Students who play sports or musical instruments as well as those who are academically strong have many scholarship and financial aid options easily available for them. However, many scholarships are also available for students with interests that extend beyond these areas.
For students who love nature — whether it’s hiking, animals or gardening and agriculture — this passion for the outdoors could earn them money for college. Although many scholarships are available for academically strong and athletically gifted students, there are many scholarships available for students with interests and skills that extend beyond these areas.
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Summer camp is one opportunity for kids to experience the outdoors, often including swimming, hiking and camp fires. From sleepaway camps to wilderness camps, the options are endless.
Some campers return to camp when they are older and work as counselors. For those who have gone from camper to camp counselor, there are scholarships that reward their dedication to the summer camp experience.
For example, camp counselors who have worked for two summers, with at least one as a camp counselor, at an American Camp Association-accredited summer camp in Northern California are eligible to apply for the Caldwell Foundation’s Camp Counselor Education Grant. This scholarship, which awards $1,000 toward college tuition, has an annual July 1 application deadline.
Rising college freshmen who have worked as camp counselors can also apply for the Camp Network Camp Counselor Appreciation Scholarship Program. This $1,000 scholarship for college tuition is open to any high school senior who is a U.S. citizen and is attending a U.S. high school. Applicants must also have a 3.0 GPA and, at the time of application, must anticipate completing their high school diploma.
To apply, students need to create a 3-5 minute video that explains their experience as a camp counselor and how they exhibit humility, passion, unity, servanthood and thankfulness. Applicants should also explain how they plan to use their college degrees. The application deadline is Nov. 1.
Students who have attended or worked at summer camps, whether specialty or traditional camps, should check with the camp directors and see if the camps offer any scholarships for campers or counselors. There may be scholarship opportunities that students aren’t aware of.
Students who have attended the Fundy Marine Science Institute Whale Camp, a marine biology summer camp in Nova Scotia, are eligible to apply for a college scholarship to the College of the Atlantic. To apply for the $40,000 scholarship, which is awarded over four years, students must have attended Whale Camp, have a recommendation from the Whale Camp director and have been accepted to the College of the Atlantic.
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Much like the College of the Atlantic, colleges and universities around the country are recognizing the skills and experience that students develop by spending time outdoors, and they are providing ways to help these students succeed on campus.
The University of Montevallo, for example, offers the President’s Outdoor Scholars Program to students interested in wildlife and conservation, giving them the opportunity to further their study in this field. The program offers $1,000 to $3,000 yearly scholarships over four years to future and current students who maintain a 2.5 GPA.
Students who like both the outdoors and writing can apply for the Bodie McDowell Scholarship. The Outdoor Writers Association of America offers the scholarship anually to at least three students with career goals in outdoor communications.
Undergraduate students entering their junior or senior years and graduate students studying outdoor communications can apply for the scholarship, with awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.
Gardeners and agricultural students alike also have a number of scholarships available to them. Annie’s Sustainable Agriculture Scholarships, for example, are open to undergraduate and graduate students interested in sustainable and organic agriculture. Annie’s annually accepts applications between Nov. 2 and Jan. 5, with winners notified at the end of May.
Each year, the National Garden Clubs offers 35 scholarships in the amount of $3,500 to undergraduate juniors and seniors as well as graduate students who are U.S. citizens. Applicants must attend school full time and be majoring in in one of the approved fields of study, including agronomy, agriculture education, floriculture, horticulture, landscape design, forestry and other plant and environment-based fields.
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In addition to the scholarship application, applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, their academic record and resume, the financial aid form and a one-page letter discussing their background, career goals and financial need.
In addition to these scholarship opportunities, students should be sure to check with local organizations as well as with their high school or college to learn about other available scholarships related to their interests. Whether big or small awards, if the scholarship is only open to individuals involved in outdoor activities in a specific area, applicants’ chances of winning are even higher.
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Scholarships for Outdoors Lovers originally appeared on usnews.com
