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Scholarships for Higher Education

These days, college is an incredibly expensive investment. One way to help cover the cost of higher education is through a scholarship. There are a number of scholarships available to students, some of which cover full tuition plus books and living expenses. What's best, you don't have to pay back the money that scholarships provide.

What are Scholarships?

Scholarships are intended to help college and university students fund their educations. Scholarship money can help pay for tuition, books, housing and everyday essentials like food and clothing. Sometimes scholarships fund only a portion of these expenses. However, other scholarships pay for everything.

There are a number of scholarships available, including scholarships for women, African American scholarships, Native American scholarships and more. Sometimes these scholarships are awarded based on merit or achievement. Other scholarships are awarded based on need.

Looking for a school that focuses on this subject?

Here is a list of institutions and the number of programs they offer.

Academy of Art University (36)

Art Institute Online (13)

Westwood College Online (6)

International Academy of Design and Technology (6)

Full Sail University (4)

Strayer University (4)

University of Phoenix (4)

Kaplan University Online (3)

Ashford University (3)

American InterContinental University Online (3)

Ellis University (2)

Rasmussen College (2)

Penn Foster Career School

DeVry

Globe University

Minnesota School of Business

Types of Scholarships

There are literally thousands of scholarships available to students, including:

Academic Scholarships: Academic scholarships are awarded to students who have performed exceptionally well in their studies. Colleges often recruit promising students with academic scholarships in the hope that the students' academic contributions will earn recognition for the institution.
Athletic Scholarships: Colleges often recruit talented athletes to their institutions via athletic scholarships. Athletic scholarships are available for football players, dancers, golfers, tennis players and more.
Background Scholarships: These scholarships are awarded to students of various backgrounds. Often, these scholarships are used to make a college campus more diverse and culturally interesting. Background scholarships include Native American scholarships and African American scholarships.
Unusual Scholarships: There are a multitude of unusual scholarships out there, from scholarships for lefthanders to scholarships for twins. Think you don't have a marketable talent? Guess again. There is almost certainly a scholarship out there with your name on it.

To find scholarships, try searching online or visit the financial aid office of your high school or college.

How to Apply for Scholarships

The application process for scholarships varies greatly, depending on the scholarship. Some scholarship applications are very simple, involving a basic application and perhaps an essay explaining why the student deserves the award. Other scholarship applications are much more complex and may involve quite a lot of paperwork. Expect to submit transcripts, a series of essays and several letters of recommendation. In addition, you might have to complete an interview.

When applying for scholarships, remember that you'll be competing with a lot of other well-qualified students. If you want to up your chances of receiving a scholarship,apply for several. However, don't apply for so many scholarships that you submit inferior application packets. Take the time to produce quality and it will pay off.

Do you have a program in mind?

Research different schools that offer any of the below programs with the links below.

Associate's Programs

Art & Design

Art & Design/Animation

Art & Design/Fashion

Art & Design/Graphic Design & Multimedia

Art & Design/Interior Design

Art & Design/Marketing

Art & Design/Visual Communication

Art & Design/Web Development & Design

Bachelor's Programs