Technical Certification Scholarships
Need Career Cred? Get Money for Those Costly Certifications
Tech jobs remain some of the most attractive. Technology demands trained professionals and in many instances the best way to prove you possess qualifications is to hold an industry certification like a Cisco CCNA or Microsoft MCSE. IT is one of those professions where skills can be measured. They are by all accounts rather pricey programs, but the value they add to your resume cannot be overlooked. Possessing a certification guarantees you job qualifications, represents both time invested and the reputation of internationally recognized corporations.
You will most likely earn a smorgasbord of certifications depending on what type of work you wish to pursue. Scholarships may be had if you do your homework. Do not forget to follow up on refresher courses, either. IT certifications are useless once they are outdated.
Scholarships
CompTIA Award through the Utah State Office of Education may be awarded to a student in an IT program. Applicant must be enrolled in one of the state technical colleges. Award is $250.
CyberLearning Scholarships give millions of dollars worth in industry certifications to students and educators who would otherwise not be able to foot the costly bill associated with many of them. The program only asks for a small fee and then you can choose from Cisco, Microsoft, CompTIA and others.
AFCEA Technical Certifications Scholarships awards organization members with $750 awards that offset the cost of IT industry certifications. The AFCEA is dedicated to providing educational and professional support to military, educational institutions and others that require training and IT resources in a heavily weighted technological world.
Marin Education Fund awards Professional and Technical Training Scholarships for those who need to offset the cost for professional training courses. A few of the scholarships require applicants to be residents of Marin County. Awards are up to $5,000 depending on the type of training program applied for.
TechTrain is one of the large companies that deliver a smorgasbord of industry certifications. The company offers a TechTrain Scholarship that awards full course tuition to one lucky applicant.
The State of Michigan Merit Awards will automatically offer state high school graduates $4,000 to go to college OR earn a technical certification. This program is invested in providing higher education to every student that wants it with the long-term knowledge that the state's economy will grow.
ASM Educational Center provides training for individuals and businesses in IT certifications. ASM Scholarship program awards students $2,000 to put toward a certification program of their choice.
The Literary Foundation of Virginia funds the Technology Certification Scholarships that award $500 to individuals who prove financial need. The foundation works to assist those that might otherwise not have the monetary means to afford a training program.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. You should check with your local community or technical college. They will most likely have their own scholarships. Also, the big companies: Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA, and Novell all offer scholarships at one time or another, especially for women and minorities.
