Key Takeaways:
- The Gates Scholarship and Horatio Alger Association scholarships are among the top scholarships available for education majors.
- Various organizations offer scholarships to support education majors, emphasizing accessibility and quality in the teaching profession.
- The list includes a variety of scholarships targeting different aspects of education, providing financial aid to aspiring educators.
The importance of accessible, quality education cannot be overstated. The good news is that many organizations recognize this and offer teaching scholarships to education majors of all stripes.
This list of 50 great scholarships for future teachers features a diverse range of scholarships available from various sources. Professional organizations, fraternities, corporations, scholarly associations, social clubs, and more are featured on our list; all are offering financial assistance in the form of great scholarships to students majoring in education.
Featured Programs
Most of the scholarships for ed majors on our list are intended as financial assistance for undergraduate students, but there are also a good number of fantastic scholarships and fellowships offered to graduate and post-graduate students featured.
Whether for undergraduate or graduate studies, each scholarship is intended for a specific field of study. Some emphasize academic success in an education program, while others focus on community service and leadership. Still others want to reward students who have struggled to overcome adversity in their pursuit of higher education.
Some of these scholarships exist to incentivize students to major in areas of education where there are shortages, such as special education. In contrast, others aim to make majoring in education more accessible to minority students.
No matter who you are, you can find a scholarship for your higher education goals on this list. And don’t neglect to check out our teaching scholarships FAQ at the end of the article! What follows is our collection of the best scholarships out there for education majors in 2021 and beyond.
Top Scholarships for Education Majors
#1. The Gates Scholarship
The Gates Millennium Scholars Program was one of the biggest private scholarships in the United States and has now been replaced by The Gates Scholarship. This is a last-dollar scholarship for education majors, meaning when a student’s financial aid and expected family contributions are less than the cost of room, board, and tuition, this scholarship fills the gap.
The scholarship is for high-performing students of African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander, and/or Hispanic American ethnicities. Proof of tribal enrollment is required for American Indian/Alaska Native students. This scholarship is awarded annually to 300 high school students who demonstrate financial need.
College students must be Pell-eligible, U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents, have a 3.3 GPA, and plan to enroll full-time in a four-year degree program at an accredited not-for-profit university.
- Award: Last-Dollar
- Application Deadline: September 15th
#2. Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Targeted Scholarships
The targeted scholarships offered by the Horatio Alger Association share similar requirements with the main scholarships. The difference is that these top scholarships all require college students to attend specific colleges or universities, or need a particular major to be eligible. One is for students who aspire to be a science teacher or teacher of other STEM subjects, for instance. There are excellent opportunities here for education majors who meet the criteria, as competition will be less intense and the awards are substantial.
- Award: $10,000-$52,000
- Application Deadline: Varies by Scholarship
#3. Burger King McLamore Foundation Scholarship
This scholarship was created in memory of Jim W. McLamore, co-founder of Burger King. It’s intended to aid employees of the restaurant chain and their family members who wish to attend college. In 2018, the scholarship was awarded to over 3,400 students. With $3.7 million awarded, this yields an average award of $1,088.24.
- Award: $1,000-$50,000
- Application Deadline: Dec. 15
#4. Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
The Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program is designed to provide educational advising and financial support from 8th grade through high school graduation. The college scholarship program awards up to $40,000 per year to education majors and students planning to teach, along with academic advising, networking opportunities, and college planning support.
The undergraduate transfer scholarship awards up to $40,000/year for up to three years to college students seeking to complete an education degree at elite four-year colleges or universities.
- Award: Up to $40,000/year
- Application Deadline: App. Period is Fall
#5. Ron Brown Scholar Program
This scholarship, designed for gifted and community-minded African Americans, is available to undergraduate students and awards $10,000 per year for a period of four years. The teaching scholarships are designed to support the most promising and economically disadvantaged high school students who are interested in public service, community engagement, and entrepreneurship.
300 Ron Brown scholarships have been awarded over the past 24 years, meaning an average of 12.5 college students per year receive this scholarship. Early application deadline is November 1st.
- Award: $40,000
- Application Deadline: January 9th
#6. Thurgood Marshall College Fund
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund partners with a great number of corporations like McDonald’s, CVS, American Airlines, Coca-Cola, FedEx, Wells Fargo, Lowe’s, Boeing, Walmart, Kellogg’s, and Comcast. In partnership, they award teaching scholarships to students attending historically black colleges and universities, as well as primarily black institutions.
Scholarships and fellowships offered through the TMCF range in value from $750 in emergency funds to full-on graduate teaching fellowships worth over $40,000/year. Not all of them are available to education majors but many are.
- Award: $750-$40,000
- Application Deadline: Varies
#7. Harry S. Truman Scholarship
The Truman Fellowship competition is for college students pursuing higher education with the goal of becoming a force for change in government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or educational institutions.
Truman scholars devote their lives and careers to improving organizations that serve the public. The fellowship is open to current graduate students who are pursuing a master’s degree in one of several areas, including education.
- Award: Up to $30,000
- Application Deadline: Feb. 4
#8. Ford Foundation Fellowships
The Ford Foundation awards approximately 70 predoctoral fellowships annually, each providing three years of support for graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree.
Recognizing the severe lack of representation from groups including Alaska Natives, Black/African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, Native Pacific Islanders, and Puerto Ricans in American higher education, the Ford Foundation considers belonging to one of these groups as a positive factor when evaluating candidates.
- Award: $27,000 3-year Stipend
- Application Deadline: Varies
#9. Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans National Scholarships
The Horatio Alger Association national scholarships are massive financial aid awards. They are awarded to 106 college students. Students must display both integrity and perseverance even as they overcome hardships in their lives.
The minimum GPA for applicants for these scholarships is 2.0. Students must be high school graduates planning to earn their bachelor’s degree at public schools, private schools, or a not-for-profit college or university within the United States.
Undergraduate students majoring in education may begin their studies at a two-year college. These community college students must intend to transfer to a four-year institution to complete their degree, though.
- Award: $25,000
- Application Deadline: Oct. 25
#10. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics offers a wide range of teaching scholarships and research grants to aspiring teachers of all levels, including graduate students, those pursuing bachelor’s degrees, and community college students. Most scholarships are highly targeted, making it easier for education majors to decide which ones to apply for.
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics scholarships are available to math educators and future math educators at the undergraduate through postgraduate level. This includes those high school students planning to teach at the early childhood, elementary, and secondary school levels.
- Award: $1,500-$24,000
- Application Deadline: Nov. 1st
#11. James Madison Memorial Fellowship
The James Madison Fellowship is available to teachers earning their Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, or Master of Education degree with a concentration in American history, American government, political science, or government.
Students applying for this fellowship must be high school teachers of grades 7-12 who are committed to teaching American history, American government, or civics classes, covering topics related to the U.S. Constitution. Early childhood education and elementary majors are not eligible.
- Award: $24,000
- Application Deadline: Mar. 1st
#12. Dell Scholars
In addition to the significant monetary award, the Dell Scholars program provides college students with confidential counseling, financial aid coaching, work-life solutions, and access to support staff who have similar experiences to the student.
High school graduates who are Dell scholars are 25% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than students from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. Half of Dell scholars graduate with no student debt, and those who do graduate with debt average $15,000 in loans, about half the national average.
- Award: $20,000
- Application Deadline: December 1
#13. Peters Foundation Scholarship
The Peters Foundation scholarship is for high school seniors planning to attend a Christian university and major in areas of environment, conservation, and forestry, or education. The scholarship is limited to college students attending schools in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, or Colorado.
These financial aid awards are granted based on a combination of financial need and academic performance. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for these scholarships.
- Award: $10,000-$20,000 over 4 years
- Application Deadline: April 1st
#14. Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
While not limited to college students majoring in education, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program offers a wide range of scholarships to students pursuing bachelor’s degrees. The flagship scholarship is a $20,000 award given to 150 students annually.
The community college scholarship offers 50 $1,500, 50, $1,250, and 50 $1,000 scholarships per year to students attending community colleges.
The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarship awards 200 scholarships of $1,000 each to members of Phi Theta Kappa. This honors society supports high school students in reaching their full potential by developing professional and leadership skills and exploring career paths.
- Award: $1,000-$20,000
- Application Deadline: N/A
#15. Jewish Community Center Scholarship Programs
The Jewish Community Center’s scholarships are available to Jewish college students who are working or intend to work with Jewish-affiliated community centers in an educational or administrative capacity. A work requirement is attached, equivalent to six months of work with JCCs, for every $5,000 granted by the scholarships.
The teaching scholarships are available to graduate students and will pay up to $20,000 at a rate of $5,000 per semester towards a graduate degree. For those education professionals who decide not to meet the work requirement after graduation, the scholarship converts to an interest-free loan.
Scholarships are available to full-time and part-time students pursuing graduate degrees, certificate programs, and continuing education classes.
- Award: $5,000-$20,000
- Application Deadline: October 1st For the Following Year
#16. Intercollegiate Studies Institute Fellowships
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute awards up to 15 graduate fellowships to students pursuing a graduate degree in the humanities or social sciences.
The one requirement is an intent to teach at the college level. This is a great opportunity for experienced teachers and education professionals who wish to earn their advanced degree and contribute to the education of the next generation of teachers.
The awards can be used for tuition, living expenses, books, computers, software, and anything else related to earning their degree.
- Award: $5,000-$15,000
- Application Deadline: Feb. 1
#17. Omega Psi Phi Scholarships
There are a great number of fraternities and sororities that offer scholarships to their members. Some of these financial aid awards can be pretty significant. Omega Psi Phi was the first international fraternity founded on the campus of a historically black college. The organization offers a variety of teaching scholarships, including a scholarship competition in which all members compete.
Those college students with outstanding academic results can receive both district scholar of the year awards. Those scholars are then eligible for consideration in the International Scholar of the Year Award.
- Award: $1,000-$15,000
- Application Deadline: Varies
#18. Elks Foundation Most Valuable Student Scholarship
The Elks Foundation awards 500 4-year scholarships for full-time students this year. The top 20 applicants are invited to an all-expenses-paid leadership weekend in Chicago, where they interview with national judges.
The 20 finalists compete with each other for two first-place awards of $50,000, two second-place awards of $40,000, and two third-place awards of $30,000. The remaining finalists receive $20,000 awards. The 480 other high school seniors are all granted $4,000 scholarships.
- Award: $4,000-$12,500/Year
- Application Deadline: November 5th
#19. National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind offers thirty merit-based scholarships to legally blind college students every year. The evaluators consider academic excellence, community service, and leadership when selecting the award winners.
Finalists must attend and fully participate in the NFB national convention (they will receive financial assistance to cover the cost of attendance), where the award-winners will be announced.
- Award: $3,000-$12,000
- Application Deadline: Mar. 31
#20. Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans State Scholarships
The Horatio Alger Association State Scholarships award teaching scholarships for full-time students in all 50 states. These financial aid awards are for high school students who plan to attend an accredited, public or private, not-for-profit college or university.
College students must display academic achievement, maintain a GPA of 2.0 or greater, and be a U.S. citizen. The scholarships are designed for high school seniors who have faced hardships but are working to overcome them.
All applicants must demonstrate financial need (household adjusted gross income must be less than $55,000).
- Award: $10,000
- Application Deadline: Oct. 25
#21. Pittsburgh Foundation
There are over 700 community organizations, such as The Pittsburgh Foundation, serving their communities around the country. So, even if you don’t live in Pittsburgh, you should look for similar community organizations offering scholarships for urban teachers near you.
The $10,000 Weimann Family Teaching Scholarship is awarded for a single year, but previous winners are welcome and encouraged to apply again every year.
- Award: $10,000
- Application Deadline: Mar. 31
#22. Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarships
This scholarship program offers funding at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including teaching fellowships and research awards at the postgraduate level. The undergraduate award is predicated on a commitment to serve as a STEM teacher in a high-need educational organization for at least two years for each year the scholarship is received.
High school seniors and college graduates with high academic achievement should consider this exciting offering among the best scholarships for education majors.
- Award: $10,000
- Application Deadline: Aug. 25
#23. American Federation of Teachers Scholarships
AFT’s Robert G. Porter Scholars Program offers four post-secondary scholarships of $8,000 over four years. The $8,000 financial aid awards are available to students who are dependents of members of the American Federation of Teachers and desire to enroll in a teacher education program.
There are also 10 one-time grants awarded to AFT members that can be used for continuing education after receiving an initial teaching degree from an accredited school. Recipients must meet certain academic standards.
- Award: $1,000-$8,000
- Application Deadline: April 14th
#24. Continental Society Daughters of Indian Wars
The Continental Society Daughters of Indian Wars distributes two scholarships annually to Native American students. Applicants must be enrolled tribal members, plan to work with a tribe or nation in education or social service, be enrolled or accepted into an accredited university, maintain a 3.0 GPA, and carry at least eight semester hours.
These scholarships for minority students are awarded to high school seniors based on a written statement of financial need and the past two semesters of high school coursework. Applications and scholarship renewal applications must be submitted between April 1 and June 15th each year.
- Award: $2,500-$5,000
- Application Deadline: June 15
#25. Hispanic Scholarship Fund
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to minority students based on merit. The financial aid award amounts are based on need. Undergraduate college students must have a 3.0 GPA, and graduate students must have a minimum 2.5 GPA.
Scholarships are available to U.S. citizens, permanent legal residents, DACA students, or FAFSA-eligible non-citizens. Preference is given to STEM majors.
- Award: $500-$5,000
- Application Deadline: Feb. 15th
#26. PDK Educational Foundation Scholarship Program
High school students wishing to apply for the PDK Educational Foundation Scholarship Program are required to be a member in good standing of one of the numerous affiliated organizations. These organizations include Educators Rising, Educators Rising Collegiate, Pi Lambda Theta, and the PDK Association.
They must also intend to pursue a teaching degree through an approved teacher education program and work in public education after they graduate. Applicants for the financial aid award must be enrolled and pursuing an education degree for the fall semester of the application year. The application period opens on January 6th.
- Award: $500-$5000
- Application Deadline: April 6
#27. Union Plus Scholarships
Union Plus Scholarships was founded to help union families afford college. The scholarship is open to current and retired members of unions participating in the program, as well as their spouses and dependent children. The applicants are evaluated based on their academic ability, social awareness, financial need, and appreciation of labor.
Applicants should have a GPA of 3.0 or greater, and the essays are worth up to half of your score. The awards are not automatically recurring, but college students attending an accredited school can apply for the awards every year (which also means if you don’t get it one year, you can still apply the next).
- Award: $500-$4,000
- Application Deadline: Jan. 31
#28. AFCEA STEM Teachers Undergraduate Scholarships
Both the STEM Major Scholarship and the Undergraduate Diversity Scholarships are offered to undergraduate students majoring in STEM education.
Candidates for the diversity scholarship must be a woman or a minority student. The diversity scholarship also particularly encourages minority students attending historically black colleges and universities to apply for the financial aid award for their education degrees.
- Award: $2,500-$3,000
- Application Deadline: Apr. 10
#29. Hubertus W.V. Willems Scholarship for Male Students
This scholarship is available to male students majoring in engineering, chemistry, physics, or mathematical sciences. Students must be enrolled in a public or private non-profit and accredited college or university for their education degrees.
High school seniors must have a GPA of 2.5 or greater, while applicants in graduate programs must have a 3.0 GPA. 20-40 scholarships are awarded every year with a maximum value of $3,000
- Award: $3,000
- Application Deadline: May
#30. American Montessori Society Scholarships
In 2018, the American Montessori Society awarded 24 aspiring early childhood Montessori teachers $71,200 in scholarships. The application period for the 2020-2021 academic year’s scholarships opens in Feb. 2020.
Aspiring Montessori teachers applying for the financial aid award will be evaluated based on financial need, a written personal statement, three letters of recommendation, and acceptance into an early childhood education or elementary education degree program affiliated with the American Montessori Society.
- Award: 2018 Average $2,967
- Application Deadline:
#31. AFCEA STEM Teachers Graduate Scholarship
Graduate students who are teachers majoring in STEM areas are eligible for two scholarships offered by AFCEA. Applicants to the STEM Teacher Graduate Scholarship are also considered for the Eugene C. Renzy STEM Teachers Scholarship.
College students must be pursuing an education degree for the express purpose of teaching STEM subjects in an elementary or secondary school context. Financial aid awards to graduate students are restricted to use for tuition, books, fees, supplies, and equipment related to education degrees.
- Award: $2,500
- Application Deadline: Apr. 10
#32. Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation
Alpha Kappa Alpha offers one-year, one-time scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students. There are scholarships for education that are based on merit, requiring a minimum 3.0 GPA, and scholarships based on financial need, requiring a 2.5 GPA. Scholarships are only available to full-time enrolled sophomores and beyond.
A demonstration of community service and involvement is required for all financial aid awards. Recipients must be post-secondary education students enrolled full-time at an accredited university or college.
- Award: Up to $2,500
- Application Deadline: April 15th
#33. Comcast Leaders Scholarships
The Comcast Leaders Scholarship considers the applicant’s academic performance, community service, and leadership skills. This one-time $2,500 scholarship is intended to be used toward undergraduate education-related expenses.
Comcast NBCUniversal has awarded over $ 33 million in financial aid to more than 30,000 students pursuing higher education since 2001.
- Award: $2,500
- Application Deadline: Dec. 6th
#34. SILA Foundation
The Securities and Licensing Association Foundation offers ten $2,500 scholarships that education students can use at any accredited college or university in the continental United States. These financial aid awards are available to students pursuing a degree in one of seven different areas, including primary and secondary school education.
Education students must be enrolled full-time or part-time while employed full-time. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Applications are accepted between April 1st-May 31st for the upcoming school year.
- Award: $2,500
- Application Deadline: April 1st-May 31st
#35. NEA Jack Kinnaman Scholarship
This scholarship for education students is offered through the National Education Association in memory of Jack Kinnaman, an educator who devoted his entire life to teaching and education. Even in retirement, he continued to serve the education community through advocacy.
One important note about this scholarship is that it can’t be applied for online. So, make sure you gather all elements of your physical submission and submit it as one package with room to breathe before the deadline. This scholarship award is open to aspiring primary and secondary school educators.
- Award: $2,500
- Application Deadline: Apr. 15
#36. Leon Bradley Scholarship
The purpose of this particular scholarship is to encourage minorities and persons of color to pursue teaching and school leadership through an education degree. The AASPA (American Association of School Personnel Administrators) believes that it’s important for students to have diverse role models to look up to throughout their educational experience from kindergarten to high school.
One scholarship is offered to a minority education student in the final year of teacher prep (including student teaching), another scholarship is available to a minority paraprofessional student who wants to change their career and become a full-time teacher, and the third scholarship is available to minority graduate students who are pursuing a school administrator credential.
- Award: $1,500-$2,500
- Application Deadline: May 31
#37. National Merit Scholarship
The National Merit Scholarship competition can be entered once the student has taken the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying test. They must be taken prior to completion of the third year of high school in grades 9-12 or equivalent.
The questions relevant to entering the competition are asked before students take the test. Approximately 1.6 million high school students enter the competition, and of those, 50,000 will be recognized as National Merit Scholars.
Even if students aren’t selected as finalists by the national council, they can still receive financial aid from the program’s partner corporations.
- Award: $500-$2,500
- Application Deadline: N/A
#38. Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund
This scholarship fund is dedicated to recognizing high school students who demonstrate exceptional grit and tenacity. Students with high financial need who have managed to earn above a 2.0 GPA or GED despite growing up in adverse circumstances.
The scholarship is designed to reward those who have overcome adversity. 79% of recipients come from single-parent households, 64% are first-generation college students, 77% come from households earning less than $44,000/year, and 59% of students from those households are under the national poverty line.
- Award: $1,500-$2,500
- Application Deadline: Apr. 30th
#39. Ulman Foundation Scholarships
The Ulman Foundation’s scholarships are intended for young adults in the state of Maryland who wish to continue their education after being diagnosed with cancer or having a loved one diagnosed with cancer.
Applicants or their loved one must have been diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 and 39. Applications open January 13th, and no specific deadline for this financial aid award is listed at this time.
- Award: $2,500
- Application Deadline: N/A
#40. Agnes Jones Jackson Scholarship
The Agnes Jones Jackson Scholarship is available to current members of the NAACP. Applicants must be under 25 years old, a U.S. citizen, currently enrolled in or accepted to an accredited college in the U.S., and demonstrate financial need. Students must be enrolled full-time and have a GPA of 2.5 or greater. The fund awards 20-40 scholarships with a maximum financial aid award of $2,000.
- Award: $2,000
- Application Deadline: May
#41. American Association of Physics Teachers
The Barbara Lotze Scholarship is offered by the American Association of Physics Teachers to education students who intend to teach physics at the secondary education level. This teaching scholarship for the aspiring science teacher is available only to U.S. citizens attending a U.S. 2-year college, a 4-year college, or a university for an education degree.
The financial aid awards are granted to different numbers of students each year: six in 2017, and ten in 2018.
- Award: $2,000
- Application Deadline: Dec. 1
#42. First Trust Bank Scholarships
First Trust Bank is a great example of a local community institution offering great education scholarships for residents. This kind of financial aid award can be found all over the country, provided by regional companies and organizations.
First Trust offers eight $1,000 scholarships and one special $1,600 scholarship for students who plan to major in education. Local scholarships like this result in significantly reduced applicant pools and are a valuable source of funding for an education degree.
- Award: $1,000-$1,600
- Application Deadline: Oct. 11
#43. AAEE Critical Need Teacher Scholarship
The Critical Need Education Scholarship is designed to incentivize and reward students who wish to teach high school subjects in areas where there are current teacher shortages. These subjects include bilingual/multicultural education, chemistry, mathematics, physics, special education, and speech pathology.
Another area of shortage is languages, so these teaching scholarships are available to those who intend to earn an education degree to teach Chinese, Japanese, or German.
- Award: $1,000
- Application Deadline: Jan. 15th
#44. AAEE Teacher of Color Scholarship
The Teacher of Color Scholarship is a one-time, non-renewable education scholarship intended to aid the professional development of teacher candidates of color. Applicants must be enrolled in a teacher preparation program and plan to earn an education degree at the baccalaureate level.
This financial aid award is available to students of African American/Black, Hispanic American, Asian American, or Native American origin.
- Award: $1,000
- Application Deadline: Jan. 15th
#45. Barbara A. Cooley Master’s Scholarship
The SHAPE America scholarship is open to students pursuing a graduate degree in health education. Applicants must be currently enrolled in or accepted to an accredited college or university in the U.S. or a U.S. territory.
Applicants must have a 3.0 or higher GPA in order to be considered for the financial aid award. Scholarship winners may spend the $1,000 in any way they please. They are also awarded a complimentary one-year membership in SHAPE America.
- Award: $1,000
- Application Deadline: Oct. 15
#46. Bill Kane Undergraduate Scholarship
Applicants for this education scholarship must be officially recognized as a bachelor’ s-level health education major and enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university in the U.S. or a United States territory. The minimum GPA for consideration is 3.25. Students who win this scholarship also receive a one-year membership in SHAPE America for free.
- Award: $1,000
- Application Deadline: Oct. 15
#47. Bright Futures Scholarship for Early Childhood Education
Bright Horizons is one of the largest early childhood education companies in the world, with 1,000+ child care centers around the globe and over 32,000 employees. These education scholarships offered are available to college students pursuing an early childhood education degree, as it is the goal of Bright Horizons to enrich and grow the child care/education field.
Recipients of the scholarship in early childhood education are awarded funds directly (instead of through the school), and the awards are intended to help with purchasing books, laptops, covering fees, or other education-related expenses.
- Award: $250-$1,000
- Application Deadline: Deadline not Announced
#48. Nancy Larson Foundation College Scholarship
This education scholarship is available to college juniors, seniors, and graduate students for whom elementary education is a declared major. Applicants will be evaluated based on their grades, resume, and a personal narrative that highlights the experiences that have led them to pursue teaching as a career.
The last two years, the Nancy Larson Foundation has awarded this scholarship to ten college students each year, including those pursuing a master’s degree.
- Award: $1,000
- Application Deadline: N/A
#49. National Institute for Labor Relations Research
The Applegate-Jackson-Parks Future Teachers Scholarship is offered by the NILRR organization for students who have an interest in the organization’s research into voluntary unionism vs compulsory unionism. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to one student that meets the academic requirements. The application period opens September 1st.
- Award: $1,000
- Application Deadline: January 31st
#50. Edwyna Wheadon Postgraduate Training Scholarship
This $500 education scholarship is intended specifically for English/Language Arts teachers working in public schools who want to pursue postgraduate professional development towards a master’s degree in teaching. Applicants for the scholarship complete the application form and write a personal statement of less than 500 words describing the professional development purposes for which the money will be used.
- Award: $500
- Application Deadline: Jan. 31
Frequently Asked Questions About Scholarships for Education Students
You may have noticed that many education scholarships have application deadlines in the spring of the year. For high school students pursuing a career in education, this means you should be looking for scholarships at the beginning of your senior year of high school at the latest.
Compile your list, with all the application deadlines and application open dates and maybe even pre-fill the applications so all you have to do is send them in when the application period opens. In some cases the earlier you apply the better chance you have at receiving the scholarship. Nobody has ever been denied a scholarship for applying on the first day of the application season.
Ideally, you might start researching applications even earlier than the beginning of your senior year of high school. Maybe the summer before, or even the spring semester of your junior year. It’s never too early to start looking at all the funding sources available to education students.
You might think competition for many scholarships will be stiff. And while that’s true for the famous scholarships like Coca-Cola Foundation or Gates Scholars, it’s often the case that many education scholarship funds for undergraduate students go almost completely untapped every year.
The most important thing is to get your FAFSA paperwork filled out as soon as possible. Many private education scholarships still require this information and almost all public ones do as well. Getting that done early also puts you at the front of the queue for resources. It’s often the case that those who fill out FAFSA late receive less money than those who fill it out early. It’s also important to apply for federal student aid every year, not just your first year.
It’s incredibly important for prospective educators to maintain an awareness of all the requirements of keeping their scholarships. Many scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students require more than just a GPA.
There are often community involvement and other requirements attached to scholarships that, if you do not meet them, can result in your losing the scholarship next year. Many scholarships for future teachers do not automatically renew and require renewal applications, so you should make sure to submit those on time. You also need to make sure to keep your FAFSA information updated if the scholarship requires you to resubmit that information.
This is one of the reasons it’s good to start researching scholarships in your Junior year of high school. It gives you time to focus on meeting the requirements of the scholarship. That might mean bringing your GPA up (a high GPA is quite important for many scholarships).
It also might mean finding a way to get involved with local nonprofits and community agencies that offer financial aid resources to people who work with them. Many scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students alike have a general community service requirement built into them as well. Put a lot of time and effort into your personal essays for each of the scholarships.
Make sure they’re polished. Find somebody else to give you advice on your essays and proof-read them for you.
It depends on the scholarship. Some scholarships for future teachers are awarded directly to you, the student, instead of through the school. This allows you to use the financial aid resources to pay tuition, but also to use it to buy books, supplies, and pay for housing and food.
Supplies include basic things like calculators, paper, pencils and pens, notebooks, 3×5 cards, etc. But they also include big ticket items like laptops or tablets. So while the primary use for scholarships is tuition, if you earn more financial aid resources than your tuition and room/board amounts to, that money can go toward all sorts of education-related expenses.
CVO Staff