Can You get Scholarships for Online Degrees?

Pursuing an online degree is a great way to advance your education, but figuring out how to pay for it can be stressful, especially in these tough economic times. Most students need some sort of financial aid to help them cover the cost of their education, and scholarships are one potential option that many students overlook.

There are thousands of institutions and organizations that award scholarships. In fact, hundreds of millions of dollars are awarded to students in the United States every year. And if you think you need to be a stellar athlete, straight-A student or attend a traditional classroom based university or college to get a piece of the action, think again.

A quick search on the Internet will turn up a plethora of options. To start, you may want to look for opportunities at your school or in your hometown. Students who already know their field of study can check for scholarships related to their degree, too. Just be careful... any web site that asks you to pay a fee to apply is probably a scam.

Students can apply for scholarships for online degrees based on their athletic, academic, philanthropic, or artistic achievements, but that is certainly not all. If you have a particular interest or hobby, chances are there is an organization out there that offers a scholarship for it. Here are a just a few examples to show you the wide variety of scholarships that are available:

• American Fire Sprinkler Association Scholarship - To help raise awareness on the importance of fire sprinklers, the American Fire Sprinkler Association gives away several $2,000 scholarships each year. All students have to do to be eligible for the award is complete a quiz on fire safety, and they will be entered in a drawing. For more information on this scholarship, click here.
  
  
• Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest - If you think The Fountainhead is one of the best books ever written, then this might just be the contest for you. The Ayn Rand Institute awards up to $10,000 each year to students who write a winning essay on one of three topics related to the author’s works. For more information on this scholarship, click here.
  
  
• Evans Scholars Foundation Scholarship - The Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship is a full-tuition scholarship for students who work as caddies. Candidates must have two years of caddying experience and be nominated by their club. For more information on this scholarship, click here.
  
  
• Make It With Wool Competition - The American Sheep Industry Association hosts a yearly competition to promote the sewing, knitting, and crocheting of wool fabrics and yarns. Candidates can enter a competition in their state to win up to $2,000 for their designs. For more information on this scholarship, click here.
  
  
• Tall Clubs International Scholarship - The Tall Clubs International (TCI) is a social organization for tall people. Each year, TCI awards scholarships of up to $1,000 to students that are tall in stature: women 5’10" or taller and men over 6’2’’ or taller. For more information on this scholarship, click here.
  
  
• The American Nudist Research Library Scholarship - Yes, you read it right. The American Nudist Research Library awards $1,000 each year to a student with at least three years of membership in a nudist organization. Winners are chosen based on a short essay. For more information on this scholarship, click here.
  
  
• The National Association of the Van Valkenburg Family Scholarship - The National Association of the Van Valkenburg Family grants $1,000 scholarships every two years to students with the last name of Van Valkenburg. Students must complete an application form and write an essay on one of five topics related to their Van Valkenburg family lineage. For more information on this scholarship, click here.
  
  
• The Vegetarian Research Group Scholarship - The Vegetarian Resource Group offers two $5,000 scholarships each year to vegetarian students who have promoted vegetarianism either at their school or in their community. For more information on this scholarship, click here.

Still not convinced that there is a scholarship out there for you? You won't know unless you look. Try your own search online to find out about other wacky scholarship opportunities. The bottom line is that nothing should stop you from getting the degree you want, and scholarships are a great way to help you cover the cost of your education. Also, you also may want to review our pages on online degree financial aid and how to apply for it for other sources of funding for your education.

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