Scholarships for Online Students
Financing your college education can be challenging. Luckily, scholarship opportunities are abundant. When you receive a scholarship, you are given money for school that doesn’t need to be repaid. Scholarships are often merit-based, meaning that they are given to those with high academic, personal, or professional achievements.
Sponsored School(s)
Scholarships for online students can come from anywhere, including the government, private funders, non-profit organizations, and professional associations. Discover just a few of the options available to you as you take the next step in your educational journey.
Scholarship Opportunities
When researching scholarships, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of the parameters of your award. Do you need to write an essay? What GPA will you need to maintain? Are you required to work in a certain field after graduation? Also make sure to double-check deadlines, as they are subject to change.
Institutional Scholarships
Husson University
Maine Community College Award
Students who matriculate immediately following completion of their two-year college degree are eligible to earn $2,000 per year. They must have earned their associate degree from a Maine community college.
Deadline: Jan. 1
Sponsored
William Jessup University
Church Partnership Grant
Students who are members of partner churches are eligible for grants ranging $2,000 to $8,000 per academic year. This grant requires recipients to reapply each year. A full list of partner churches can be found here.
Priority Deadlines: Fall – May 1, Spring – Dec. 1, Summer – May 1
Concordia University, St. Paul
Lutheran Heritage Scholarship
This award is available to adult undergraduate and graduate students who are active members of an LCMS congregation. Recipients receive $2,000 per degree program, evenly disbursed through the duration of the program. Students must be registered at least half-time (6 credits or more) to qualify.
Deadline: Varies
Campbellsville University
Transfer Scholarship
Available to Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS) graduates, this $1,500 scholarship allows transfer students to apply an associate degree toward a bachelor’s degree through Campbellsville University Online. The Transfer Scholarship also provides priority admission.
Deadline: Varies
Non-profit Organizations
Foundation for Blended and Online Learning Student Scholarship Program
This award provides up to $10,000 per year for two years to students who are matriculating to four-year institutions. Eligible students are high school seniors who have completed a minimum of five blended and/or online courses during their last two years of high school. Recipients of the scholarship must plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study.
Deadline: Varies
Live Your Dream Award
Offered by Soroptimist International, the Live Your Dream Award is offered for women who are their family’s primary source of financial support. The organization offers three levels of cash awards up to $16,000, and prize money may be used to offset expenses associated with their education and job training.
Deadline: Nov. 15
Alpha Sigma Lambda Scholarships
Alpha Sigma Lambda is an honor society that supports adult learners who are in need of financial assistance with scholarships up to $3,500. Applicants must have completed 24 semester hours of graded coursework at their institution, have at least a 3.2 grade-point average, and plan to complete an associate’s or a baccalaureate degree.
Deadline: Varies
Imagine America Foundation Adult Skills Education Program (ASEP) Scholarship
This scholarship is provided to adult learners who are seeking job training or pursuing a career change. Students can receive $1,000 and must enroll in an ASEP-qualified school.
Deadline: Varies
Professional Organizations
Nursing
Geraldine ‘Polly’ Bednash Scholarship
Offered by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), this $5,000 scholarship is awarded to top nursing school applicants four times each year. Applicants must maintain a 3.2 GPA or higher.
Deadlines: Jan. 31, April 30, July 31, and Oct. 31
National Black Nurses Association Scholarship Program
The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) offers a number of scholarships ranging $1,000 to $6,000. Applicants must be a member of NBNA, currently enrolled in a nursing program, and in good scholastic standing at the time of their application.
Deadline: April 15
Business
AICPA Foundation Two-year Transfer Scholarship Award
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) offers $5,000 annually for students pursuing a degree in accounting or a related field. Students must be seeking transfer from a two-year college to a four-year institution, and must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA.
Deadline: March 1
SHRM Undergraduate Scholarships
The Society of Human Resources Management offers scholarships of $2,500 for degree-seeking undergraduates. Candidates must be current members of SHRM and have a cumulative 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Students must be enrolled in a degree-seeking undergraduate program with at least one full semester remaining before graduation, or accepted and ready to begin their studies within six months.
Deadline: Aug. 15
STEM
PES Scholarship Plus Initiative
The Power & Energy Society (PES) offers a scholarship of up to $7,000 to pursue a degree in electrical engineering. Recipients should be undergraduate students who are committed to exploring the power and energy field and have high GPAs.
Deadline: June 30
Kevin Jetton Scholarship
The Foundation for IT Education offers financial assistance to declared computer science and related majors who have completed at least one full semester of college. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA on 4.0 scale within their major.
Deadline: May 31
National and State Level Scholarships
National Level
Dell Scholars
Offered by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, this scholarship benefits low-income, highly motivated students who have demonstrated grit, potential, and ambition in their quest for college education. Winners receive $20,000, a laptop, textbook credits, and other resources to help them overcome barriers to their education. Candidates must be eligible to receive a federal Pell Grant in their first year of college, earn a minimum 2.4 GPA, and plan to enroll full-time in a bachelor’s degree program, among other criteria.
Deadline: Dec. 1
GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program
The GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program rewards college-bound students who demonstrate exemplary leadership, drive, integrity and citizenship. Recipients receive a $10,000 scholarship renewable for up to three years. Applicants must demonstrate strong academic performance, be a U.S. Citizen, and plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study, among other criteria.
Deadline: Jan. 4
USRA Scholarship Awards
The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) awards up to four $4,000 scholarships to undergraduates each fall. Applicants must be full-time undergraduate students within two years of earning a B.S. or B.A. in a science or engineering field. Candidates must show a career interest in science and engineering with an emphasis on space research, space science education, or aeronautics-related science.
State Level
Bright Futures Scholarship Program
Offered by the state of Florida, this program offers scholarships ranging 75% to 100% coverage of tuition and applicable fees. Recipients must be Florida residents and enroll for a minimum of six non-remedial semester hours per term in their program of study.
Deadline: May 30
College Opportunity Fund
The College Opportunity Fund program provides a stipend for new and continuing in-state students attending school in Colorado. The fund provides $85 per credit hour for public colleges and $43 per credit hour for private ones.
Deadline: Varies
Washington Student Achievement Council State Need Grant
The State Need Grant (SNG) program provides need-based financial aid to income-eligible students pursuing postsecondary education. Eligible students must have a household income that is less than 70% of the state’s median family income. Awards may go up to $9,745.
Deadline: Varies
Other State Scholarships
Above were just a few examples of the scholarship opportunities available to online students. To learn more about the scholarships offered where you live, visit your state’s higher education financial aid website.
Links to State-Sponsored Financial Aid
| Alabama | Montana Note: State-sponsored scholarships only apply to the Montana University System |
| Alaska | Nebraska |
| Arizona | Nevada |
| Arkansas | New Hampshire |
| California | New Jersey |
| Colorado | New Mexico |
| Connecticut | New York |
| Delaware | North Carolina |
| Florida | North Dakota |
| Georgia | Ohio |
| Hawaii Note: State-sponsored scholarships only apply to University of Hawaii applicants | Oklahoma |
| Idaho | Oregon |
| Illinois | Pennsylvania |
| Indiana | Rhode Island |
| Iowa | South Carolina |
| Kansas | South Dakota |
| Kentucky | Tennessee |
| Louisiana | Texas |
| Maine | Utah |
| Maryland | Vermont |
| Massachusetts | Virginia |
| Michigan | Washington |
| Minnesota | West Virginia |
| Mississippi | Wisconsin |
| Missouri | Wyoming |
Additional Scholarship Sources
If you know where to look and stay persistent, scholarships are abundant. This means that your online degree is more within reach than you realize. When you enroll in an online degree program, you’ll be making a financially sound investment in your future career.
