Walmart Scholarship: Everything You Need to Know

If you’re a Walmart employee or the dependent of one, you may be eligible to apply for the Walmart Scholarship to reduce college costs.

There are two separate tracks for employees (called associates) and their dependents, both of which have unique deadlines and requirements. Students who are both Walmart employees and dependents of a Walmart employee are welcome to apply for both scholarships, although they can only receive one. 

If you’re interested in applying for a Walmart Scholarship, do it soon. 2020 is the last year for both the dependent and associate Walmart Scholarships before the company shifts its educational offerings to Live Better U, its new home for the associate education benefits. 

What is the Walmart Dependent Scholarship?

For students who are the dependent of a Walmart employee, the Walmart Dependent Scholarship program is an excellent way to help cover the cost of college, and odds of winning aren’t shabby—approximately 25% of eligible applicants receive scholarships. The maximum award for a Walmart Dependent Scholarship is $13,000, which is available for use over four academic years of continuous, full-time enrollment at an accredited college or university.

Who is Eligible for the Walmart Dependent Scholarship?

The most obvious requirement of the Walmart Dependent Scholarship is that applicants must be the dependent of a Walmart employee who has actively been employed at Walmart for at least six consecutive months. Walmart employees can work within any division of the company, but dependents of Walmart Board of Directors or officers holding titles of Vice President or higher are ineligible. 

Other requirements for the Walmart Dependent Scholarship: 

• U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
• High school (or home school senior) or GED candidate graduating or earning their diploma between 8/1/2019 and 7/31/20  
• Minimum 2.0 GPA (unweighted)
• Must enroll as a full-time student in an accredited two- or four-year college or university 
• Must demonstrate financial need 

How to Apply for the Walmart Dependent Scholarship 

Applicants can apply for the Walmart Dependent Scholarship through the company’s portal. Applicants are required to supplement their application with additional documentation. You’ll need:

• A high school transcript showing your grades through the first semester of your senior year, or GED information 
• A current FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR)
• Copy of the most recent IRS Form 1040 of the Walmart employee who claims the applicant as a dependent

The application for the Walmart Dependent Scholarship closes April 2, 2020 at 11:59 pm Central time.  

What is the Walmart Associate Scholarship?

The Walmart Associate Scholarship offers current employees of the company a fantastic chance to earn money for their college education. The maximum award given for this track varies, and is disbursed over the course of six years to use toward an associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate degree, or certificate program. Only about 10% of applicants receive an award, but eligible associates are able to receive financial support for an unlimited number of degrees and certificates—they just can’t receive two scholarships concurrently. 

Who is Eligible for the Walmart Associate Scholarship?

The most notable criteria to qualify for a Walmart Associate Scholarship is employment at Walmart. For consideration, an employee is required to be a full- or part-time employee with six months of consecutive service. Applicants can be employed within any division of Walmart, but must be employed and active at the time the award is offered. 

Other requirements for the Walmart Associate Scholarship: 

• U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
• High school (or home school) graduate, achieved a GED, or graduating high school senior planning on matriculating in college or university following graduation 
• Graduating high school seniors are required to wait until they’re within six months of starting college courses to apply 
• Must demonstrate financial need 

How to Apply for the Walmart Associate Scholarship 

Walmart Associate Scholarship applicants can apply for the Walmart Dependent Scholarship through the company’s portal; they will, however, require documentation to supplement their application:

• Most recent IRS Form 1040 
• List of volunteer or service activities 

The application period for the Walmart Associate Scholarship is rolling, and application deadlines for 2020 are: 

• February 28, 11:59 pm Central Time 
• May 29, 11:59 pm Central Time
• August 31, 11:59 pm Central Time
• November 30, 11:59 pm Central Time

Funding Limits for the Walmart Associate Scholarship

Because the Walmart Associate Scholarship is available to a broad spectrum of students, the amount of awarded funds vary. Here is a list of the maximum funds awarded: 

Tips for Applying to the Walmart Scholarship

Demonstrate Financial Need: Both Walmart Scholarships, the dependent and associate, account for financial need. While taxes and FAFSA forms are required to prove your financial need, the application provides space for you to show what is unique about your situation. Go beyond the numbers and highlight your financial hardships, how they affected your studies, and what you’ve done to overcome the challenges presented by them. 

Spotlight Yourself: Every scholarship wants to reward students who are excited about the award and recognize the impact it will have on their lives. Share how a Walmart Scholarship will affect your academic goals and long-term career outlook. 

Follow the Rules: Walmart highlights the importance of uploading the correct types of files—.pdf, .tif, .png, .jpeg, .jpg., .bmp, and .xps. You’re able to upload multiple files in a .zip file, so long as the files in the .zip file are acceptable file types. Note that Word documents are not an acceptable file format! 

Follow the Rules of Grammar: Before submitting your application, proofread it to ensure that it’s free from spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes. (Then have a parent or teacher look it over again to make sure it’s error free).

Highlight Volunteerism (for associate applicants): Volunteering is a consideration when awarding the Walmart Associate Scholarship. Share your volunteer experiences, why you volunteer, and why you volunteer at the places you do. This is a great place to convey the causes you’re passionate about and how you’ll work to contribute to them in the future. 

Boost Your GPA (for dependent scholarship): GPA is one of the primary criteria when deciding who to award a Walmart Dependant Scholarship. The higher your GPA, the more likely you are to be perceived as a serious, high-achieving student worthy of an award. 

Your odds of winning a Walmart Scholarship are about 25% for the Dependent Scholarship and 10% for the Associate Scholarship. Want to also know your odds of acceptance to your dream college? Try our free chancing engine to see your chances at over 500 colleges. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants, and what you can do to improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account to fine-tune your college strategy today!