The Vegetarian Research Group College Scholarship

State and federal programs aren’t the only options students have when it comes to securing college financing. Scholarships offer an excellent resource to reduce the cost of your college degree without resorting to student loans. Scholarships exist to support students based on an incredible range of achievements, demographic factors, and other criteria. Often, scholarships are sponsored by organizations who want to encourage students who share their beliefs. Seeking to support students who are passionate about promoting a vegetarian lifestyle, the Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship provides two $5,000 awards and one $10,000 award on an annual basis.

Applying for the Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarships

Available to graduating high school seniors, these awards honor students who have demonstrated a commitment to creating a more peaceful world through vegetarianism. Along with following a vegetarian or vegan diet, applicants must strive to promote the lifestyle in their school or community. Additionally, applicants must articulate the reasons they’re passionate about being a vegetarian and what the lifestyle means to them.

To apply for this award, students should submit their school transcripts from the last two years, three letters of recommendation, and their scholarship essays by February 20, 2020. Essays should answers the following questions:

1. How you promoted vegetarianism in your high school and/or community
2. Your successes
3. Your challenges
4. What you learned/what you would do different
5. How you expect to promote vegetarianism in college and beyond
6. Your future goals
7. Your strengths
8. Your weaknesses
9. Your “perfect” life in five years
10. Why you should receive this scholarship
11. How you became vegetarian and why you are vegetarian
12. How you define vegetarian
13. Why vegetarianism is important to you
14. What else is important to you
15. What vegetarian foods you would recommend to a non-vegetarian
16. What restaurants you would recommend to a non-vegetarian

Additionally, applicants are invited to submit documents demonstrating their commitment to vegetarian activism. For example, you could provide a newspaper article, photo, or blog showcasing the ways in which you promoted vegetarianism in your community. The Vegetarian Resource Group may reach out to finalists for more information, so be sure to double-check your information for accuracy and provide an email address that you check regularly.

Tips on Applying for Scholarships

Private scholarships can help bridge the gap between the money a family can contribute and the money schools offer in financial aid. However, the process of applying for these awards is often complex and time consuming. These tips can make the scholarship application process less intimidating and more effective:

Choose Local Awards. National scholarships may seem more prestigious, but they’re also more competitive. If you want to increase your odds of securing college financing, consider focusing your search on local scholarships. Because you’ll only compete with students in your area, not than applicants from all over the country, you’ll have a better chance of winning. As a bonus, local scholarships provide a great opportunity to engage with businesses and organizations in your community.

Search for Similar Essays. Between senior year assignments and college essays, students often have limited time left over for independent scholarship applications. One of the best ways to keep your workload in check during this period is to apply to scholarship contests that feature similar essay assignments. After all, it takes far less time to modify an essay to suit similar prompts than it does to write a new one from scratch.

High school students need to stay organized if they hope to rise above the college application competition. At CollegeVine, we created our Applications Program to help families manage deadlines for test scores, letters of recommendation, essays, and more. As a bonus, our Milestone Tracker will ensure nothing falls through the cracks. To learn more about how our Admissions Consultants can help you achieve your goals, call today or contact our team online.