Graduate Student Scholarships: Easing the Financial Burden

By Amanda Cohen on December 8, 2018

Unfortunately, school in all realms is expensive. Whether it’s high school, college, or grad school, educational administrations just can’t seem to get the hint that these costs are impossible to afford. So many schools are stingy on financial aid, so students are often forced to take out students loans that they will struggle to pay off for the rest of their lives.

With this unforgiving and unpredictable world, it stinks that students loans and payments for education have to be something that young adults and kids have to worry about. If I could solve the student loan crisis, believe me, I would. However, I can help ease the financial burden that grad school puts on young professionals and students. I am going to tell you of some awesome scholarships for graduate students so that you don’t have to take out, hopefully, as many loans as you would normally have to.

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Alpha Kappa Alpha Foundations Graduate Scholarship

Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation does exactly what it says it does in its organization’s name: it promotes educational advancement. This scholarship is only for second-year graduate students who have a GPA of a 3.0 or higher, must have some sort of community service involvement, and must get three letters of recommendation. This may seem like a lot of work, but it isn’t if your education and financial well-being are at stake. Community service is important, regardless if you need a scholarship or not. Maintaining a 3.0 is tricky, but you are all brilliant and I know you will all succeed. Lastly, making connections with people is important and will help you with your letters of recommendation and in life in general. Alpha Kappa Alpha Foundation gives up to $2,500 for full-time graduate students. Here is the contact information for this scholarship:

Alpha Kappa Alpha Foundation Graduate Scholarships

5656 South Stony Island Avenue

Chicago, IL 60637

(773) 947-0026

akaeaf@akaef.net

Ruth G. and Joseph D. Matarazzo Scholarship

If you are pursuing a graduate degree in Psychological studies, whether it be a master’s degree or a doctoral degree, the Ruth G. and Joseph D. Matarazzo scholarship has you covered. This scholarship is highly focused on research and the thesis associated with your graduate degree and, even though it seems like a lot, you could earn up to $3,000 a year for your intelligence. In order to be considered for the scholarship, you must submit a full research proposal that, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), will be judged on framework, clearness, appropriateness, research design, and importance. Yes, it does seem like a lot to submit an entire research proposal, but you will have to do one anyways for your thesis eventually, so why not get started now? Here is the contact information for this scholarship:

Ruth G. and Joseph D. Matarazzo Scholarship

750 First St. NE

Washington, DC 20002

(202) 336-5843

foundation@apa.org

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Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award

Unfortunately, the arts seem to go underappreciated compared to STEM, business, entrepreneurship, etc. However, with the Jack Kent Cookie Foundation Graduate Arts Award, arts students get the recognition and praise that they deserve. If you are graduate from an undergraduate program and you are entering into a graduate program, you can get up to $50,000 in scholarship funds for being your incredible self; well, there are some credentials you need to have. This scholarship is need-based only and you must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, graduating with a GPA of a 3.2 or higher in the performing and/or visual arts. In addition, you must attend graduate school within five years of your undergraduate graduation date in order to qualify. Here is the contact information for this scholarship:

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award

44325 Woodridge Parkway

Lansdowne, VA 20176

(855) 509-5253

scholarships@jckf.org

LAGRANT Foundation Minority Graduate Student Scholarships

The LAGRANT Foundation is helping minority students pay for their graduate degrees. The scholarship is for African American, Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American students whose graduate degrees focus on communications, marketing, public relationships, or advertising. In addition to the above considerations, those who can qualify for the scholarship must be a United States citizen, must be a full-time graduate student (12 credits or more) each semester), have a GPA of 3.2 or higher, and must go to a career development workshop. The LAGRANT Foundation has an overall goal of increasing diversity in the above career fields. If you share this passion for advancing your own education, you should definitely look into this scholarship. Here is the contact information for this scholarship:

LAGRANT Foundation Minority Graduate Student Scholarships

600 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1520

Los Angeles, CA 90017

(323) 469-8680

erickainiguez@lagrant.com

If these scholarships don’t apply to you, or you need more scholarships to help ease the financial burden, I promise you that there are so much more than you think. Even smaller-scale, more obscure scholarships are worth taking a look at. Don’t let money stand in the way of you and your education. Good luck, you got this!

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