Scholarships for everyone!

As I was surfing the web, I came across an article that asked an interesting ethical question: should merit scholarships or financial aid be awarded to those who don't need the money? For the article and the question, read here.

In my opinion, there are plenty of scholarships to go around. Truly. The sad thing is that most people don't know about them or apply for them (two problems I try to help people with). So, here is a list of all the types of scholarships available to people from all walks of life. Please note, this is by no means exhaustive so if you have additions, please let me know.

1. Financial Need. With these scholarships, the need of the applicant is the number one criteria for awarding gifts. An applicant might come from a disadvantaged background or area, or family of a certain income level. Usually, the applicant is required to meet certain academic criteria in order to qualify.

2. Merit-based. If you have good grades, excelled at the ACT's or SAT's, belong to Mensa or are in some other way academically gifted, you have a good shot at these awards. Financial need is a non-issue.

3. Athletic scholarships. If you are a star athlete, check to see if your potential college will offer you some awards for your athletic prowess. Also, check with your guidance counselor or in your career center--many times, you will find that a former student, former coach, or community member has set up awards for students that have participated in certain sports. 

4. Music scholarships. Do you play an instrument? Sing in the choir? Have your own band? Check out awards for musically gifted students, there are a lot of them. You will most likely have to audition as part of your scholarship application.

5. Art/Drama awards. If you are planning on becoming an art major, research this area. Many times local art groups will offer scholarships to students as well as college departments and high schools. Sometimes, you will have to submit an art piece to compete.

6. Community awards. Do you volunteer? Have you been a girl or boy scout? Participated in Boy/Girl State? There are many awards set aside for you (often through the organizations that offer volunteer opportunities).

7. Military scholarships. If your grandparents or parents served in the armed forces, take a good look at American Legions, VFW's, and Elk Clubs. You might find a nice chunk of change. If you served in the military, there are government programs in place for you. 

8. Ethnic scholarships. If you are African American, Native American, Asian American, Hispanic, any combination or group not mentioned, look for scholarships specifically designed for you. Start checking at your high school, then the colleges you are thinking of applying to, and then the national organizations for each racial group. There is a lot of money waiting to be won in this category!

9. Scholarships for women. If you are a woman, there are many awards that are waiting to be claimed. Check with groups specifically designed for women. Things like the National Association of Women Business Owners, local women's groups, the Association for Women in Communication all have scholarships available. 

10. Geographic Region. There are many awards based solely on the county you live in. Ask your guidance counselor if there are any in your area.

11. Your major. If you are intending on pursuing a certain area of study (like history, english, biology, etc.) there are awards set aside just for you. Check out clubs, groups, and associations related to your area of study for awards. You will be pleasantly surprised.

12. Random awards. There are scholarships for everything under the sun. See my previous post on weird scholarships here.

Alright, my fingers are getting tired because I've listed so many options. My point is, there are many ways to earn scholarships and plenty to go around. Just look and apply.