Scholarships in 2024 remain one of the essential financial resources for students worldwide. The economic strain on students and their families has become a significant barrier to pursuing education and this is due to the cost of higher education increasing significantly over time. Middle-class families can no longer afford the tuition fees, cost of accommodation, cost of academic supplies like books, and other additional costs; this ends up leaving many students with no choice but to rely on student loans, which can lead to a huge debt upon graduation.
Scholarships create a pathway to financial aid, ensuring that deserving students, both the ones who excel in their academics and those who are in financial need or belong to an underrepresented background. Scholarships are open to students to help them attend prestigious universities, pursue their dream career fields of study, and achieve their goals, whether personal or professional, without being hindered by financial limitations while doing so.
In this article, we will explore the scholarship list 2024 and find out the types of scholarships that can align with your goals. We will focused on the different categories such as merit-based, need-based, field-based scholarships and scholarships that are focused at specific demographics. You will also learn ow to apply for scholarships and tips that will help you in your application journey.
Comprehensive List of Scholarships for 2024
Here is a scholarship list 2024, it covers merit-based, need-based, demographic-specific, and field specific
1. Merit-Based Scholarships
They are scholarships that are awarded to a student based on academic performance, leadership skills, and other accomplishments, these scholarships are highly competitive and often require students to maintain a high GPA, demonstrate leadership in extracurricular activities, or in a specific skill or field.
· Coca-Cola scholars’ program: This scholarship program is open to U.S. high school seniors with an impeccable academic record and leadership qualities. The deadline is October 3, 2024, and has an award money of $20,000.
· National Merit Scholarship: This is for high school juniors taking the PSAT or NMSQT and demonstrating exceptional academic performance. The deadline for this scholarship varies by region, and the award money is $2,500.
· MTN Foundation Scholarship Scheme: The undergraduates enrolled in Nigerian universities and federal polytechnics with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. It gives out an award more of 200,000 (NGN) annually until graduation. This is a merit-based scholarship.
· Jim Ovia Scholarship: This scholarship is open to undergraduate students in Nigerian universities, it awards full tuition and support with purchasing educational materials. It is a merit and need based scholarship.
2. Need-Based Scholarships
This scholarship is aimed at helping students with financial needs.
· Pell Grant: This is for U.S. citizens and non-citizens with demonstrated financial need based on FAFSA, it has a deadline of June 30, 2024. The award amount is up to $7,395.
· Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program: The eligibility criteria are that it is available to high-performing high school seniors with financial need, it has a deadline of November 16, 2024, and an award amount is up to $55,000 annually.
· Federal Government scholarship scheme: This is eligible for undergraduates in public universities and polytechnics, this scholarship covers tuition fees, allowance, and sometime depending on where the awardees proximity to school, the scholarship can cover travel expenses.
· NNPC/SNEPCo National University Scholarship: this is open to undergraduates in their second year or higher Nigerian universities. The scholarship covers full tuition.
3. Field specific scholarships
This scholarship is tailored for students pursuing certain field of study
· STEM: Women Techmakers Scholars Program: This is eligible for only women studying computer science, technology or a related field, and the deadline varies by region. The scholarship award money $10,000.
· Tylenol Future Care Scholarship: This is open to student pursuing a degree in healthcare, it has a deadline of June 24, and the award money is up to $10,000.
· Agbami Medical and Engineering Professional Scholarship: This scholarship is open to students in Nigerian universities who are studying medicine, engineering, dentistry, and pharmacy. It offers full tuition fees and a stipend, and it focuses on students who are studying medical-related courses and STEM fields.
· Jim Ovia Scholarship: This scholarship is open to undergraduate students in Nigerian universities, it awards full tuition and support with purchasing educational materials. It is a merit and need based scholarship.
4. Demography specific scholarship
These scholarships are aimed at supporting students from underrepresented or specific demographics.
· Hispanic Scholarship Funds: This scholarship is available for Hispanic high school seniors and college students and has a deadline of February 15, 2024. This scholarship gives an award money of $500 to $5,000.
· United Negro College Fund, UNCF scholarships: This is a scholarship for African American students attending or planning to attend historically black colleges or universities, HBCUs. The deadline varies by the scholarship given, and so does the award.
Scholarship List 2024 for College-Bound Students
In this part of this article we will be talking about scholarships for college-bound students, there are numerous scholarships designed to support their educational journey in a college. Here is a scholarship list 2024 for college-bound students:
1. Dell Scholars Program: This is open to college bound high school students with financial need who have overcome significant obstacles. The deadline is December 1, 2024 and the award money is $20,000, and this scholarship comes with a laptop and additional resources.
2. Elks Most valuable student scholarship: This scholarship is open to high school senior students in U.S. pursue a college degree and it has a deadline is November 13, 2024. The award money is between $1,000 to $50,000.
3. Burger king scholars program: This scholarship is available to high school seniors and employees or children of employees of burger king. It has a deadline of December 15, 2024. It has an award money that varies from $1,000 to $50,000.
Merit-Based Scholarships for High School Students
If you are a high school student excelling academically, athletically or in extracurricular activities like sports or arts, these merit-based scholarships provide a valuable reward for their hard work.
· Gates Scholarship: This is available to high performing minority high school, seniors with financial need, the deadline is September 15, 2024 and it is fully funding for college tuition fees, and other costs.
· Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program: This scholarship is available to high school seniors that are excelling in sports and community service, and has a deadline of December 2024, and the award money is $20,000.
Scholarships for Engineering Majors
These scholarships are open to those that are pursuing a career in engineering, several scholarships are available to support their academic growth and dreams.
1. Society of Women Engineers Scholarship: This is open to female undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing degrees in engineering. The scholarship award amount varies from $1,000 to $15,000 and the application deadline is February 15th. The Society of Women Engineers provides a variety of scholarships for women in engineering, they aim to increase gender diversity in the field by supporting women who are committed to advancing their careers in engineering.
2. Lockheed Martin STEM scholarship: This scholarship is open to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in engineering or computer science, this scholarship is particularly aimed for those from underrepresented backgrounds. The award amount is $10,000, the deadline for the engineering scholarship application is April 1st. This scholarship is part of Lockheed Martin’s commitment to promoting diversity in STEM fields offering engineering students financial assistance to these students from different backgrounds and are unrepresented.
3. Tau Beta Pi scholarship: This scholarship is available to members of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership potential. The amount that will be awarded is typically up to $2,000 and the application deadline is April 1st. This engineering honor society offers scholarships to its members who have a strong academic performance and leadership within the engineering.
4. Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation Scholarship Program: This scholarship program is open to undergraduates and graduates in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) fields. The award amount is a full tuition coverage, annual stipend of up to $38,000, and employment opportunities with the Department of Defense upon graduation and this scholarship application deadline is December 1st. This is sponsored by the U.S Department of Defense, Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation Scholarship Program is a program designed to financially support students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) fields. The recipients of this scholarship do not receive only financial aid but also get a guaranteed job with the Department of Defense after completing their degree in any science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) fields
How to Apply for Scholarships
Below are steps to take to ensure that you apply properly and stand a great chance of getting the scholarship.
1. Research scholarship: You will need to look at scholarships that offer partial funding that also match your field and academic performance and align with your goals and other eligibility criteria. You can use scholarship data bases, or school websites, ensure to be careful while you pick out private scholarship agents to help with your scholarship research.
2. Check eligibility: After researching and picking a preferred scholarship check if you are qualified for the scholarship, such as academic accomplishments, financial need, and extracurricular achievements.
3. Prepare all necessary documents: Be sure to prepare all needed documents before the deadline of the scholarship. These documents include
· Completed application form
· Academic transcripts
· Proof of financial need, if it is requested for
· Letters of recommendation
· Personal statement or essay
· Resume or CV
4. Write a personal statement: You must tailor your essay to explain why you deserve the scholarship, how the partial scholarship will help you and what contributions you will make to your field of study. Also, ensure to personalize your essay and make it authentic and not generic.
5. Start the application process on time, ensure to start researching top scholarships for engineering before the deadlines, you can create a calendar or set reminders to keep accurate track of the application due dates and required materials need.
6. Craft your application to reflect your strengths, achievements and future goals. Be sure be specific as to how the scholarship or grant will help you achieve your dreams in the engineering field.
Tips for applying for scholarships in 2024
Applying for a scholarship can be stressful and it so easy to miss a detail, therefore here are tips for you, you can use them to create a great check list that will keep you on top of your game.
1. Start early: Ensure to start your scholarship application process early, to ensure that you don’t miss the deadline or go through last minute stress, ensure all documents.
2. Meet eligibility requirements: Ensure to mee each requirement and criteria given to you by the scholarship committee, do not leave any requirement unattended to as this can cause your application to be rejected.
3. Write good personal statement: Be sure to write a personal statement that is tailored to the application, the personal statement is the most critical part of your scholarship application, highlight all the unique parts of your experiences that can make you stand out.
4. Get strong recommendation letters: You can ask your mentors, teachers or employers who know you very well and can provide detail instances and examples of your skills and character.
5. Apply to multiple partial scholarship: You should apply to multiple scholarships and other financial aids as much as possible, even if they are only partial scholarships, the joint amount can create a good financial package that will help you pay for college expenses.
6. Avoid grammatical and typographical errors: Ensure that your personal statement and recommendation letter should not have any errors.
7. Keep your GPA up: This was why I said early that full scholarship and partial scholarships both need your GPA be strong, and not getting a full scholarship doesn’t mean you are not smart.
8. Proofread and cross-check your application: Read through your entire application carefully, and you can ask your family and friends to help you read through.
9. Follow all instructions carefully: Ensure you follow all instructions carefully and faithfully, missing one instruction can cause you the scholarship.
10. Demonstrate commitment: The scholarship committee for most scholarships are looking for applicants who are committed to making positive impacts and being the changes they want to see.
11. Tailor each application: Tailor each application in such a way they aligned with the goals of the scholarship and ensure it is personalized. It being personalized means that it has to also align with your goals and reflect your uniqueness to the scholarship committee.
12. When you applying for the scholarships that are tailored for specific engineering disciplines, ensure to highlight your passion and commitment to that area of study. For example internship opportunities and experiences, you had.
13. Ensure to focus properly on your essay, scholarship essays are an essential part of the application process. Lookout for typos and grammatical errors, and most importantly be honest.
14. Craft your essay to be a compelling narrative that highlights your academic accomplishments, extracurricular activities you participated for example sports, volunteering or internships, and career goals you have planned for in the engineering field.
15. Show strongly how passionate you are for the career field you are studying in and how you plan to contribute to field with the help of the scholarship. For instance, if you plan to manufacture a new device with the purpose of making life easier.
16. Ensure to have multiple people review thoroughly your scholarship essay, a great essay plays a critical role in the success of your application. For instance have your professors review it.
17. Be sure to get strong recommendation letters, you can seek recommendation letters from professors, mentors or supervisors who are in the engineering field or in field related and are familiar with your accomplishments.
18. Your recommendation letter should speak of your skills, work ethics, and most importantly your passion for engineering.
19. Apply to multiple scholarships and grants, don’t li it yourself to one scholarship or grants, apply for as many scholarships opportunities as possible, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the scholarship for undergraduates in Nigeria 2024?
There are several scholarship programs in Nigeria that available for undergraduate students in 2024. Here are a few scholarships:
· Federal Government scholarship scheme: This is eligible for undergraduates in public universities and federal polytechnics, this scholarship covers tuition fees, allowance, and sometimes, depending on where the awardee’s proximity to school, the scholarship can cover travel expenses.
· NNPC/SNEPCo National University Scholarship: this is open to undergraduates in their second year or higher Nigerian universities. The scholarship covers full tuition.
· MTN Foundation Scholarship Scheme: The undergraduates enrolled in Nigerian universities and federal polytechnic with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. It gives out an award more of 200,000 (NGN) annually until graduation. This is a merit-based scholarship.
· Jim Ovia Scholarship: This scholarship is open to undergraduate students in Nigerian universities. It awards full tuition and support for purchasing educational materials. It is a merit and need based scholarship.
· Agbami Medical and Engineering Professional Scholarship: This scholarship is open to students in Nigerian universities that are studying medicine, engineering, dentistry, and pharmacy. It offers full tuition fees and a stipend, and it focuses on students who are studying medical-related courses and STEM fields.
2. What are fully funded scholarships for international students in the US 2024?
The fully funded scholarship for international students in the U.S. covers living expenses, health insurance, educational cost and most importantly tuition fees. These scholarships include the following:
· Fullbright foreign students program: this is a scholarship that is open to masters or Ph.D in any field, it awards tuition fees, travel expenses, health insurance and cost of living. The U.S. government scholarship supports international students like you in pursuing their career dreams in their graduate studies, this scholarship is offered in 160 countries in the world.
· The Knight Hennessy Scholarship (Stanford University): This is also available to international students, however, just graduate students and it is avail to students from all fields. This scholarship covers tuition fees, travel stipend and living expenses. it aims at getting students with leadership [potential from across the globe for graduate studies at Standford University.
· Yale University Scholarships: This is a scholarship open to international undergraduate and graduate students, it covers tuition fees, accommodation, and living expenses. This scholars program provides need-based scholarships to international students.
· Clark University Presidential LEEP scholarships: This is open to international undergraduate students, it covers tuition fully, accommodation and board.
· The MasterCard Foundation Scholarship: This demographic specific, it is for students from Africa with financial need, it fully covers tuition, travel expenses, and living expenses.
3. Do high schools in America give scholarships?
Yes, high schools in America give scholarships to students, it is important to know that most of the scholarships are from external organizations, colleges and private donors. Here are some common types of scholarships for high school students:
· Academic Merit Scholarships: These scholarships are for high performing students based on class rank and standardized test scores like SAT or ACTS.
· Athletic Scholarships: Students who excel in sports are often recruited by colleges and universities, and these scholarships to play for the university’s team.
· Community and Leadership scholarships: This scholarship program is for students who have leadership skills in student government, community service, or other extracurricular activities.
· Subject-Specific Scholarships: This scholarship is sometimes available to students who perform exceptionally in subjects that are science related.
4. How do I get a 100% university scholarship?
Here are a few ways to ensure that you get a full university scholarship:
· Academic Excellence
· Apply for full scholarships
· Focus on Leadership and Extracurriculars
· Seek need-based scholarships
· Strong application material
· Early submission
· Apply for multiple scholarships
5. How to win a scholarship to study abroad?
To ensure you get a scholarship abroad, here are a few things you need to do:
· Research Scholarships early: You will need to look for scholarships that will give you the opportunity to study abroad, one that also matches your field, and that aligns with your goals and other eligibility criteria. You can use scholarship databases or school websites; ensure to be careful while you pick out private scholarship agents to help with your scholarship research.
· Tailor your application: Tailor each application in such a way they aligned with the goals of the scholarship and ensure it is personalized. It being personalized means that it has to also align with your goals and reflect your uniqueness to the scholarship committee.
· Build a strong profile: Focus on both academics and extracurricular activities and build them, a balanced profile that includes community service, volunteering experiences, internships, leadership roles etc.
· Write a compelling essay: Be sure to write a personal statement/easy that is tailored to the application, the personal statement is the most critical part of your scholarship application, highlight all the unique parts of your experiences that can make you stand out.
· Apply for multiple programs: Apply for multiple scholarships, this will increase your chances of getting at least one.
· Get good recommendation letters: You can ask your mentors, teachers or employers who know you very well and can provide detail instances and examples of your skills and character.
· Prepare for interviews: ensure to rehearse possible questions that may be asked, ensure to dress appropriately for the interview, also prepare to talk about your goals and motivations.
6. What are the best websites to search for scholarships?
Here are a few great websites that can give you access to the scholarship list 2024:
1. Scholarship.com
3. Fastweb
4. Chegg Scholarship
5. College board scholarship search
6. Study Abroad specific platforms
7. Can you get scholarships without good grades?
· Need based scholarships: A lot of scholarships are based on financial need rather than academic merit. Scholarships offered by organizations like Pell Grant, or MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program prioritize students from humble backgrounds.
· Community service scholarship: These scholarships recognize students in the community, for all their contributions and effort rather than academic performance.
· Talent-based scholarship: This type of scholarship is open to students who excel in art, music, drama, or athletics. The scholarships reward your talent, organizations such as the Young Arts National Arts Competition and National Merit Scholarships for Music and Arts.
· Unique scholarships: Many scholarships cater to students with unique interest, talent or even particular personal experiences. For instance, the organization Duck Tape Stuck at Prom Scholarship.
· Entrepreneurship or innovation: This is a type of scholarship is for those who have a unique business idea or have a venture they have started, scholarships like Thiel Fellowship or Google’s Generation Scholarship can aid your entrepreneurial.
8. What are common scholarship application mistakes to avoid?
· Missing Deadlines: Missing deadlines is one of the errors that most people make, falling to submit your scholarship application even if you are late by few minutes is detrimental to your scholarship application. This is not only because it can lead to disqualification but makes the scholarship committee think you are not discipline.
· Submitting an incomplete application: This might be not adding key documents or requirements for a particular field can lead to disqualification. Common documents that are often omitted include, transcripts, personal statement/essay, and recommendation letters. Be sure to go over your application to confirm that you are not missing anything.
· Failing to follow instructions: One of the most common mistakes is not adhering to guidelines, for example, text formatting requirements, word count limits, or submission protocols, shows the scholarship council that you might have issues with paying attention to details. This will reflect poorly on your professionalism.
· Using generic essay: This is reusing the same essay for so many scholarships without tailoring it to the specific criteria of each scholarship, this can weaken your application there by reducing you chances of getting the application. Scholarship committees want to see that you as an applicant, can make an effort to connect to their values and goals through these requirements.
· Falling to proofread essay and application: it is important to avoid spelling errors, grammatical errors, and typographical errors in your application, as this can be distracting and weaken your application. Also, it shows a lack of care and can leave a negative impression on the scholarship committee.
· Ignoring smaller scholarships: A lot of students focus only on large scholarships, however having partial or smaller scholarships can build a financial aid package. It is advisable you don’t ignore small or local scholarships, as this scholarship may have less competition.
· Not highlighting unique qualities: Underestimating the value of extracurricular activities is one of the common scholarship mistakes. Not highlighting the skills and achievements you have that will help you stand out reduces your chances of getting the scholarship, not adding personal stories that will make ypur application stand out are not look generic is a mistake you should avoid.
· Craft your application without personalization: Sending out applications that doesn’t have a touch of you in it will seem thoughtless. When working on your application, it is key to address a specific mission.
· Weak recommendation letters: Submitting recommendation letters from people who know nothing about you or your academic achievements. Having a strong recommendation letter is one that is detailed and specific and shows your strengths from someone’s perspective.
· Not starting your research on time: If you start researching scholarships early, you get more time to find the right scholarships that align with you and prepare your applications. There are many different types of scholarships that are available, so it is important to take the time to find the ones that match your qualifications and career goals.
· Keep all documents easily accessible: To avoid a situation where your documents are not properly submitted and the application procedure remains incomplete, it is important you can access your documents easily and faster. Most scholarship application processes demand that the applicants upload key records pertaining to their academic progress, family income, bank account information, identity evidence, etc. Therefore, I suggest that you retain soft copies of all the required documents on your computer in the specified format to ensure an easy application process. Be sure to have all of these documents in hand before beginning the application process, as they can help you finish it faster.
· Poorly written essay: Another common mistake that many applicants make is taking their essay for granted, your scholarship essay is your personal statement that allows the scholarship committee to get to know you before they see you. Therefore you want your essay to be written properly, free from grammatical mistakes, this helps you increase your chances of moving forward with the scholarship process.
· Not seeking professional help: One of the common application mistakes that you can make is not seeking professional help. This could be help from your profession, a trusted scholarship agent, etc. They will guide you on how to tailor tour application materials, they will be able to give you practical advice on mistakes to avoid so that you can increase the quality of your application.
Conclusion
This list does not have all the scholarships available, however, you can check out our website on scholarships today and find scholarships that align with your career path and goals.
Start applying for scholarship early and on time, you are not too young to apply for scholarships, the early the better. Why? Because this will help you build your skill in applying for scholarships and with time you will get the scholarship of your dreams.
Scholarships in 2024, are quite wholesome as the cost of education has skyrocketed, the cost of books and accommodation too has increased, thus it is important to starting applying even from high school. Be sure to follow all the tips outlined for you. You must know about every scholarship you are applying for so research, questions about the committee awarding the scholarship may come up during the interview so be ready, create a checklist to help you keep track of mistakes that you need to avoid, and task you have to do related to your scholarship application.
The major step to securing scholarships lies in thorough research, early preparation, a great essay and strong recommendation letters. Applying to multiple scholarships for students can maximize their chances of receiving financial support and succeed in their career pursuit. The scholarships for students come through prestigious national scholarships, university specific scholarship awards, and grant for research.
Your personal statement is as important as the scholarship application form as they both tell the scholarship committee about you, your recommendation letters must be from successful people in the field you are currently in and they must also be people who know you.
it is important to engage in meaningful extracurricular activities, these includes sports, internships, volunteering, joining leadership organization, community service, art, music, etc. there are numerous extracurricular activities you can engage in regardless of the course you are studying or trying to purse, before you ask, yes it can still be related to your course that’s completely up to you.
Lastly, you cannot do this all alone, you will need your friends, teachers, mentors, family members to assist you where they can to ensure that you have a strong scholarship application. You can also ensure that you find trust worthy platforms that can help you stay updated on the recent scholarships and their deadlines.