With the high cost of attending college, many students hope to land a scholarship. Not only can these ease the financial burden of higher education, but they also bring a sense of prestige, honor, and achievement. Here are the different types of scholarships you should know about.
To give yourself the best chance of being granted a scholarship, take some time to think carefully about the ones that will be most relevant to you. You don’t necessarily have to be a star athlete or academic genius.
Many different types of scholarships are available, based on everything from financial need to personal background.
Here’s a quick overview of scholarships you can apply for. Remember, you can apply for scholarships before and during your studies, so even if you’re already at college it’s not too late to get an award.
How do Scholarships Help?
Scholarships are a great tool that helps students access higher education, ensuring an individual is not restricted due to financial constraints. Scholarships may be awarded by the government or universities and organizations.
Both non-profit organizations and businesses or professional groups may offer scholarships as part of their CSR initiatives.
Money that an individual receives can go directly to the school or bank account. If your school receives it, they will use it to pay the tuition.
However, if you or your parents receive it first, following the scholarship rules is the best way to retain that scholarship.
An individual receiving the scholarship can use the awarded money to buy school supplies such as books. They may also use the money to bear the living expenses (especially for international students) and travel costs.
Scholarship rules may differ depending on the organization awarding it. It is one of those things that can be a motivating factor for you to retain that scholarship. For instance, the rule may ask you to keep the scores up or join certain activities. Certain scholarship rules may even ask you to join a specific field after your graduation.
Apart from taking the financial burden off the student and their family, here are the other ways in which scholarships help:
- Provide access to better opportunities: Through scholarships, individuals receiving them (scholars) do not miss out on opportunities that would have been great for their growth. Scholars can get access to studying in prestigious universities which may have been unaffordable.
- Great for the scholar’s personal growth: Through a scholarship, scholars get a sense of achievement and confidence in academic life. It also teaches the scholars responsibility, motivating them to work harder to maintain the standards.
- Helps connect with peers and mentors: Scholarships help the scholar gain new contacts that can help them foster valuable relations. Scholarships provide networking opportunities as the individual may get a chance to mix with international students, alumni, and mentors. The latter can provide them with guidance, while the former can support them through the academic journey.
- Helps get great employment opportunities: With the help of a scholarship, you do not just get a better education, you can also access better jobs. When you have a scholarship on your resume, you display consistent success and dedication toward achieving goals.
Here are the Different Types of Scholarships
The following list contains the different types of scholarships that one can obtain depending on their merits.
Academic Scholarships
If you’re a top student with an exceptional GPA, you might be eligible for a merit-based scholarship that rewards academic achievement. These are particularly prestigious and look great on your resume after you graduate.
However, competition for them is fierce, as the monetary amount is often more significant. Many also take other factors such as extracurricular activities into account as well as grades.
Sports Scholarships
If you’re a star student-athlete, a sports scholarship might suit you. As well as the well-known ones for sports such as football and basketball, awards are available for all kinds of athletic activities including golf, fencing, and tennis scholarships.
Athletic scholarships also tend to be highly competitive, and you must compete at a national or international level to qualify for the most generous ones.
Scholarships Based on Financial Need
Several scholarships are available for students who can demonstrate genuine financial need. These needs-based awards might have specific requirements.
Such as residing in a particular area or studying certain subjects, so check the criteria carefully before applying. These can be a great option even if you are academically average.
Scholarships for People from Specific Backgrounds
Many scholarships are offered to people from specific disadvantaged or minority backgrounds, for example, women or people of certain ethnicities.
Others are aimed at mature students. Students from a military background, those whose parents work at specific companies.
Or who live in a specific geographic location, such as scholarships for Alaska natives. There are also scholarships for students studying specific subjects such as medicine, science, mathematics, or engineering.
Arts Scholarships
In addition to scholarships for athletic ability, awards are also available for those who demonstrate talent in specific creative endeavors.
For example, if you are an exceptional musician, artist, singer, or similar, there may be scholarships you can apply for. You’ll generally need to submit a portfolio or have an audition to be considered.
Community Service Scholarships
Finally, specific scholarships are available for students with a history of volunteering and giving back to their community. These are often not so well known.
But might be ideal for you if you are deeply involved in community service. Even if your grades are not the highest in your class.
Conclusion
This was all on the different types of scholarships present for college-going students. There are also scholarships for those who want to serve their communities.
Which scholarship are you preparing for?
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