Online Learning Scholarships

You might be under the impression that to earn a scholarship you have to be a full-time student and take college courses in person. The truth is that there are now many scholarships for distance learners, whether you take online courses that are offered by a traditional university or a completely-online learning institution. And the number of e-learning scholarships is bound to increase as e-learning continues to grow in popularity.

Do plenty of research to find those scholarships that apply to you. There are online learning scholarships set aside for members of just about every group of people you could imagine: every ethnicity, every religion, every career, every sport and extracurricular activity. In particular, there are an impressive number of scholarships available to single mothers, as these women often find it difficult to take traditional college courses and balance work and childcare at the same time. Another group of people who may find a wealth of online scholarships open to them are students who dropped out of college at some point and now want to take online classes to finally earn their degrees. A good way to find those scholarships that apply to you is to get on a major scholarship search engine and plug in every group you think you might be a member of; you may be astonished to find out how various these scholarships are, and how specific the groups. Search the web for scholarship contests you can enter as well; often, if you submit a winning essay you can earn a hefty amount of money. Don’t enter a scholarship contest if you have to pay a fee or give out your credit card number, however. Those kinds of contests are often scams.

Online schools sometimes set up their own scholarships. (Some might be reserved for students who achieve a certain academic standing in high school.) Before you fill out an application, therefore, ask that institution for a full list of these scholarships. Also, if you’re planning to enroll in a brick-and-mortar university but want to take some or all of your classes online, check with that school’s financial aid department. You might be able to apply for any and all of the scholarships the school has set up and use those funds toward online courses. That particular university may even offer special scholarships specifically designated for online students. You should find this information out as early in the application process as you can. There may be a lot of competition, and many scholarships are offered infrequently.

No matter what kind of scholarship you’re applying for, whether it’s for online learning or not, certain rules apply. Be diligent: spend as much time researching scholarships as you can and speak to as many knowledgeable people as you can to get valuable tips and leads. Likewise, spend as much time filling out your applications and writing your essays as you can. A single grammatical error or ink smudge could cause you to lose. (It’s always a good idea to have an expert look over your application before you submit it: a guidance counselor, a teacher or someone else with experience in these matters.) And don’t get discouraged if you get turned down for the first scholarships you apply for. If you keep at it, you stand to be duly rewarded.

Dec 30, 2011