Saving money for college can be an incredibly daunting task, but tuition rates should not keep interested applicants from applying to the online school of their choice! There are dozens of awards and scholarship opportunities available for which distance education students can apply that will drastically reduce their expenses from year to year. From $500 to $25,000, each award program offers the chance for individuals to manage their finances while working through school.
This list of scholarships for online college students was composed considering the broadness of the scholarship availability, schools that offer exciting award programs, and those that assist women and minorities, as well as members of the armed forces. Most of the scholarships are based on merit and need and will provide excellent opportunities for students of all ages, levels, and majors.
Private Scholarship Opportunities
Get Educated Online College Scholarship: Offered twice a year, this program awards $1,000 to students in a distance education program based on merit and financial aid need. As their goal is to cut the expenses of an online degree program, GetEducated.com funds the scholarship program and it can be used towards any accredited online degree program of your choice.
Christian Connector Incorporated Scholarships: This $2,500 award program is intended for online college applicants who are entering into Christian colleges and universities and who are devout and faithful followers of the religion, as well as dedicated students. The Christian Connector website is designed to help you find a Christ-based degree program that will fit your needs. When you complete your sign up to begin your search, your name is put into a drawing for the $2,500 scholarship.
Society for Human Resource Management Foundation Scholarships: Students in distance education business-oriented undergraduate and graduate programs can find 14 awards totaling over $25,000 through this organization’s generous programs. SHRM also states that if you are interested in earning a master’s degree in the field of Human Resources, you can apply for the Susan R. Meisinger Fellowship award that can include up to $10,000 in scholarship funds.
Undergraduate Distance Learning Degrees Academic Scholarships: This $500 merit-based award given to associate and bachelor’s degree students is awarded in a vast array of majors; all specializations will be considered. It is provided through Study.com and is intended for hard-working individuals who demonstrate academic greatness. This award is only for students who are pursuing an online distance learning degree program. Don’t worry about your financial need, for they are primarily interested in your past academic achievements, as well as your extracurricular activities.
OnlineColleges.org Support a Student Scholarship for Single Parents: Offered through the Organization for Online Learning, this program awards $10,000 for non-tuition related living expenses, such as for childcare, groceries, rent or utilities; all of which are expenses that continue while single working parents earn an undergraduate degree through an accredited post-secondary institution. This program was designed to assist at-risk students who may need to drop out of school due to financial concerns. Online Colleges.org’s mission is to help single parents achieve career advancement through continued education.
Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Scholarships: PTK is an academic honors society that recognizes students in over 750 colleges and universities throughout the United States, and offers exciting scholarship opportunities for online students across the country that total over $37 million dollars each year. Membership within their organization will provide you with many opportunities. Check your state of interest to see if a PTK chapter is available at your school of choice. The award amounts, eligibility criteria, and recipients are chosen at the discretion of each school.
National CCAA Scholarship: The National Catholic College Admission Association annually offers sixteen $1,000 awards to college-bound high school students in distance education programs that are selected through a random drawing from those who apply. NCCAA membership includes access to your choice of Catholic-based colleges and universities offering various criteria depending on your chosen school. You must be accepted into one or more of the National CCAA member institutions.
AFCEA STEM Major Scholarship: The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association provides this scholarship award to undergraduate students in STEM fields, including cybersecurity, intelligence, robotics engineering, computer programming, electronics engineering, and homeland security-related disciplines, among many, many other topics. You must be a second-year student in a full-time program at a four-year college or university to apply. It also requires a 3.0 or higher GPA.
Awards for Women and Minorities
AAUW Re-entry Woman Scholarship: This supremely beneficial scholarship program awards $1,200 to distressed female students in a community college or four-year undergraduate program who has experienced challenges inside and outside of their schooling and who are returning to earn a degree. To apply, you must be at least 23 years old and have completed at least 20 college-level credits. Physical education and remedial class credits are not eligible. In addition, you must live or attend a school in North San Diego County, including the northern city of San Diego in California.
Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship: The Zonta International Foundation awards 32 $2,000 scholarships to American female students in business degree programs every year. They also award six international scholarships at $8,000 each. Online students are welcome to apply as well. This special award program is dedicated to the empowerment of women as they pursue their undergraduate and master’s degrees with the intention of creating prominent female leaders in the world of business.
eQuality Scholarship Collaborative Awards: Over the past 30 years, eQuality has awarded over $1.4 million dollars in awards to residents of Northern or Central California (but may be applied elsewhere). All gender identities and sexual orientations are eligible to apply; although you must have demonstrated service in the LGBTQ community, in addition to providing academic achievement, leadership, and proof of special or hardship circumstances.
Army Women’s Foundation Legacy Scholarships: The Army Women’s Foundation gives several different types of awards to female veterans in Certificate Programs, Undergraduate & Graduate degree programs, as well as Community College coursework programs in the amount of $2,500. This prestigious scholarship program is awarded to past and present female soldiers and their descendants. The award goes to those who have served honorably (or to a child of a woman who has served) in the U.S. Army Reserve, U. S. Army, or Army National Guard.
Haffizulla Family Scholarship: Two $1,000 scholarships are awarded through the Haffizulla Family Scholarship for female medical students who are interested in a career in the medical field, particularly in the realm of disease prevention, along with national health and wellness. For eligibility, you must be a member in good standing with the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) for at least two years, complete an application, submit work experience, a professional headshot, and bio, as well as a letter of recommendation from an AMWA leader.
Scholarships at Online Schools
Colorado State University-Global Campus Scholarships: CSU-Global Campus provides dozens of distance education degree programs and offers eight outstanding scholarship opportunities to assist associate, undergraduate, and graduate students. Awarded every trimester, they include the Academic Excellence Scholarship, Degree Completion Scholarship, Boundless Opportunity On-The-Horizon Scholarship, Diversity Advocate Scholarship, U.S. Military Personnel & Family Scholarship, Alumni Continuing Education Scholarship, Career Enhancement Scholarship, and the CSU Global Mission Scholarship.
Arizona State University Scholarship: Arizona State University is another of the country’s premier providers of distance education programs, which are supported by a multitude of scholarship and award opportunities, such as the Regents High Honors Endorsement for undergraduate students of all kinds. They also offer scholarship opportunities in the fields of History, Asia Studies, Philosophy, and Religious Studies ranging from $500 to $5,000.
Florida International University Scholarships: FIU offers many different opportunities for online students to reduce their tuition through awards, such as the Bright Futures Scholarship or the First Generation Scholarship, all of which are applicable to any degree type in the university. Scholarship amounts offered vary from between $500 and $15,000, depending on the program.
Liberty University Scholarships: Liberty University is one of the most well-known online schools in the industry. They provide online students with ten different scholarship opportunities, many of which are centered around Christian faith and academic merit. Scholarships provide large tuition discounts like in the Liberty Advantage award which knocks off 15%.
Bemidji State University Scholarships: A well-established online school, Bemidji University offers exciting award opportunities of $1,000 each for students in a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate programs, such as the Gladys McKinley Distance Learning Scholarship for students in teacher education programs. They also offer program grants for American Indian RN-BS Nursing students, Business-related scholarships, and the Edward Gersich Distance Education Scholarship of $1,000 for undergraduate students learning online.
Capella University Scholarships: This online school is one of the strongest purveyors of distance education programs, and offers scholarship opportunities for students of all majors (and all degree levels, even certificate programs) to reduce their tuition rates and fees, some of which are as high as $20,000 for a graduate program, namely the Doctoral Capella Progress Rewards, in the fields of Business or Information Technology. These scholarships are not “need-based,”
Canyon Christian Schools Consortium Scholarship: Grand Canyon University is another highly popular online school that offers versatile awards to students who live off-campus or out-of-state, and who complete 20 hours of service each semester. Many scholarship opportunities are available depending on your field of interest, either for on-campus or online distance learning students.
Walden University Scholarships: Walden University is a great online school with numerous degree opportunities for bachelors, masters, and doctoral students. They offer scholarships and awards that are applicable to programs of all kinds and levels that climb as high as $25,000! Walden wants to help you achieve your goals and encourages community involvement. Two scholarships to consider include the Ann “Tunky” Riley Excellence in K-12 Education which awards up to four $25,000 scholarships and the Jonathan Kaplan Excellence in Public Policy and Administration Scholarship awarding up to two $25,000 scholarships.
Western Governors University Scholarships: WGU is another popular online school that offers numerous nursing and healthcare award programs to students of excellence. The WGU Excellence in Health Information Management Scholarship program offers $2,500 to IT or Healthcare professionals who are interested in Health Information Management.
National University Scholarships: There are numerous exciting opportunities through this online school that is geared toward bachelors, masters, transfer, and military students and that cover up to $5,000 in tuition and other dues. Scholarships offered through National University are based on merit, academic achievements, or minority status.
Penn State World Campus Scholarships: A renowned university in the field of distance education, Penn State World Campus sponsors many different grants and awards to first-time or returning undergraduate students with a high enough grade point average. Available to full-time and part-time students, you may choose from a wide array of scholarship types, such as the Fannie Lou Hamer – W.E.B. Du Bois Scholarship, Alpha Sigma Lambda Scholarship, LGBTQ+ Scholarship, as well as the Penn State Libraries Scholarship, just to name a few.
Attending college is an exciting and rewarding time in one’s life. Don’t let the cost of tuition deter you from following your dreams. If you have the desire (and time to do a little paperwork), you can apply for many scholarship opportunities and grants to help you with tuition, textbooks, fees, and living expenses. Good luck and enjoy the college experience!
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“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.