Match Scholarships With 3 Popular College Majors

February is here and we are almost halfway through the busiest part of the scholarship season. There are just about seven weeks left until the biggest drop-off in scholarship opportunities, with more deadlines in March than any other month of the year.

That might sound like a lot of time, especially for high school seniors, but April will be here before you know it.

Since many of you may not be planning to major in the subjects we previously covered, here are some scholarship suggestions for three other common college majors.

[Make time to invest in applying for these generous scholarships.]

— Communications: This popular major is very versatile. There are an almost unlimited number of career paths for which a degree in communications can prepare you, including marketing, television, media, public relations, government, business and more.

Regardless of which career you eventually pursue, paying for your degree with scholarships is preferable to paying back student loans once you land your dream job. Always search holistically and make every effort to find any and all scholarships for which you qualify, but keep in mind there are some specifically for communications majors.

The Lagrant Foundation, for example, offers a $2,500 scholarship for freshmen, sophomores, juniors or nongraduating seniors majoring in the communications-related fields of advertising, marketing and public relations. Applicants must have a 2.75 minimum GPA and be African-American; Latino; Asian-American or Pacific Islander; or Native American or Alaska Native, as well as be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The deadline to apply is Feb. 29.

— Political science: This popular major is also a versatile one to pursue. If you are considering law school later on, for example, poli sci is a great place to start. It’s also not a bad way to start your postsecondary education if you are considering sociological or medical grad degrees, or a career that involves dealing with people and systems.

There are a lot of obvious political science majors throughout history like Barack Obama and Henry Kissinger, but did you know Jerry Springer majored in poli sci? Musician Pete Wentz of Fallout Boy studied political science, and Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the New York Times bestseller “Eat, Pray, Love,” majored in the subject.

There are plenty of scholarships out there for you if you want to join those ranks. For example, the Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship offers upperclassmen and graduate students preparing for a career in state and local government finance the opportunity to earn $8,000 toward their education. Applicants must be minorities and have a recommendation from an academic adviser, department chair or a dean or other official of a graduate program. The deadline is Feb. 19.

[Follow these steps to find more political science scholarships.]

— Art: A major in art is often underrated based on the misconception that it does not help a graduate be attractive to employers, but things have changed in the last 20 years.

With the Internet and the increase in the need for graphic design, jobs may not be as difficult to secure for graduates who enjoy creating visual art in any number of media. Graphic design in 2-D, 3-D, for video and much more fall under the umbrella of a major in art, and the levels and options for specialization are also quite numerous.

[Check out scholarships for students studying art.]

And if you can find some art-related scholarships to lessen the financial burden, you may be able to pursue your dream of drawing, painting and creating with graphic design software to get your work published on the Web. One example is the Zinggia Ohio Art Scholarship, which awards $2,000 to an Ohio high school senior interested in pursuing a career in art, including illustration, graphic design or photography. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and plan to be full-time students and major in the arts. The deadline is March 5.

More from U.S. News

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Match Scholarships With 3 Popular College Majors originally appeared on usnews.com

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