An adult party card game company funding one of the more distinctive scholarships available to women and non-binary students in STEM sounds like a punchline. It isn’t.
The Cards Against Humanity Science Ambassador Scholarship has quietly contributed over $1.6 million to STEM education over the past decade, and its current structure awards $20,000 each to five students every year — based entirely on a single, self-recorded educational video.
This guide breaks down exactly who qualifies, what the video actually needs to include, how the selection process works, and when the current application window closes.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- What the Science Ambassador Scholarship actually is
- Eligibility requirements
- The video requirement, explained in detail
- Award amount and how winners are chosen
- The annual application cycle and deadline
- How to apply, step by step
- Frequently asked questions
What Is the Science Ambassador Scholarship?
The Science Ambassador Scholarship is an annual scholarship program funded by Cards Against Humanity, the company behind the well-known adult party card game. According to the scholarship’s official site,
Cards Against Humanity funds the program by selling science-themed card packs and donating 100% of the profits directly to the scholarship — a funding model that’s genuinely unusual among corporate-sponsored scholarships.
The program’s stated purpose is to support undergraduate women and non-binary students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM).
Rather than judging applicants on grades, essays, or financial need, the scholarship is built entirely around a single creative requirement: teaching a STEM topic through a short video, as if standing in front of a class.
Science Ambassador Scholarship Requirements
According to the official scholarship site and consistent with listings from Peterson’s and Access Scholarships, applicants must:
- Identify as a woman or non-binary
- Be a high school senior or a current undergraduate college student
- Not need to hold U.S. citizenship — international applicants are explicitly eligible
- Attend, or plan to attend, college in the United States or a U.S. territory — this part is required, even for non-citizen applicants
- Be pursuing, or planning to pursue, a degree in a STEM field
That combination is worth pausing on: you don’t need to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to apply, but you do need your education to be based in the U.S. or a U.S. territory.
This makes the scholarship meaningfully accessible to international students already planning to study in the United States, not just domestic applicants.
The Video Requirement, Explained in Detail
This is the heart of the entire application, and it’s worth getting right. Applicants must submit one educational video, no longer than three minutes, explaining a STEM topic they’re genuinely passionate about. According to the official application guidance, a few rules and expectations shape what makes a strong submission:
- Structure it as a mini-lecture, not a personal statement. Applicants are explicitly told to pretend they’re a lecturer speaking to a class — state your main idea, explain it, and give a clear example or demonstration.
- The topic doesn’t need to connect to a specific major. Per the scholarship’s own FAQ, you can explain any STEM topic you find exciting, not necessarily one tied to your intended field of study.
- Content and teaching skill matter more than production value. You don’t need professional equipment or high-end editing — clarity, accuracy, creativity, and genuine passion for the subject carry far more weight than polish.
- Cite your sources. A final slide or frame listing where your information came from is expected.
- Upload to YouTube and set the video to public. This is a hard requirement, not a suggestion.
- Avoid YouTube Shorts. Because Shorts use a square or vertical aspect ratio, uploading in that format can cause YouTube to automatically convert your submission into a Short, which the scholarship cannot accept. Use a standard widescreen 16:9 format instead to avoid this technical issue.
If you’re already troubleshooting a video upload error, the scholarship’s official FAQ notes this is a common issue and encourages applicants having trouble to email SAS@CardsAgainstHumanity.com directly for support.
Science Ambassador Scholarship Award Amount and How Winners Are Chosen
Each year, five winners are selected, and each receives:
- A $20,000 tuition scholarship, paid directly to the winner’s college or university
- A $1,000 science communication stipend
- Mentorship from the scholarship’s advisory board — a group of women and non-binary professionals holding advanced degrees across a broad range of STEM fields
That advisory board is also responsible for judging: applications are reviewed by this same panel of STEM professionals, who narrow the pool down to finalists before selecting the final five winners.
The Annual Application Cycle and Deadline
The Science Ambassador Scholarship runs on a consistent yearly rhythm. Based on the current cycle and the pattern from previous years:
- Applications open: September
- Application deadline: December 15
- Finalists notified: early in the following year, and asked to submit additional materials
- Five winners announced: spring of the following year
- Funds distributed to winners’ colleges/universities: fall of the following year
In practical terms, a video submitted by the December 15 deadline in one year won’t result in funds reaching your school until roughly a year later — this is a scholarship worth applying to well ahead of when you’ll actually need the money, not as a last-minute funding source for an imminent tuition bill.
As always with recurring annual scholarships, confirm the current year’s exact deadline directly on the official scholarship site before finalizing your video, since dates can shift slightly year to year.
How to Apply for the Science Ambassador Scholarship Program
- Visit the Science Ambassador Scholarship — Official Site
- Confirm your eligibility, particularly your gender identity, student status, and U.S.-based enrollment plans.
- Choose a STEM topic you’re genuinely excited about — remember, it doesn’t need to match your intended major.
- Script and rehearse your mini-lecture. Treat this like an actual teaching moment: a clear main idea, an explanation, and a concrete example or demonstration, all within three minutes.
- Film your video, prioritizing clear audio and a genuine, engaged delivery over expensive equipment or elaborate editing.
- Add a closing slide or frame citing your sources.
- Upload your video to YouTube in standard 16:9 format, and set the privacy setting to public — double-check it hasn’t been auto-converted into a Short.
- Submit your application through the official scholarship site before the December 15 deadline.
- Watch for a finalist notification email in early the following year, and be ready to provide any additional requested materials promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people win the Science Ambassador Scholarship? Five students are selected each year, each receiving a $20,000 tuition scholarship plus a $1,000 science communication stipend.
Do I need to be a U.S. citizen to apply? No. International students are explicitly eligible, but you must attend or plan to attend college in the United States or a U.S. territory.
Does my video topic need to match my major? No. The scholarship’s own FAQ confirms you can choose any STEM topic you’re passionate about, regardless of your specific field of study.
What happens if my video gets converted into a YouTube Short? The scholarship cannot accept Shorts. Upload your video in a standard widescreen (16:9) format rather than a square or vertical one to prevent YouTube from auto-converting it.
When is the Science Ambassador Scholarship deadline? The application window typically opens in September and closes December 15 each year, with finalists notified early the following year and winners announced that spring.
Is this scholarship only for current STEM majors? No. High school seniors who are still planning their intended major, as well as current undergraduates already studying a STEM field, are both eligible to apply.
Conclusion
The Science Ambassador Scholarship is a genuinely unusual combination: funded by an irreverent party game company, judged by real STEM professionals, and built around a format — teaching, not writing — that rewards a different set of skills than a traditional scholarship essay.
If you’re a woman or non-binary student with a STEM topic you could talk about for three minutes without running out of things to say, this is a well-funded, well-established scholarship worth the effort of a genuinely strong video.