Career Education Scholarships
When it comes to obtaining scholarships, it can be hard to know where to start, especially if you are seeking a vocational certification or degree. It may seem that most of the scholarships available are geared towards academic subjects or towards traditional students only. Adult learners or students interested in vocational careers may feel that they are left out in the cold.
However, there are many sources for continuing education and vocational scholarships. If the school you are attending is properly accredited, government aid is readily accessible. Schools also offer a large amount of scholarships to their students. Among traditional independent scholarships there are many which are targeted towards continuing education learners. Finally, there is one source of financial assistance for adults returning to school which is not available to traditional students. Many employers have tuition assistance programs for their employees. Check with your company's human resources department to see if they have such a program and if you qualify.
School-based scholarshipsThe school that you plan to attend may offer scholarships. Check with the financial aid office. In some cases, you may not even have to fill out an additional application. Typically, these are offered based on your prior academic or extracurricular achievements; they augment any need-based aid you may receive.
Career-based scholarshipsProfessional organizations in your field of choice may offer scholarships to qualified students. Criteria for awarding these scholarships vary widely, but they can be a great source of funding for students interested in specific areas of study. Unions and other professional associations are good sources of information for funding your career education program.
Employer-based scholarshipsSome employers, particularly large corporations, offer scholarships to employees or to children of employees. Many companies also offer tuition reimbursement; this can be a fabulous way to boost your career prospects. Companies that reimburse tuition frequently require the coursework to be directly related to your job in order to qualify for repayment; there may also be a minimum grade required. Sometimes, the definition of "directly related to your job" may be quite broad. It is worth checking with your human resources office to discover if this is an option for you, and also to check if the courses you want to take will be eligible for reimbursement.
Government ScholarshipsThe first thing to do for government aid is to fill out the FAFSA. By filling out the FAFSA you will know if you qualify for government need-based grants as well as low interest loans.
In addition to need-based financial aid, some government scholarships are available to students in specific fields, for instance nursing or agriculture. National service scholarships are also available via government programs such as AmeriCorps, which provides scholarship money or student loan repayment in exchange for a year of service, typically $4,725. As with any other government aid, the educational institution where this money is used needs to meet the appropriate federal criteria.
Other Sources of Vocational ScholarshipsCommunity organizations, charitable foundations, the military, and veterans' groups are all potential sources of vocational scholarship money.
The following is a partial list of organizations that offer scholarships to vocational students. There are a tremendous variety of opportunities available; researching scholarships by field of interest, state, or community can also yield valuable results. Your college financial aid office or local library is a good source of further information.
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The AFL-CIO's Union Privilege runs the Union Plus Scholarship Program, which funds post-secondary education at colleges, trade, and technical schools.
http://www.unionplus.org/college-education-financing/union-plus-scholarship -
The Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors' Association has a list of scholarships sponsored by industry partners:
http://www.foundation.phccweb.org/scholarships/ -
The National Cosmetology Association offers the Sally Beauty Scholarship:
http://www.ncacares.org/resources/scholarship.cfm -
The National Business Aviation Association oversees the Maintenance Technical Reward and Career Scholarship (Maintenance TRACS), which provides training in maintenance of various different aircraft and engine types, as well as several other scholarships:
http://web.nbaa.org/prodev/scholarships/mxtracs/
http://web.nbaa.org/prodev/scholarships/ -
The State of Georgia's Hope Scholarships (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) provides financial assistance to students who have demonstrated academic achievement, and is applicable at private, public, and technical colleges in Georgia.
http://www.gacollege411.org/finaid/ -
Scholarships for technical education are also available through the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation:
http://www.sme.org/ -
The American Academy of Chefs, the honor society of the American Culinary Federation, offers a few different scholarships to students at various levels of education:
http://www.acfchefs.org/Content/NavigationMenu2/Schools/Scholarships/default.htm -
The Home Builders Association of Western Massachusetts offers scholarships to students at local trade schools who can use the funding to further their construction careers. Funding can even be used to purchase tools to help a student obtain a job or internship.
http://www.hbrawm.com/ -
AAA and Ford co-sponsor a scholarship program for students interested in pursuing careers in automotive repair. AAA also funds a hospitality management scholarship:
http://www.aaaexchange.com/ -
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation provides funding for students in the restaurant and food service industry:
http://www.nraef.org/scholarships/
One caution: beware of any scholarship that demands a fee to apply, or of any organization that wants money in exchange for a list of scholarship opportunities. Scholarships are typically widely publicized and the information is available for free; it may sometimes require a little research, but should not require any of your money.
Article ResourcesStudents.Gov
http://www.students.gov/
Federal Student Aid
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/funding.jsp
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/consider.jsp
AmeriCorps
http://www.americorps.org/for_individuals/benefits/index.asp
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