How to Pay for College -- One Scholarship at a Time

You laughed; you cried; you made a small bonfire in your bedroom out of rejection letters, so small that it set off the smoke detector, sending your mother running into your room to ask nervously if you’d started smoking.

No matter how you’ve dealt with the stress of applying to college, the stress of scholarship hunting can be even more challenging. If you’re wondering where to start, right here is a good place. We’ve searched for the most well-paying and/or widely distributed scholarships for diversity students, including those that are available to everyone, and those available to students based on religion, ethnicity, talent or interest, and major.

While you’re searching, keep the following good advice in mind. It comes from the CEO of the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Jane Keller, who helps hundreds of incoming college students receive financial aid every year. She says, “Don’t let the paperwork discourage you. It is not you. The application process can be complicated….Seek out resources to help you with the financial aid application process. Look for scholarships that are intended for you -- your particular background, first in family to attend college, minority students, academic, arts, music or athletic.”

• $5000 (Jewelry Design Scholarship from WJA, Women's Jewelry Association).
  
  
• $5000 (Tessie Erligh Scharing Memorial Scholarship for young women active in their churches and/or community who demonstrate academic ability and financial need).
  
  
• $4,992 (Ohio College Opportunity Grant Program that provides need-based tuition assistance to Ohio students from low to moderate-income families).
  
  
• $20,000 (Dell Scholarship Program -- see later in this article).
  
  
• $10,000 (The Scholastic Writing Awards, recognizing 50,000 regional winners in writing categories ranging from science fiction/fantasy to journalism).
  
  
• A possible $180,000 (Questbridge, the nation's most selective colleges and universities that are looking for students of exceptional academic ability who have overcome challenges).

What's interesting is that this Minority Recruit Online staffer only put in a high school GPA of 3.0 (um, that’s real, she says), and both Dell and Questbridge popped up. Lesson learned: Don't assume that because you're a B student you can't get a scholarship based on academic merit and need. You can find an extensive list of scholarships here, but below is just a sampling of what there is to offer.

• Defense Intelligence Agency Scholarships. In addition to a job after graduation, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency offers up to $18,000 a year for tuition and expenses for students majoring in the following: Geography or Foreign Area Studies/International Relations/Political Science, and Foreign Languages such as Arabic, Mandarin, or Korean. To learn more, go to DIA Student Programs  and click on “Undergraduate Training Assistance Program.”
  
  
• Gates Millennium Scholarships. With highly reasonable eligibility requirements, this $1 billion donation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has supported thousands of minority students since 1999. Scholarships include up to five years in tuition to 2000 students per year. The minimum requirements? You must be African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, an Asian Pacific Islander, or Hispanic, and have a GPA of 3.3 or have earned a GED.
  
  
• The Dell Scholarship Program. The Dell Scholarship Program offers full rides -- scholarships of up to $20,000 -- to underserved, need-based students. The requirements include U.S. citizenship, a minimum 2.4 GPA, a demonstrated need for financial assistance, participation in a college readiness program, and a determination to succeed.
  
  
• The Coca-Cola Scholarship Program.  Each year, Coca-Cola offers 50 four-year $20,000 scholarships and 200 four-year $4000 scholarships. Requirements include U.S. citizenship and a minimum 3.0 GPA.
  
  
• The Ron Brown Scholar Program. The Ron Brown Scholar Program offers twenty $40,000 college scholarships to extraordinary African-American high school seniors with a desire to change the world. The reward is a lifetime community of scholars.