Exclusive Scholarships for Adopted Children to Apply for in 2023

About scholarships for adopted children

Roughly 7 million people in the United States are adopted, meaning that around 2-4% of the population is adopted. Additionally, around 120,000 more children are adopted in the United States each year.

Of non-step parent adoptions, about 59% are from the child welfare system, also known as the foster system. These children depend on licensed foster parents to take care of them for any given amount of time. 

Additionally, 26% of adoptions are from international adoptions, in which adopted children are found in other countries and become members of US families. A smaller percentage, 15%, are private domestic adoptions. These adoptions take place in the United States.

At any given time, there are nearly 428,000 children in foster care in the United States. Only 3 to 11 percent of foster youth earn a bachelor’s degree compared to the national rate of about 33 percent. This discrepancy is because foster youth often age out of the system right when they need to begin preparing and applying for college. Without the financial and emotional support students often receive at home, foster youth can face many challenges.

For privately adopted children, having adoptive parents who attended college can lead to a higher chance of going to college. 75% of adoptive parents have some sort of college degree. Additionally, 90 percent of adopted children live in households with incomes above the poverty line. This allows adopted children to have access to college in a way that foster students may not.

Regardless of your income or family situation, it's no secret that college is expensive. If you're in need of tuition assistance, there are plenty of options for you, from tuition waivers to scholarship opportunities.

Can you get a scholarship for being adopted?

There are many scholarships available exclusively to students who have been adopted. Additionally, many states offer tuition waivers and scholarships for adopted children, which can help support them through college.

If you are a student who was adopted from the foster care system at age 16 or older, you may be able to get Education and Training Voucher (ETV) assistance. This initiative provides up to $5,000 per year for students who are getting a college education.

There are also plenty of private scholarships that cater to adopted children. The Don Hazel Scholarship Fund provides $1,000 annually to adopted or foster children who are graduating from high school and enrolling full-time in any U.S. institution of higher learning. The National Foster Parent Association also has some scholarships for foster children, including the NFPA youth scholarship.

Adopted students can also find scholarships right here on Bold.org! On Bold.org, there are hundreds of scholarships for applicants with all different kinds of identities and families. Adopted students can find plenty of options if they need financial assistance to complete their education.

How to get a scholarship for being adopted

After creating your free Bold.org profile, you can begin looking for scholarships that you are eligible for. By going to the scholarship search, you can look specifically for scholarships for adopted children and foster children specifically.

Make sure to check that you are eligible for each individual scholarship by checking the additional eligibility requirements. You can also find a list of scholarships specifically for adopted children above.

Using Bold.org, you can apply for as many scholarship opportunities as you'd like! There's no limit to how many applications you can submit or how many awards you can win. Additionally, new scholarships are posted every day, so check back often for new opportunities! You can even filter by "newest" to find the most recently created opportunities. Being among the first to apply for a scholarship can make your application stand out, so consider applying early to boost your chances of winning.

Once you've looked through the available opportunities and found a good fit, you can immediately begin applying. The scholarship application process was created to be as quick and easy as possible, so applying sometimes requires just a few clicks!

Each scholarship's description will list instructions to let applicants know how to apply. The application typically requires writing a short essay in response to a prompt or question. Additionally, some scholarships may ask applicants to share videos, images, art pieces, or a creative or professional portfolio to apply. These submissions may be required in addition to an essay or even in place of an essay, making them great options for those who excel creatively rather than academically.

The more scholarships you apply for and the stronger your strategy, the more prepared you'll be for college. As costs continue to rise, earning as many scholarships as possible is critical to maximizing your financial support throughout your education.

Best college scholarships for adopted children to consider

Former foster youth and adopted students can find plenty of scholarships that can help them afford a college education. There are some scholarships specifically for those who were adopted or in foster care and others that are for more general audiences.

1. LA Kids for Change Scholarship
2. Loretta Webb Green Scholarship
3. Jolene Blanton Memorial Scholarship
4. @ESPDaniella Debt Grant
5. William M. DeSantis Sr. Scholarship
6. WCEJ Thornton Foundation Low-Income Scholarship

Frequently asked questions about scholarships for being adopted

How to find scholarships for adopted children

After creating your free Bold.org profile, you can begin looking for scholarships that you are eligible for. You can use the scholarship search to find scholarships specifically created for adopted children and foster children.

There are also some scholarships for adopted students in the "Family" category of the scholarship page. For BIPOC and low-income adopted children, you can also look in the "Diversity and Inclusion" category for some scholarships.

Make sure to check if you are an eligible applicant for each individual scholarship by checking the additional eligibility requirements. You can also get started with the list of scholarships specifically for adopted children above.

How do I know if I'm eligible for a scholarship?

Each scholarship opportunity on Bold.org has a distinct list of eligibility requirements, including requirements. These criteria can include financial status, grade level, demographic, field of study, race, gender, location, or even first-generation status. Often, donors try to uplift underrepresented students. As a result, there are many scholarships for marginalized students, such as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, low-income, and/or disabled students.

Each scholarship's eligibility requirements will be listed in the description, so it's easy to make sure you qualify. Many scholarship opportunities are only open to specific groups of students, such as scholarships for certain education levels. However, there are many general and broad scholarships that are open to all students, regardless of background or identity. Some scholarships are even open to those who have graduated but are still paying off student loans! 

No matter what background you come from or what future you're pursuing, you'll be able to find scholarships you qualify for on Bold.org. There are many options to choose from, so be sure to always read each scholarship's eligibility requirements before putting time and effort into your application. 

When can I start applying?

You can begin applying for scholarships as soon are you're in high school and at least fourteen years old. Some high school scholarships are only open to high school seniors preparing to graduate and attend college, but there are also plenty of scholarship opportunities that are open to all high school students, even freshmen!

The earlier you begin applying for scholarships, the more time you'll give yourself to win funding for your college degree. If you need considerable financial assistance to afford college, you should start applying for support services as soon as possible so you can earn all the financial aid you need in order to avoid student debt. 

What do I have to do to apply?

Applying for scholarships on Bold.org is quick, easy, and free! Bold.org is a student-friendly scholarship provider that seeks to make scholarship applicants as painless and accessible as possible. 

You can start the application process by creating your free Bold.org profile now! To do so, click on any of the scholarships above. Once you've finished filling out your profile, you'll gain access to hundreds of exclusive scholarship opportunities and application guides.

Using Bold.org, you can apply for an unlimited number of scholarships! There's no limit to how many scholarships you can apply for or how many you can win, meaning you can earn multiple awards to cover all of your expenses. 

With new scholarships posted every day, you'll never run out of new opportunities! You can even filter by "newest" to find the most recent additions to the site.

If you're too busy to apply right now, consider quick no-essay scholarships. You can also start browsing now and bookmark scholarships you're interested in so you can come back to them later! However, students who submit their applications earlier often have a higher chance of winning, so try to apply early whenever possible.

Once you've found a scholarship that you're interested in and qualified for, you can begin the application process. Depending on the scholarship, it may only take a click or two to apply! However, each scholarship is different so some will require application materials to be submitted, such as essays or images.

In each scholarship's description, you'll find application instructions. Normally, you'll need to write a short essay to apply. For essay scholarships, you'll find a prompt or question to respond to underneath the description. Just write your essay in the corresponding box and click submit when you're done!

Other scholarships may also require applicants to share videos, pieces of art, or a portfolio in order to apply. For these scholarships, just upload or link your files in the boxes provided and you'll be all set!

Are scholarships counted as income?

Scholarship money that is won on Bold.org will be sent straight to the financial office of the winner's college. All accredited US colleges, universities, and technical schools are eligible institutions to receive scholarship funds. Winners simply have to provide proof of enrollment and then the scholarship funds will be sent to their financial aid department! This process ensures that receiving a scholarship is hassle-free and guarantees that scholarships will be used for eligible costs. 

Eligible college costs include tuition, books, and mandatory fees. As long as scholarship funds go toward these costs, the money will generally not be considered income and will not be taxed. As long as the total amount received is less than or equal to your educational costs, you won't need to report scholarship money as income.