internship right out of his freshman year was overwhelming. "I wasn't used to being around this many brilliant people and just this amount of technology everywhere," Axel said. "Being able to drop your little grain of sand in one of the world's biggest companies-I always say the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship is probably one of the main reasons that I'm here right now."
After three internships with the same team, Axel converted to full-time. "Working at Amazon full time feels like a dream come true."

Parker Landsman, Orcas Island, Washington

Parker Landsman, from Orcas Island, Washington, had a similar experience. When she received her acceptance letter, she was stunned. "I didn't expect to even hear back. I had no idea what it meant either, reading through the acceptance letter. I was just so excited."
Today, Parker is an Amazon software engineer building systems that deliver meals to families across the U.S. and UK. "I'm super passionate about what we do," she said. "It's amazing to be this early in my career and have the job that I had dreamed of as more of a long-term vision."

How can students learn more about Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships?

Learn more about the 2026 Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships and how students can boost their future.
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