We all know that elite members of the school’s football team or “top of the class” may be eligible for a scholarship, but did you know there are other scholarships available for the more, shall we say, unusual attributes? Oh yes, excellent academics and athletes are not the only ones who can receive scholarships to cover the cost of their college education.
Let’s take a look at some of the more extravagant scholarships that are available, as many businesses, charities and organizations realize that donating a scholarship can be a brilliant way to raise your profile, especially amongst the student population. Extravagant scholarships are available based on your physical appearance (hair color, height, weight, etc.), for twins or triplets (double or triple the chance), for people with artistic abilities, writers, vegetarians, people with specific diseases, you name you never know, there might be a scholarship available, definitely worth looking into.
One of the great embarrassments is that many of these more unusual or, let’s face it, downright weird scholarships go unclaimed, as many students don’t even know they exist. It really is worth the time and effort to try to track down every eventuality, however unlikely, to help finance your higher education.
Gender equality has been a major concern in recent decades and the field of education is no different. There are now a wide variety of women-specific scholarships designed to help maintain their equality (or should it be superiority?) in later educational achievement. Subjects such as engineering, business, mathematics and law, which were traditionally seen as male-dominated domains, now boast a surprising number of women achieving prominent positions in the workplace, largely thanks to these scholarships.
African Americans are one of the largest minority communities in the United States, although financial constraints have often determined a lower than average number of African Americans seeking a college education. There are a growing number of African American scholarships available which hopefully help restore the balance.
There is currently a shortage of qualified teachers across the United States, but a growing number of Teaching Grants are helping to address this problem. Teaching scholarships are now being offered at the local and national university level to ensure that the best talent can pursue this much-needed and valuable career option.
