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If you are a soon-to-be high school senior who is dead set on attending college, it is important to apply for as much free money as possible. Submitting applications for scholarships may require a time investment, but it costs nothing out of pocket. There are hundreds of thousands of awards granted to graduating seniors and even adult students every year from different donors, government agencies, professional societies and even private corporations. For those in search of good opportunities, here are six scholarships every high schooler should spend the time to apply for.
The Kohl’s Cares Program For Children Who Are Involved in the Community
Community involvement can go a long way when you are looking for financial assistance to pay for college. For students between 6 and 18 who have spent at least 1 year volunteering their time to provide community service, the Kohl’s Cares program is a great option. The award encourages kids to get involved while they are young so they continue to be dedicated to service in adulthood. To be selected, students must be nominated by anyone over 21 who has seen the child get involved.
Cox Cares Foundation is committed to offering graduating seniors awards to help pay for fees to attend a two-year or four-year accredited college. For more than 15 years, the foundation has awarded between $1000 and $5000 to students who are attending school full-time, have earned at least a 3.0 and have a history of involvement within their school. Applications are available in December and must be submitted by February every year.
The Best Buy Children’s Foundation Award
Every year, Best Buy gives 1200 different awards in the amount of $1000 to students in high school who are selected. In order to be eligible, students must submit their application before the deadline and show academic achievement, volunteerism or even work experience. Since there are multiple ways to get selected, this is a great national opportunity that no student should pass up.
The Engaging and Fast-Paced Common Knowledge Scholarship
So many scholarship foundations focus on academic achievement and the quality of an essay that some really good candidates are overlooked. If you enjoy taking fast-paced quizzes and want to earn an award based on what you know, you can win between $250 and $2500 by taking scholarship quizzes through the Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation. With the best score and the lowest time, you can win money to get even smarter.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Program For High School Seniors
Coca-Cola offers a sizable $20,000 scholarship for all seniors who are going to attend a 4-year degree at an accredited university. All students who have a 3.0 GPA or higher are free to apply to explain why they would be the best pick for this award. When walking the line, having honor cords and stoles from places like The Honors Program will certainly get you attention, but it is important that you highlight your capacity to lead and serve for consideration.
The Prime Scholarship is for students intending to pursue a career as a nurse upon graduation. The scholarship is open to applicants working toward a two year or four year college degree.
The Discover Card Tribute Award Scholarship Program
Discover offers awards between $2500 and $25000 to high school juniors and seniors who will be attending a higher education or training program after high school. While you only need to earn a 2.75 GPA to be eligible, you must also show you have special talents, an inherent ability to lead, a passion for community service and challenges that may prevent you from going to school without assistance. All majors are eligible for this award.
No one wants to dig themselves into thousands of dollars of student debt just to cover the cost of getting an education. While Federal Pell grants and other forms of aide do help, scholarships are additional awards that can fill in the rather large funding gaps. Make sure you review national, state, city and school specific opportunities, and begin applying for awards well in advance.
This article was submitted by guest author Rachelle Wilber.