While many high school seniors may dream of taking their education further and applying for college, the fact is, college is extremely expensive and may financially be out of reach for the majority of students. One of the best ways for students to achieve their educational dreams is to apply for a college scholarship. Available in a variety of forms, a scholarship is a financial aid given to the brightest and best students to help them to fund their degree. What’s even better about scholarships is they aren’t a loan, and they don’t have to be repaid. A scholarship may cover the cost of your tuition, or it might be a one-time award. However, no matter what the value of the scholarship, it’s always worthwhile applying. Below are four common areas of scholarships.
Academic Scholarships
An academic scholarship is available to those students whose GPA is over a certain point, such as 3.5. Academic scholarships are awarded on merit. However, they often require more than only excellence in studying. Colleges and universities look favorably upon students who have proven they go above and beyond outside of their studies. It could include them taking part in after-school classes, summer school or volunteering at local orgainzations.
Academic scholarships don’t only have to be awarded by the college itself, however. There are external organizations that may sponsor the student, in the hope that their further education will benefit their company. It may also mean that the student has a job waiting for them after graduation.
Sporting Scholarships
Not every student can reach the highest GPA score, and not everyone can be awarded an academic scholarship, but that does not mean they are not successful people. This is where sporting scholarships come in useful. If the student is particularly gifted in a certain sporting event or activity, there are a variety of specialized scholarships available. From swimming to soccer, athletic scholarships require their students to continue to play and practice their sport throughout college, while gaining their degree. Like in academic scholarships, sporting scholarships expect students to be at their peak level of fitness and activity. For example, Athletes USA ask students to be playing off a handicap of 4 or better to be considered for an American golf scholarship.
Overseas
If the student dreams of taking their education across the sea, there are colleges and universities around the world which offer their own scholarship programs, specially designed for overseas students. For example, Imperial College London, best known for its outstanding excellence in the medical field of study, has a number of scholarships available for different values, from £1,000 per year to £5,000 which can help students fund their study and their maintenance costs throughout the semesters.
Special Scholarships
There are also special scholarships that are awarded to students from a certain background, such as military families, or geared towards a particular group, for example, women or LGBTQ. These scholarships can open the college doors for students who previously wouldn’t have been able to take their education further. Furthermore, there are Legacy scholarships available that focus on where a student’s parents graduated from and offer an incentive for their child to apply too, and there are scholarships that are awarded if you’re the first in your family to attend college.
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