College costs a lot of money nowadays. The news and rumors of how much some programs and universities cost really are staggering when people stop to think about it— especially in consideration and comparison to what were historically more affordable rates.
At the same time, it is unwise and nearly impossible for someone to find a good job with a decent wage without having some type of post-high school education. Yes, there are multiple paths to take, some people go to community college, others to four-year campuses, others still to trade schools, but even people who are looking to be great servants by working as nurses in vulnerable areas, some of those programs can come with uncomfortable sticker shock. With the prices of everything in the economy going up, it only makes sense to try to save money where it can be done without compromising the value of what's being paid for. That's where scholarships come in.
Most of the time when people think about scholarships, it has to do with a four-year institution. While many of those work and have helped people to reach their educational goals with far less financial burden, there is another way to go about attending a good educational program without having to go into massive debt.
The first step is finding the type of program and location that offers a curriculum which is in line with those personal goals. The second is to consider whether a similar educational path and the proper amount of knowledge and experience can be gleaned from an alternative path to the two, or four-year paths so common to most undergraduate or postgraduate education.
For any student interested in trying out a new industry or working professional that is looking to add some more clout to their resume or transfer industries altogether, spending time working on a license or gaining various certifications is a great option. Usually a quick, challenging, and yet affordable, high value way to become a more valuable asset to an organization, license and certifications are numerous, spanning many industries like nursing and IT, and sub-categories of many professions.
Certifications and licensure can play a crucial role in opening up more career prospects, adding to ones your skill set, and eventually garnering a higher wage. The good news is that, just like there is a massive list and plenty of resources to help locate scholarships for the more traditional educational paths, there are also scholarships for certifications and licenses.
Below is a list of just a few of the many kinds of scholarships that can be found and applied for before beginning a new course for specific certifications and licenses.
Scholarships for Certifications and Licenses
1. The Association for Career & Technical Education
The Association for Career & Technical Education is an open resource that is intended to help support the career and the educational professionals or students who have an interest in technical education. There are ten different scholarships alone on this website. Just to name two of them, the Horatio Alger Association that is open to awarding prospective students who have an interest in finding a career or technical educational path at certain accredited, post-secondary institutions; the Louis T. Flore Electronic Communications Scholarship is available to anyone who has an interest in electronic communications or the software development that supports that field.
2. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Certification Scholarship
At the NASW Foundation, this organization seeks to help support the lives and missions of those interested in professionally engaging in social work. Their commitment to these standards has developed a number of scholarships to choose from. The Foundation offers four scholarships, the Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial Scholarship, the Verne LaMarr Lyons Memorial Scholarship, the Lawanna Renee Barron Scholarship and the Neysa Fanwick Memorial Scholarship.
Additionally, if you are a social worker simply hoping to work on specialty certification, the NASW certification scholarships can help cover costs.
3. The Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP) Scholarship
ANFP offers grants to any person who is pursuing certification as a Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) or as a Certified Food Protection Professional (CFPP). Additionally, the foundation is open to offering grants to help lower the costs associated with any ANFP training programs. These scholarships can be used in a variety of ways like covering exam fees, the need for study materials, or covering the costs of attending the various conferences they host.
4. The ASM Educational Center
The ASM Educational center is a place that provides the necessary training for those individuals who are currently employed or seeking employment in the IT field. Applicants may earn up to $2,000 which can be applied toward a program of their choosing.
5. The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Minority Fellowship Program
An organization making their mark, the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program was founded to help the level of diversity across the counseling profession. The NBCC provides financial support to minority individuals pursuing certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) for those who are looking to spend time serving underprivileged areas or developing new research.
