10 Florida Scholarships to Save You Thousands on College
Looking for scholarships as a Florida resident? Luckily, there are great opportunities available just to you. While many college-bound students are familiar with high-profile national competitions like the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway, there are a multitude of smaller scholarships and regional awards. Below is a list of some excellent scholarships available to high school students in Florida, with awards for everything from academics to essays to being a child of divorce. Amount: $7,000 Deadline: March 25, 2020 Eligibility: Application Requirements: The Selby Scholarship was founded in the 1950s due to William G. Selby’s desire to help the young men he encountered in his oil business, whose futures were hampered by their lack of education. Since then, the Selby Scholarship has helped thousands of young people unlock their potential. More than just a scholarship, this opportunity also provides mentorship to recipients. Winners will attend the Selby Scholar Symposium, where they’re paired with community leaders working in their chosen fields—providing them with an opportunity to network and learn more about potential career paths. Amount: $6,000 Deadline: 2020 TBD Eligibility: Application Requirements: The South Florida Fair awards $45,000 annually to worthy South Florida students with a desire to further their education, but might not otherwise have an opportunity to pursue one. More than $500,000 had been awarded since the scholarship’s inception in 1982. Recipients are chosen by a selection committee that evaluates your transcript, essay, letters of recommendation, academic honors, extracurricular activities, community service, and volunteer involvement with the South Florida Fair. Amount: $5,000 Deadline: July 10, 2020 Eligibility: Application Requirements: Named after Rick and Sherry Murray, tireless advocates for ALS research and awareness, the Rick and Sherry Murray Medical Futures Scholarship is open to relatives of those living with, or who’ve lost their battle with, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Winners of the award have been spurred to enter the medical field and make a difference in the lives of future patients as the result of their encounter with ALS. Amount: $3,000 Deadline: Varies Eligibility: Application Requirements: The Mary McLeod Bethune (MMB) Scholarship was founded to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students with a financial need that meet academic requirements. The scholarship is operated in conjunction with four institutions—Bethune-Cookman University, Edward Waters College, Florida A&M University, and Florida Memorial University—each of which has its own unique application procedures, deadlines, and eligibility requirements. Recipients are chosen on the basis of financial need, and if further distinguishing criteria is necessary, GPA is used. Amount: $2,500 Deadline: March 15, 2020 Eligibility: Application Requirements: Ten finalists are selected from the applicants to participate in the CFJS Scholarship Competition. Those 10 finalists will play with a rhythm section of professional musicians and get scored by judges to determine the winner. In addition to the grand prize of $2,500, the CFJS Scholarship Competition offers four other awards—one worth $2,000, one worth $1,500, and two valued at $1,000. Prize money may be used for tuition, or for the purchase/repair of a musical instrument needed for educational purposes. Amount: $2,500 Deadline: February 19, 2021 Eligibility: Application Requirements: Named in honor of Airgas employee Terry Jarvis, who passed away at the age of 39, the Airgas – Terry Jarvis Memorial Scholarship encourages students to pursue a career in industrial gas, or with a welding equipment distributor, by funding their education. Although available to students across the country and in Canada, Florida residents and students attending school in Florida are given priority by the selection committee. Amount: $2,000 Deadline: Varies depending on district—find a comprehensive list here Eligibility: Application Requirements: Since 1990, Suncoast Credit Union has provided more than $1.4 million in scholarships to high-achieving students with a demonstrated financial need. For 2020, the Tampa-based Credit Union will award 58 $2,000 scholarships in the 21 counties they serve, granted to students planning to attend college or university in Florida. Amount: $2,000 Deadline: June 1, 2020 Eligibility: Application Requirements: The PFLAG of Jacksonville Scholarship Program selects 12 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBT+) scholars from the Jacksonville metropolitan area (Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns counties) to receive a scholarship for their pursuit of post-secondary education. Scholars are required to participate in efforts to educate the general public, which may entail disclosing your LGBT+ identity in press releases and media. Scholars will also need to deliver a brief (3-5 minute) speech at the annual PFLAG Scholarship Ceremony. Amount: $1,000 Deadline: TBD Eligibility: Application Requirements: The Ayo & Iken Children of Divorce Scholarship is designed to recognize divorced parents who raise children as a team, despite the challenges presented by a separated household. The scholarship winner is selected via an essay contest, judged by a committee of child custody attorneys. Strong essays will show how your parents communicated post-divorce, worked together, and ensured you grew up in a loving household. Amount: $1,000 Deadline: TBD Eligibility: Application Requirements: Billed as a scholarship competition like no other, the Florida Futures Essay Competition believes in three tenets: bold ideas for a brighter future, students’ ideas deserve to be heard, and challenges should be met head-on. The essay prompts change year to year, but they’re always focused on solutions to the large-scale issues facing the Sunshine State, with particular attention paid to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Amount: Rent-free housing Deadline: April 1, 2020 Eligibility: Application Requirements: One of the more unique scholarships you’ll find, the Southern Scholarship Foundation provides rent-free housing and cooperative living to high-achieving, high-character students attending institutions of higher education and lacking financial resources. Although the Southern Scholarship Foundation doesn’t provide monetary awards, based on 2019 data, the average recipient saved over $13,000 in living expenses. Currently, the Southern Scholarship Foundation has 26 homes in Florida serving 470 students. The list above includes scholarships for academic excellence, essays, musical skill, being a child of divorce, and financial need. Find scholarships that meet your unique situations (experiences, skills, and interests) and apply for them. The businesses and foundations that sponsor scholarships are proud of their recipients; consequently, most scholarships post past winners and often their essays or other submissions online. Take a look at past winners, their submissions, and their interests to get a better feel for the type of applicant that the scholarship is looking for. Your essay, a short personal description, your letters of recommendation, or your musical number—these are your opportunities to stand out. Highlight what makes you unique, what you’re passionate about, what your plans are, the challenges you’ve faced, and how the award will affect your life. People want to award scholarships to students who are going to go on and do good things, so convince them that you’re that person! Sometimes it’s not what you say, but what others say about you that sway scholarship providers. Find people who are advocates for you and your future, who know you well, will speak to your accomplishments, and highlight your unique qualities. Remember, it’s common courtesy to give them a month to write your letter of recommendation (plus, this isn’t something you want them to rush). You’ve researched a scholarship, filled out an application, solicited a letter of recommendation, and written an essay—don’t let all of that work get undone by silly mistakes. Before hitting “send” or mailing it in, make sure you’ve filled out every section of the application and included all required materials. Similarly, proofread your work to ensure there are no spelling, punctuation, or grammatical mistakes. Even better, get a family member, friend, or teacher to look everything over for you. Take the guesswork out of college admissions with CollegeVine’s free chancing engine. Our data-driven chancing engine uses factors such as GPA, test scores, and extracurricular activities to tell you your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges and universities. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a head start on your college journey! We'll send you information to help you throughout the college admissions process.10 Best Scholarships for Florida High School Students
1. Selby Scholarship
2. South Florida Fair Scholarship
3. The Rick and Sherry Murray Medical Futures Scholarship
4. Mary McLeod Bethune (MMB) Scholarship Program
5. Central Florida Jazz Society (CFJS) Scholarship Competition
6. Airgas – Terry Jarvis Memorial Scholarship
7. Suncoast Credit Union Scholars Program
8. PFLAG of Jacksonville Scholarship Program
9. Ayo & Iken Children of Divorce Scholarship
10. Florida Futures Essay Competition
11. The Southern Scholarship Foundation
5 Tips for Applying to Scholarships
1. Find a Scholarship that Fits You
2. Research Past Winners
3. Stand Out
4. Find Advocates
5. Avoid Silly Mistakes
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