Are you looking for scholarships to help you shoulder the cost of college tuition? Searching for scholarships can be an overwhelming process, so start your search off with five of the biggest scholarship providers.
- National Merit Scholarships
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic scholarship awarded primarily for performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The test moves you up to Semifinalist standing, and from there an essay and information about your awards, extracurriculars, and recommendations from school faculty all factor into whether you become a Finalist, and from there a Scholarship winner. It is worth noting that even if you don't win a scholarship, becoming a Finalist or even a Semifinalist can help you in getting scholarship money directly from the institution you choose to attend. The Program itself gives away nearly $35 million dollars to students each year. - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Eligible students are African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian & Pacific Islander-American, or Hispanic-American students, legal residents with a GPA of at least 3.3, who are attending higher education for the first time, and who have demonstrated leadership in their community. In addition to helping 1,000 low-income minority students attend school, separate trusts endow scholarships for leadership in the D.C. area, and to send students to Cambridge. - United Negro College Fund
UNCF has been around since 1944, with the specific goal of closing the achievement gap and helping African-American students get into good colleges. UNCF award-winners include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, and former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher. The UNCF is the nation's largest minority education group, and in addition to providing African-American scholarships, it also offers support to traditionally black colleges and universities. - FFA
Future Farmers of America gave out over $2.7 million in scholarships this year, in part with the support of various partners. Most of these are awarded to FFA members, and most of them are for students going into agricultural or biology-related fields. These scholarships are academically competitive. Class rank, GPA, and other statistical factors play a large role in determining scholarship awards - but they also focus on a specific, underserved field of study, making them a good bet for eligible applicants. - Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has provided some 5,550 students with over $56 million in scholarship funds. They have two separate programs. The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship is a traditional program, awarding scholarships to applicants based largely on academic performance, with students needing a 3.00 GPA to be eligible. The other program is the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team, which awards up to $237,500 a year in the form of 200 stipends in various amounts. These stipends are specifically to support students at two-year colleges, and are administered by Phi Theta Kappa.
