In between studying for exams and doing whatever else students might do with their weekend, set aside an hour or two to work on your scholarship applications. With the cost of tuition rising and the economy in the tank, some free money for college sounds pretty good right about now, doesn’t it?
This week, I have a number of different scholarships sponsored by the Sam Walton (of Walmart fame) Foundation, a tuition “giveaway” from Mental Floss, and the Burger King Scholars Program. All of these have imminent deadlines — between January 30th and February 2 — so time is definitely of the essence.
To learn more about the process of finding and applying for scholarships, be sure to check out the Financial Aid Finder’s article on the college scholarship application process.
1. Walmart Scholarships: $3,000 – $13,000
One of America’s largest corporations, Wal-Mart is also one of the largest corporate supporters of scholarships. In some years, Wal-Mart provides nearly $8 million in scholarships — a figure it likes to top annually. There are a variety of scholarships sponsored through the Sam Walton Foundation, all of which have January 31st deadlines:
The Sam Walton Community Scholarship is a $3,000 one-time award to graduating high school seniors with demonstrated financial need and a minimum 2.5 GPA.
The Wal-Mart Associate Scholarship is a one-time, $3,000 award for Wal-Mart associates and their dependents. Applicants must be graduating high school seniors with at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA and a demonstrated financial need.
The Wal-Mart Higher Reach Scholarship is a $3,000 scholarship for Wal-Mart associates who are going back to school after having been out of school for at least one year.
The Walton Family Foundation Scholarship is a four-year scholarship, worth $13,000, for dependents of Wal-Mart associates. Applicants must have a minimum test score of 22 on the ACT or 1030 on the SAT and demonstrated financial need.
Applications and entry rules for all of these scholarships are available online. The deadlines for all Wal-Mart scholarships are stated on their website.
2. Mental Floss Tuition Giveaway: $10,000
Why do you deserve at $10,000 scholarship to put towards tuition and books in the fall? If you can answer that question in the most memorable, quirky, funny, creative and non-pretentious essay (of 750 words or less), you could win that money from mental_floss magazine. If you’re not familiar with mental_floss, check it out online, as the tone of your essay should reflect the tone of the magazine. Applicants must be full-time, undergraduate students studying at an accredited two- or four-year college or university in the United States or Canada. There will be five grand prize, $10,000 winners this year. All prize money will be paid directly to the winner’s school. See website for deadline.
3. BURGER KING Scholars Program: $1,000
The BURGER KING Scholars Program is dedicated to helping graduating high school seniors to attend college or post-secondary school. The program awards $1,000 scholarships, which may be utilized by students to cover the cost of their educational expenses, including tuition, fees and books. Contest rules and the application are available online. See website for deadline.
Good luck with your scholarship applications! See you back here next week!
