Many local college students can make use of community college scholarships to help make their school tuition more affordable. In addition, many community college scholarships are exclusively available to local students who attend an in-state community college.
Prospective students looking to enroll in a community college should try to find community college scholarship funds they can apply for. Community college students can sign up with Bold.org to make a free profile online and gain access to hundreds of scholarships. Bold.org is committed to making scholarships accessible for all students, no matter where they live. Browse the complete list of available scholarships and see which opportunities you can apply for.
College can prove to be very expensive. However, it’s also an educational investment that can increase the marketability and future salary of a community college student. Community college can be a convenient and affordable way to attend higher education. Students may choose a community college education for a number of reasons as listed below.
Community colleges are often closer to home and less academically competitive than traditional four year universities. Attending community college can have several benefits. Students may want to live near their hometown for personal reasons, or simply to remain a part of their community.
Though the academics at a community college are just as educational as classes at a four year school, students may find community college classes more accessible. This can be valuable to students who want to have one-on-one office hours with their professors or teaching assistants. Community college classes usually also have smaller class sizes than large public universities.
Guidance counselors, academic advisors, and other helpful resources are also sometimes more widely available at a community college than at a four year university. Community college transfer students may feel more supported at a community college because of the accessible school staff.
As such, it may also be easier to develop connections with professors and school staff at community colleges. Networking is an important aspect of higher education as well. Having a large and diverse network can greatly improve your chances of finding a job after college. A community college may have a smaller undergraduate class size, making it easier to connect with your peers and build a network of community college students.
While most community colleges are already less expensive than a typical college or university, community college students are still eligible for financial aid. Make sure to apply for financial aid by filling out the FAFSA— you can learn what the FAFSA is first with this guide. The costs of tuition can be decreased through both community college scholarships and financial aid. To learn more, read about how you can get scholarships for community college.
Some students intend to seek a master’s or doctoral degree, which will require additional years of college. In some cases, community college can be a good first step depending on the student’s needs. As many graduate students will tell you, your most recent school will be seen as the most relevant educational experience. In other words, chasing a prestigious undergraduate program may not be worthwhile if you intend to go to graduate school anyways.
To that end, some undergraduate students may want to attend a community college to improve their grades and GPA first. Increasing your academic standing will make applying to four year colleges much easier. Having a stellar academic record can be important to community college undergraduate students who want to attend graduate school as well.
Some college students have a specific interest in a certain field. Community colleges may have niche technical programs that larger four year institutions do not. An associate degree in a technical field is often enough for students to seek employment, depending on what field they studied.
Earning an associate degree from a community college can be the first step in your plan to pursue higher education. However, many college students aren’t sure what they want to study yet. In that case, community college can be a good place to explore your interests and try out different classes.
At the end of the day, whether you should attend a community college or not is dependent on your situation. College students should consider their academic goals and career plans and choose the college that is best for them.
Yes, community colleges take college scholarships. After enrolling in your community college, make sure to check with the financial aid office to see if you are eligible for any type of financial aid.
Community college students should consider applying for any of the following college scholarships that they are eligible for. Some scholarships for community college will have a GPA requirement, others will not. Check the requirements and apply for any of the following scholarships to help fund your community college tuition.
Local college students have several ways to get college scholarships. Bold.org allows current community college students to gain access to hundreds of free scholarships online. Browse the full list of college scholarships and apply to the opportunities you are eligible for. Navigating college financial aid and scholarships can be confusing— check out our Scholarship Blog for helpful guides.
Online scholarship platforms have several advantages, including volume and reach. Websites can bring together thousands of financial aid opportunities into one place, which is very convenient for students. In addition, students can use scholarship sites no matter where they are or where they intend to go to school.
Another way to find scholarships is through your current college or institution. Check with the financial aid office to see what opportunities are available to students enrolled in your college.
Some of these opportunities may not be available online, meaning only students from your school or local community can apply. Applying to local scholarships can increase your chances of winning as you will face less competition.
For high school seniors, it’s never too early to start applying to college scholarships. Students who intend on enrolling in a community college should be sure to apply to community college scholarships. Though high school seniors are not actually attending a college, many college scholarships will also allow incoming freshmen to apply.
In addition, many scholarships are available specifically for high school students, especially high school seniors. Be sure to check online and with your school guidance counselors for opportunities you are eligible for.
There are a few ways local college students can get scholarships. Try to use all the resources available to you to find college scholarships that match your financial needs. Apply to specialized fields— applying to scholarships for community college will have less competition than applying to general scholarships.
There is no specific GPA requirement for college scholarships. Some scholarships don’t even have a GPA requirement. However, for college scholarships that do list GPA among their criteria, a 3.0 or higher is usually enough to qualify.
The GPA requirement will also vary depending on how competitive the scholarship is academically. A very competitive scholarship might have a requirement of 3.75 or higher, while less academically competitive scholarships might go as low as a 2.0. Read our guide on what GPA you need for a full scholarship for more information.
Community college scholarships are usually not overly strict with the GPA requirement. Current community college students should apply to as many scholarships as they can, as most students will have a high enough GPA to apply.
College students should also consider the difference between merit scholarships and other types of scholarships. Read our full guide on how to apply for merit scholarships, and take a look at this list of available merit scholarships as well to see if you can apply for any.
A merit scholarship is a scholarship that awards financial aid based on grades and academic achievement. High school, undergraduate students, and even graduate students can all apply for merit scholarships. However, because of the nature of the scholarship, most merit scholarships will have a GPA requirement. College students with good grades should research merit scholarships and apply to as many as possible.
No-essay scholarships are the type of scholarship that require the least effort to apply to. Check out our list of exclusive no-essay scholarships. No-essay scholarships, as the name suggests, do not require applicants to submit a personal statement along with their application.
Writing the essay is often the most time-consuming part of applying to college scholarships. By applying to scholarships that don’t require a personal statement, college students can apply to many more scholarships in much less time.
It’s a good idea to apply to a mix of no-essay and essay scholarships. Applying to more college scholarships and diversifying the types of scholarships you apply to can increase your chances of winning scholarship money.
Students can begin applying for college scholarships as early as high school. Prior to attending college, high school seniors can apply as incoming freshmen. In addition, there are scholarships just for high school students as well. Applying early can help students build up a budget for college.
College students and community college students should apply to scholarships as well to make their degrees more affordable. Even though a two year associate degree will already be less expensive than a four year bachelor’s degree, community college students can still decrease their tuition expenses even more through scholarships.
College students should continue to apply for community college scholarships until they graduate. For current community college students, it’s not too late to start.
A full ride scholarship covers the cost of tuition and housing, allowing college students to attend college nearly for free. Only the most outstanding students will receive a full ride scholarship from their college or university.
Students need to work hard and get top grades if they want to receive a full ride scholarship in college. They should also have high standardized test scores and participate in extracurriculars to showcase their academic prowess. It may be easier for students to get a full ride scholarship from a community college, as community colleges are typically less academically competitive.
It is also possible to get a full ride scholarship for something unrelated to academics, such as sports. Some colleges will recruit student athletes to play for their school team by providing a full scholarship. Read this guide on how to get an athletic scholarship if this interests you.
Learn more about scholarships, college, and financial aid on Bold.org’s Scholarship Blog!