We all know that elite members of the school’s football team or “top of the class” may be eligible for a scholarship, but did you know that there are other scholarships available for more, shall we say, unusual attributes? Oh yeah, excellent academics and athletes aren’t the only ones who can receive scholarships to cover the cost of their college education.
Let’s take a look at some of the more extravagant scholarships that are available, as many businesses, charities, and organizations realize that donating a scholarship can be a brilliant way to raise your profile, especially among the student population. There are extravagant scholarships available based on your physical appearance (hair color, height, weight, etc.), for twins or triplets (double or triple the chances), for people with artistic abilities, writers, vegetarians, people with specific diseases, you name you never know, there might be a scholarship available, definitely worth finding out.
One of the great shames is that many of these more unusual or, let’s face it, downright bizarre scholarships go unclaimed, as many students don’t even know they exist. It really is worth the time and effort to try to track down all eventualities, however unlikely, to help finance your higher education.
Gender equality has been a major concern in recent decades and the field of education is no different. There are now a myriad of scholarships specifically for women designed to help maintain your equality (or should it be superiority?) in later educational achievement. Subjects like engineering, business, math, and law, which were traditionally seen as male-dominated domains, now see surprising numbers of women achieving prominent positions in the workplace, largely thanks to these scholarships.
African Americans are one of the largest minority communities in the United States, although financial constraints have often resulted in a lower than average number of African Americans seeking a college education. There are a growing number of African-American scholarships available that hopefully help restore the balance.
Currently, there is a shortage of qualified teachers across the United States, but a growing number of Teaching Grants are helping to address this problem. Teaching scholarships are now offered at the local and national university level to ensure that the best talent can pursue this much-needed and valuable career option.