Vocational School Scholarships
What Vocation or Trade did You Choose?
There are literally hundreds of different vocations or trades a person can follow. Along with those hundreds are many more vocational and trade scholarships that are broken down by subject or category. If that is not enough, you must then make sure you meet the requirements within those subjects.
General Scholarships
It is challenging to locate vocational trade scholarships that do not specify one particular trade, but they are out there. Normally these scholarships underscore some other commonality such as financial need, academic achievement or community service to apply. For example, The Sallie Mae Unmet Need Scholarship is based purely on financial need. The scholarship pays at least $1,000 and tops out at $3,800. Students qualify if their family earns less than $30,000 a year. This scholarship does not specify which trade, or which school the student attends.
Another example of a general scholarship program is the Coca Cola Two Year Colleges Scholarship available to high school seniors enrolling in a two year trade or vocational school where they will earn an Associates degree. Applicants must have average GPAs and a history of participation in community service activities.
Apprenticeships
Vocational training is unique in that much of the learning is experiential, or hands-on. Some scholarships provide funds to those students pursuing a specific trade apprenticeship. Apprenticeships give students the opportunity to learn their craft at the side of a highly trained professional. The most common apprenticeships are with plumbing, heating and cooling contractors (PHCC), most of which are approved by their national organization:
- The A. O. Smith Water Heaters Award grants $2,500 to students in an approved PHCC apprenticeship program or to attend a two-year vocational or trade school for a certificate.
- The PHCC Educational Foundation awards $3,000 to the same demographic.
Vocational Scholarships for Women
Women interested in practicing specific trades can obtain subject-specific vocational scholarships:
- Women who intend to practice accounting can apply for scholarships through the Educational Foundation for Women Accountants. The EFWA offers the Women in Transition and the Women in Need Scholarships, two generous annual awards. The EWFA offers multiple other annual scholarships.
- The Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG) offers scholarships to women studying geology or geosciences. The AWG offers the AWG Minority Scholarship, which pays $5000 annually, or the Chrysalis Scholarship, which pays $2000 annually. AWG also offers other smaller scholarships.
There are vocational trade scholarships for every trade you wish to follow. It is just a matter of searching for your area of interest. Do you want to be a Funeral Service Director? Search through or list of scholarships by category and see if they are applicable the school you are attending.
