With school in full swing again after the holiday break, you’re likely to be spending most of your academic time thinking about classes, homework and activities. But the period from now until the end of March is also one of the busiest parts of the scholarship calendar. Lots of major national programs are open for application right now, and we don’t want you to miss out.
To start your scholarship year right, here are eight scholarships for a wide variety of students. You can apply for all of them either now or very soon. Check these awards out if you are one of the following:
Save time with [easy to apply to scholarship contests.]
1. A student with some time to teach technology this week: Together, DoSomething.org and AARP’s Mentor Up program encourage teens and young adults to help seniors face a variety of challenges. Their Grandparents Gone Wired scholarship program, open through Jan. 20 , is a perfect example.
If you’re a student younger than 26 years of age, just spend some time teaching an older adult basic technology skills, such as starting a video chat, creating a music playlist, using social media or exploring their phone or tablet. Submit a picture of you and your student and you’ll be entered to win a $10,000 scholarship.
2. A college kid who pinches every penny: If you’re great at saving money, the Penny Hoarder’s Frugal Student Scholarship wants to help you save even more. Current college students can enter before Feb. 1 by filling out a brief application form and writing a 150-word essay about “the most unique or interesting thing you’ve ever done to make or save extra money.” One winner will earn a $2,000 scholarship.
3. A computer programming superstar: The Microsoft Scholarship Program is looking for current college students majoring in computer science, computer engineering or a related math or technical discipline. Recipients of the Microsoft Scholarship can earn up to a year of full tuition along with a 12-week summer internship at Microsoft. Applications are open through Jan. 30.
Find [scholarships for college degrees that employers want.]
4. An aspiring social media guru: Also open through Jan. 30 is the SoundOut Social Media Scholarship, which will provide two $1,000 scholarships to social-savvy students. The program is open to high school seniors, college undergrads or grad students in the U.S. and Canada, and requires applicants to submit an essay that formulates a social media campaign for an existing company. The criteria are pretty wide open, so get creative.
5. A patriotic visual artist: The Ladies Auxiliary VFW sponsors the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Awards. This year, artists in grades 9 through 12 have until March 31 to enter the contest, which offers a first prize of $10,000 and other awards ranging from $500 to $5,000.
Your entry must be an original work on paper or canvas, created during the current school year. Entries must be submitted to your local or state Ladies Auxiliary VFW along with verification from a teacher and an artist’s statement. If you’re not artistically inclined, the Ladies Auxiliary offers a few other scholarships too.
6. A student at any level wondering if you need a tech break: Computers, tablets and smartphones are an integral part of most young people’s lives. Few of us would, or could, give them up, but Digital Responsibility’s Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship is working to make students familiar with the negative effects of too much screen time.
The scholarship has a brief application that’s open to high school, college and graduate students. A total of 10 finalists will be required to write a longer essay, and one student will earn a $1,000 scholarship. Next time you log on, check this one out. The application deadline is Jan. 30.
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7. An American or international high school senior who’s helped fight bullying: Whether you’ve persevered in the face of bullying, or helped fight bullying in your school, the Abercrombie & Fitch Anti-Bullying Scholarship could provide up to $10,000 over four years. Administered by the National Society of High School Scholars Foundation, these renewable awards are open for application through Feb.1.
8. A science-minded team of two to four students: The Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition could be worth up to $10,000 per student, and is open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. But don’t delay — the deadline for this year’s contest is Jan. 30, and you’ll need to enter as a team of two to four students and one teacher mentor.
Entrants are asked to pick a current technology and then envision what it will look like in 20 years. If you’re a teacher with innovative students, or a creative group of learners with a great teacher, this could be the contest for you.
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Kick Off 2015 With 8 College Scholarships originally appeared on usnews.com
