Scholarships for Students – Look Within Your Company

While the number of scholarships for students is quite large, finding those your child is actually eligible for might be a bit more difficult than you’d imagined. After all, if your child is fairly average in many categories, there are thousands of scholarships he or she simply won’t qualify for. It can be frustrating to decide where to turn next, but in increasing numbers, parents are looking to their places of employment for college scholarship help.

From oil companies to hospitals to cell phone companies, many corporations are stepping up to the plate to help their employees fund college expenses. After all, it not only counts as a tax deduction for most companies, but it also helps to brand each corporation as a philanthropic entity truly interested in higher education. Moreover, it may help them attract quality team members who have graduated from a four year university with the help of their scholarship money.

If you’re interested in learning whether your company or corporation offers college scholarships for your child, you may want to start by talking to your manager or supervisor. Most upper level staff members are quite knowledgeable about corporate giving programs. Your human resources contact may have some information for you as well. If all else fails, you may want to visit your company’s website and do a bit of detective work to see if any scholarship money is involved. Most companies that do offer scholarships for students have a fairly extensive application process, and deadlines are quite strict. Expect to need a copy of your child’s transcripts, ACT or SAT scores, and a few letters of recommendation. As with any scholarship application, it is essential that your child’s writing skills are portrayed as above average, so don’t hesitate to discuss his or her answers before you complete the application, and be sure to proofread it once or twice before it is submitted.

If your own company doesn’t offer any scholarship money, you might look toward your child’s place of employment as well. Stores like Target, WalMart, and Lowe’s offer quite a bit of money in scholarship funds, and many local retail stores that employ young high school and college students have money available as well. Have your child ask his or her supervisor about scholarships for students.

Companies large and small regularly fund college scholarships, and whether your student gets enough to help buy a few textbooks or enough to fund an entire semester, it’s well worth the work involved.