Low Income Student Scholarships
Too Poor for College?
Over 100 years ago, Thomas Jefferson wrote "...that the children of the poor must be thus educated at common expense." However, even today, many students cannot attend a college or university because they are from a low-income family that cannot afford the cost of tuition. But, there are many national scholarships specifically set aside to help these students obtain an education.
Unmet Need Scholarship Program
As a part of the Sallie Mae Scholarship Funds, the Unmet Need Scholarship Program is available to low income families with a combined income of less than $30,000. This scholarship ranges from $1,000 to $3,800 and is intended as a supplemental scholarship to fill an "unmet" financial aid need of $1,000 or more. It is available to students who are U.S. citizens, enrolled full-time as an undergraduate at an accredited college or university, and have at least a 2.5 GPA (or a GED average test score of between 42 and 52.).
National Medical Fellowships Need Based Scholarship Program
This Need Based Scholarship Program is open to first and second year medical students who can demonstrate a significant financial need. Students must provide proof of both their income and the income's of their parents and spouse (if applicable). The scholarships offered range from $500 to $10,000 and are offered to students who can show documented proof of the greatest financial need.
ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund
The American Bar Association offers the Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund to needy students attending an ABA accredited law school. The award is in the amount of $5,000. Students wishing to apply for this scholarship must report their family income, even if they are viewed as independent students. As with the NMF Need Based Scholarship Program, this helps ensure that the students with the greatest need are awarded the scholarship.
The Gates Millennium Scholars
Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the Gates Millennium scholarships aim to reduce financial hardships faced by children of low income families. Aimed at African American, Hispanic American, Native American/Alaskan Native, and Asian Pacific Islander American, this scholarship helps students from low income families complete their undergraduate degrees. Students who complete their undergraduate degree may then ask for additional funding for graduate school if they plan to major in education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health, or science.
Students must be legal citizens of the U.S., have a 3.3 GPA (on a 4.0 scale), planning to enter a U.S. accredited college or university full-time, possess leadership abilities through participation in extracurricular activities, and meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria.
The Google Scholarship Program
The Google Scholarship Program was set up to aid low income undergraduate and graduate students of Hispanic origin that are pursuing a degree in computer science or computer engineering. Students must be either a junior or a senior undergraduate or graduate student, a U.S. citizen, attend a college or university full time, and maintain a 3.5 GPA.
Abercrombie & Fitch Scholarship Program
In conjunction with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Abercrombie & Fitch offers a scholarship program to African American students from low income families. The scholarships value is $3,000 and like the Unmet Need Scholarship Program, it is intended to be used as a supplemental scholarship. The scholarship is available to first year students enrolled a four-year university and can be awarded annually for up to four years.
