January is almost over and it’s right in the middle of scholarship season, when students can search for free money to pursue their educational and career goals. I always encourage a holistic approach to the scholarship search process, but there are also proven categorical approaches that can help.
Not everybody knows what they want to be when they grow up, even as they are finishing up high school and often during their first year in college. That’s OK. The most popular major in colleges nationwide, after all, is undecided.
However, for those of you who know which path you are going to pursue, that can be the central criteria in your scholarship search. Searching this way, though, will likely lead to several, possibly even dozens or more, scholarships for which you do not qualify based on other characteristics of the award and process — such as gender, location, the college you are attending, your school year and so on. Make sure you read the requirements before putting too much time into a particular scholarship you have found this way.
Below are awards in three top, practical majors that students pursue.
[Avoid making four common scholarship search mistakes.]
— Computer science: This major has become more popular as we increasingly engage with and even depend on computers, computer systems, networks and the Internet. Once, the stereotype was that only the nerdiest teenagers, with thick glasses and poor social skills, were interested in pursuing such an education and career path.
These days, nerds are beloved and computer science and related pursuits and majors are among the most common, with the promise of high job placement and security as well as better paychecks than many other fields offer. Plus, you don’t need to spend 10 years in college, grad school and beyond to succeed in the field. In fact, some of the most accomplished people succeeded in the computer world beyond many of our wildest dreams without completing a degree — Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg are great examples.
Scholarships are available for students in computer-related fields. The Betty Stevens-Frecknall Scholarship, for example, awards $2,000 to active Association of Information Technology Professionals student members. Applicants must be full-time undergraduates and declared computer science, computer information systems, management information systems or information technology majors with an overall and major GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and have completed at least one full semester of college satisfactorily. The deadline to apply is May 31.
[Learn about scholarship competitions for technology enthusiasts.]
— Business: This major will probably always be among the top 10 that undergraduate students pursue, especially now that college is much more broadly considered a means to a career. The potential for financial success is almost limitless — as is the broad spectrum of careers to which the major is suited.
A business degree or background is something that will offer a level of support in almost any career. You may already be planning to pursue your MBA at Harvard , or perhaps you just like the idea of wearing lightly starched white shirts with silk ties and envision yourself in an office on the 65th floor of a building in some major metropolis. Either way, there are plenty of business scholarships out there for you.
The $10,000 Dr. Abdus Saleem Family Scholarship, for example, is awarded to five students majoring in the areas of, but not limited to, medical technology, oil and energy, computer science, journalism or business administration. The deadline to apply is March 1.
[Check out scholarship contests for future entrepreneurs.]
— Psychology: Majors in this subject have long been among the most sought-after and hard-won. Those pursuing this career path are typically strong in academics and will need to be prepared both mentally and financially if they are going all the way through grad school and beyond to earn a Ph.D.
However, many psych majors will not want or need to go to that extent to find a fulfilling career at which they are able to make a comfortable living. There are many careers offering current and future students the opportunity to do something they love, whether that is research or directly helping individuals via counseling. Others may apply what they have learned to professions in which a psych degree might be beneficial, if not a requirement.
There is money for college available for majors, though. The American Addiction Centers’ Behavioral Health Academic Scholarship, for example, awards $5,000 to a first-place winner and $2,500 for second and third places. Applicants must be full- or part-time undergraduate college students entering or enrolled in behavioral health, nursing, counseling, psychology, social work, marriage/family therapy or other program focusing on treating mental health and/or substance abuse issues. This scholarship requires a 800-1,000 word essay as well, and has a May 31 deadline.
Remember that there are billions of dollars in scholarships and not all of them are based on academic major. Conduct a free scholarship search using your entire student and personal profile to find dozens, perhaps hundreds, of scholarships for which you qualify.
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Scholarships Abound for Students in Popular College Majors originally appeared on usnews.com
