Scholarships are a great way to get the money you need for college and beyond. But what are they? And why should you get one? To help answer these questions, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most common types of scholarships:
Athletics
Athletic scholarships are awarded to students who play a sport or participate in an activity. They’re usually given by colleges and universities, but they can also be funded by private organizations.
Athletic scholarships are typically based on skill, ability, or performance—and sometimes all three! For example, you might receive a partial athletic scholarship if the coach thinks you’re good at basketball but not so much at swimming (or vice versa). Or maybe your school will give full athletic scholarships only to those who excel in certain sports. A full-ride athletic scholarship means that all expenses related to attending classes at your chosen university will be covered—including room and board as well as tuition fees related directly or indirectly to the sport itself (like equipment).
Academic Achievement
Most academic scholarship-based scholarships are based on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores. These can be found through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation or other organizations that offer these types of awards, such as the GED Testing Service and College Board. You’ll need to submit official transcripts from each institution you attended, including any AP classes taken while in high school (if applicable).
Honor Society
Honor societies are organizations that recognize high achievement in a field. The benefits of being in an honor society include:
- Education and career opportunities
- Peer recognition for academic excellence
- An increased sense of self-esteem
Subject-Specific
- Subject-Specific Scholarships
- Scholarship for students who are pursuing a particular field of study. For example, if you want to study medicine or law, there are scholarships available in those fields.
- Scholarship for students who want to work in a particular industry. There are also many scholarships available for students who want to work as doctors or lawyers once they graduate from college.
- Scholarship for high school seniors with a certain GPA or SAT score (if you’re not sure what kind of test scores qualify you for this type of scholarship). If your GPA is above 3.5 (on 4 point scale) at the end of high school and/or your SAT score is above 1300 (on 2400 questions), then these options may be right up your alley!
- Scholarship based on membership in an organization such as Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society or National Honor Society
Student Government
Student Government scholarships are based on leadership and community service. You may be eligible if you are a student leader, a member of an honor society, or involved in a club or organization. These scholarships typically don’t require any specific academic achievements or awards; they’re meant to recognize those with strong leadership skills who have demonstrated that they can make positive changes in their communities.
To be considered for these types of scholarships, students must be nominated by their peers and then interviewed by an adviser from the organization sponsoring the award.
Scholarships for Undocumented Students
Most scholarships are open to any student, regardless of their immigration status. However, some scholarship providers may require that you provide proof of your eligibility before they will award you a prize.
If you are interested in these types of scholarships and would like to find out if you qualify for them, it’s best to contact the scholarship provider directly. You can also check with your college financial aid office for more information about how they handle undocumented students’ applications and awards—it may be possible that there is an alternative method available!
Other Sources of Aid, Such as Grants and Loans
Other sources of aid, such as grants and loans, are not free money. You may think that they’re gifts from the government, but they’re actually loans that you have to pay back with interest.
Grants are usually awarded by private organizations or universities in exchange for specific tasks performed by students. For example, if your school requires its students to perform community service during their time at college (or even before), then this could qualify as part of your grant application process—you’d receive funding based on how many hours of service you can provide within a given period of time (e.g., one year).
Loans come in several forms: fixed-rate loans issued by banks at set interest rates; variable-rate loans issued by banks where interest rates change throughout the life cycle; deferred payment plans where payments are made over several years; forgiven upon completion of a degree program or other qualifying criteria such as military service commitment; and income-based repayment plans where you pay a percentage of your monthly income. Loans are typically offered by banks or other financial institutions, but there are also government-sponsored loan programs.
Look into all these different types of scholarships to see if there’s something you qualify for.
To find the right scholarship, look into all these different types of scholarships to see if there’s something you qualify for.
You should look for scholarships that fit your interests and are available to you. If they’re not available in your area, then maybe they don’t fit the qualifications or needs of their programs. Make sure that when applying for anything—scholarships or otherwise—you meet all of its criteria before applying so as not to waste time on things that won’t work out in the end (or worse: wasting money).
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you understand some of the different types of scholarships out there and what they might be good for. Remember, it’s important to keep an open mind when searching for these awards!
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