For seniors in high school, applying for scholarships and financial aid is just part of life. It’s expected that seniors will go on to pursue college degrees right out of high school. But for adult students returning to school, getting financial aid can be much more difficult. If you’re trying to figure out how you’ll pay for your education, you can look into scholarships for adult students.
Different scholarships come with different requirements. For example, some are specifically designed for vocational schools. Others require people to meet specific qualifications. Your first place to find financial aid should be through the FAFSA, which is a federal aid program without any age limit.
You also need to fill out your FASFA because some scholarship applications require you to submit your FAFSA paperwork. If you want any kind of financial aid, FAFSA is the first step.
After you’ve completed this aid application, you can look into specific scholarships for adult students.
The AfterCollege Succurro Scholarship is a $500 scholarship that you can apply for by writing a 200-word personal statement in a “resume style” that highlights your personal goals.
The Alpha Sigma Lambda Scholarships are from Alpha Sigma Lambda, an honor society created for nontraditional college students. You don’t have to be an ASL member to apply, but your school chapter’s counselor must review applications.
This scholarship’s prerequisites are that you’re pursuing a bachelor’s or associate’s degree and have a minimum 3.2 GPA with at least 24 semester hours completed. You must demonstrate financial need. To apply, you’ll have to provide a personal statement along with a recommendation from a faculty member.
CollegeAmerica is a college with campuses in Colorado and Arizona, It offers $5,000 scholarship grants to adult students who have never been to college, along with those who have attended college but haven’t earned their degree.
You can apply for the College JumpStart Scholarship as a nontraditional student. This $1,000 scholarship is set aside for students who plan to use their education to benefit their communities. To apply, you must write a 250-word essay surrounding your choice of prompt. You must be enrolled in a college or have plans to enroll in the next year.
The spring deadline is April 15, and the fall semester deadline is October 17.