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Happy Father’s Day! As a thank you to dads around the world, we’ve compiled a list of scholarships that can help you pay for the degree you’ve always wanted. While some of the scholarships below are limited to certain geographical areas and many require students to demonstrate financial need, know that there are many other options out there. Federal financial aid, institutional aid, and other, more general, scholarships are all available to help you fund your education. If you don’t qualify for any of these, do a search on your own!
Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund
Application Deadline: July 15 or January 15
Minimum GPA Required: 2.0
This fund aims to help entire families by providing funding to low-income single parents (with at least 50% custody of one dependent child) who live in Arkansas or Bowie County, Texas. Students must be high school graduates or GED recipients who are planning to pursue a degree or certification that will lead to employment. Applicants are not required to be U.S. citizens; DACA recipients may also apply. Aside from an application, students will also be required to submit documentation of their income, marital status, and enrollment; a copy of their Student Aid Report from the FAFSA; and official transcripts.
Beta Theta Pi Merit Scholarship Program
Award Amount: Up to $2,300
Application Deadline: April 15
Graduate and undergraduate members of Beta Theta Pi may be eligible for one of about 90 scholarships awarded by the Beta Theta Pi Foundation each year. Beta Theta Pi is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with chapters at institutions around the country. While not all scholarships are available to every member (some are restricted to particular majors or locations), submitting one online application will put students into the running for all of the scholarships for which they’re eligible. The application will open on February 1.
Bruce and Marjorie Sundlun Scholarship
Award Amount: $1,500
Application Deadline: May 10
The Rhode Island Foundation is a community organization that is "dedicated to meeting the needs of the people of Rhode Island." They do this by distributing grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the state, investing in community programs, and increasing state resources through philanthropy. The foundation also manages many scholarships available to Rhode Island residents, including the Bruce and Marjorie Sundlun Scholarship. This scholarship is available to low-income single parents who are pursuing undergraduate-level study and who are residents of Rhode Island. Students who have previously been incarcerated and those who currently receive or previously received state aid will be given preference in the application process.
Capture the Dream Single Parent Scholarship
Award Amount: $1,000
Application Deadline: June 30
Letter of Recommendation: Yes
Essay: Yes
The California-based Capture the Dream organization wants to help eliminate the obstacles that low-income individuals and families face when it comes to pursuing education and a career. The Single Parent Scholarship is available to single parents who are living in one of the nine counties that comprise the San Francisco Bay Area and who have lived there for two years leading up to the time of their application. Students must demonstrate financial need and be enrolled or planning to enroll at an accredited nonprofit institution. To apply, students must submit a cover letter, a résumé, their high school and/or college transcripts, a letter of recommendation, and a 1,000-word essay.
Hubertus W. V. Willems Scholarship for Male Students
Award Amount: $3,000
Application Deadline: May 15
Minimum GPA Required: 2.5
The Poise Foundation offers this scholarship, which is awarded to 20 to 40 male students each year. Though entries from NAACP members are preferred, applicants do not need to be registered members to apply. They do, however, need to be U.S. citizens who are currently enrolled or have been accepted to an accredited institution and who major in or plan on majoring in engineering, physics, chemistry, or mathematics. All applicants must be able to demonstrate financial need.
Depending on your situation, you may also be eligible for tuition assistance from your employer or military educational benefits if you are a current military service member or veteran. It is also a great idea to communicate with the financial aid office at your current or prospective college to learn about opportunities specifically for students at your school.
Today is your day. Dare to chase your dreams and get the education you have always wanted!
