As the cost of higher education continues to rise, more and more students are turning to trade schools as an affordable and practical option to gain valuable skills and enter the workforce. However, the financial burden of trade school can still be daunting for many students. That’s why we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of 20 scholarships specifically designed for trade school students. These scholarships not only provide financial assistance, but also recognize the importance and value of skilled trades in our society. So, if you’re a trade school student looking for financial aid, look no further. Here are 20 scholarships that could help you achieve your educational and career goals.
Victoria Ovis Memorial Scholarship – $2,000
Offered by the First Responders Children’s Foundation, the Victoria Ovis Memorial Scholarship is a one-time $2,000 award open to the children of law enforcement officers who were killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. Applicants must reside and attend school in New York State or the New York metropolitan area. The scholarship does not require a declared major, but preference will be given to eligible candidates majoring in criminology or pre-law.
Full Circle Scholarships – Varies
Administered by the American Indian College Fund, Full Circle Scholarships are annually awarded to Native American students pursuing post secondary degrees. Applicants must be enrolled members of a federal or state recognized American Indian Tribe, or have a parent or grandparent who is an enrolled tribal member. Full-time enrollment at an accredited tribal, public or private (nonprofit) college or university is also required.
Fire Family Foundation Scholarships – $5,000
The Fire Family Foundation offers 10 $5,000 scholarships to the children of firefighters every year. Applicants must be the biological or adopted child of any active, retired or fallen firefighter within the United States; be a senior in high school or over the age of 16 with a GED, or currently enrolled in a community college, university as an undergraduate or trade school; have a current minimum 3.2 GPA; be under the age of 26; and be either a candidate for an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited college or university, or a full-time or part-time student at an educational organization that is nationally accredited and legally authorized to offer the educational program, including vocational schools.
Folds of Honor Scholarship – Up to $5,000
Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization, has two scholarships that support military families. The Children’s Fund Scholarship is for primary and secondary education students and can be used for private school or tutoring services (from an established, licensed business). The Higher Education Scholarship is for postsecondary students. The award amount is up to $5,000 per academic year and is based on a student’s “unmet need.” Recipients must reapply each year to get the scholarship in successive years. To qualify for the Children’s Fund Scholarship, applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited private school or tutoring institution, be at least five years old (by September 1st of calendar year applying in) and enrolled in full-time Kindergarten program, and be a dependent of a service member. To qualify for the Higher Education Scholarship, applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll in a two-year, four-year, or postgraduate program of study at an accredited college or university, or be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited technical or trade school program, which results in a certificate or license, and be a dependent or spouse of a service member.
Prism Foundation Scholarships – $1,000-$5,000
The Prism Foundation is an organization that works to explore and address critical issues that affect the Asian and Pacific Islander LGBTQ+ community. As part of its commitment to this goal, the foundation provides scholarships to students who have made a demonstrable impact on the Asian & Pacific Islander and LGBTQ+ communities. Applicants do not need to identify as LGBTQ+ or Asian/Pacific Islander in order to apply. Furthermore, students in all fields are welcome to apply.
GLHF Education Scholarship – $250-$3,000
Administered by the Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation (GLHF), the Education Scholarship is annually awarded to students with bleeding disorders as they pursue their education at an accredited, not-for-profit college, university or vocational/technical school. Applicants must live in Wisconsin or receive care at one of the Wisconsin Hemophilia Treatment Centers. The scholarship is also open to the parents, spouses, or siblings of those with bleeding disorders if enough funding is available.
Kitchen Cabinet Kings Entrepreneur Scholarship – $5,000
The Kitchen Cabinet Kings Entrepreneur Scholarship is designed to help young entrepreneurs afford the rising costs of education. Kitchen Cabinet Kings will award one $5,000 scholarship for the best submitted entry. Applicants must be a current college student or incoming freshman enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an accredited college, university or trade school in the United States for the fall, spring or summer 2023 semester.
MedEvac Foundation International’s Children’s Scholarship – $5,000
The MedEvac Foundation International, an international nonprofit organization that supports academic research studies and education programs relating to medical care and medical transportation, offers a $5,000 Children’s Scholarship. The scholarship is open to children who have lost a parent or had a parent seriously injured in an air medical or critical care ground transport accident. Applicants must be enrolled or accepted into an accredited college, university or vocational-technical school, and be a dependent of a medical transport crew member (parents, step-parents, legal guardians, or grandparents who had a significant role in raising the applicant) who lost their life due to an air medical or critical care transport accident.
Minnesota Masonic Charities Career and Technical Scholarships – $2,500 for up to 2 years
Each year, Minnesota Masonic Charities awards scholarships to students furthering their education at vocational/technical/trade schools. Each applicants must have graduated from a Minnesota high school and plan to pursue a vocational/technical/trade degree or coursework.
Empowering a Better Tomorrow Scholarship – $5,000
Offered by Walmart, the Empowering a Better Tomorrow Scholarship is meant for the formerly incarcerated or those who have recently been convicted and who have completed their sentence. Each year, $5,000 is awarded to 20 students who can exhibit qualities of leadership, commitment to change, and desire to give back to their community. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen; be released from incarceration and/or recently convicted but not sentenced for a crime; be enrolled in the Fall semester of 2023 at a public 4-year, 2-year, community college, trade school, or other public educational institution; have no serious disciplinary incidents within the past 12 months; and have applied for and received all federal, state, and other grants and loans available to them.
Sallie Mae $1,000 Sweepstakes – $1,000
Student loan servicer Sallie Mae offers a monthly $1,000 scholarship to students who simply apply for their Scholarship Search and College Planning Calculator, a tool that connects students with scholarships and provides automated college finance planning advice. This is a monthly sweepstakes. One winner is selected on the first day of every month, drawn from all entries made in the previous month. Applicants must be a legal resident of the United States, be over the age of majority in their state of residence, and must not have won any other Sallie Mae Bank contest or sweepstakes in the six-month period prior to their award period.
Live Better U – Full tuition and books
The Walmart Foundation no longer offers the Walmart Associate Program and the Walmart Dependent Program as of February 1, 2021. Instead, Walmart will pay 100% of tuition and books for associates through its Live Better U (LBU) education program, so part-time and full-time Walmart and Sam’s Club associates in the United States can earn a high school diploma, take college prep courses, earn a college degree, or earn professional certificates without incurring education debt. The program excludes temp associates, associates with a prior bachelor’s degree, and salaried associates who fall into the market level and above. Eligible associates qualify for the program on their first day of employment.
AbbVie CF Scholarship – $3,000
The AbbVie CF Scholarship is annually awarded to students who are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited institution. Each applicant must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, be diagnosed with cystic fibrosis by a physician, and be enrolled in or awaiting acceptance to an accredited college, university, or trade/vocational school.
Anders Scholarship – $1,000
The Anders Scholarship is intended to honor Allied Health, Nursing, and Therapy professionals who are at the front lines of patient care every day. It is open to students enrolled in a college or trade program or GED holders who plan on attending one of these institutions during the upcoming semester. To be eligible, those interested must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. To apply, students must submit a current resume, a school transcript, and an essay answering a specified prompt.
MissionSquare Retirement Memorial Scholarship Fund – Up to $10,000
The MissionSquare Retirement Memorial Scholarship Fund (formerly, the Public Employee Memorial Scholarship) is annually awarded to the children and spouses of deceased employees who worked in education, health care, not-for-profit, public safety, local or state government who died while in service to their community. Applicants must be high school seniors or graduates who plan to enroll or students who are already enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or program at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire academic year, and they must provide a letter from the deceased family member’s place of work.
Jacoby & Meyers Latinx Community Scholarship – $5,000
Administered by The University Network (TUN.com), the Jacoby & Meyers Latinx Community Scholarship is a $5,000 award. Applicants must be of Latinx descent, reside in California, be high school seniors or first- and second-year college/trade school students, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and be actively involved in community service activities within the Latinx community. To apply, those interested must write an essay of 350-500 words on how their Hispanic background influenced their goals for higher education and submit an unofficial copy of their transcript.
Lockheed Martin Vocational Scholarship – $5,000
Lockheed Martin’s Vocational Scholarship helps students of all ages afford skills-based training in cutting-edge technology and advanced manufacturing fields. It provides funding for students pursuing associate degrees, credit-bearing certificates, or industry-recognized credentials at an accredited vocational technical school, trade school, or two-year community college. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, high school graduates or GED holders, have not earned a bachelor’s degree, be enrolled or planning to enroll at a U.S. accredited vocational technical school, trade school, two-year community college, or state college, and be pursuing an associate degree, credit-bearing certificate, or an industry-recognized credential in a technology or advanced manufacturing field.
Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation – Up to $40,000 (over 4 years)
The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (MCSF) provides need-based scholarships to military children to support them in their pursuit of an associate’s or undergraduate degree or a non-degree career and technical certificate program. To date, MCSF has awarded scholarships worth nearly $185 million in honor of Marines. To qualify, applicants must be the child or step-child of (i) an active duty, reserve, or veteran U.S. Marine, (ii) a Marine killed while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, or (iii) an active duty, reserve, or veteran U.S. Navy Corpsman, Navy Chaplain or Religious Program Specialist, who is or was attached to a U.S. Marine Corps unit or who was killed while serving with a U.S. Marine Corps unit; meet a cumulative GPA of 2.0; and meet the income threshold. Students must submit their application along with supporting documentation, such as tax documents, transcripts, and evidence of military service, by the deadline.
Richard A. Ash Scholarship – $1,000-$5,000 (renewable)
Offered by the Philadelphia Foundation, the Richard A. Ash Scholarship is annually awarded to high school seniors and undergraduate students from Philadelphia. Applicants must demonstrate financial need, be residents of Philadelphia, and be accepted or enrolled at an accredited college or trade school.
Live Mas Scholarship – $25,000
Offered by the fast food chain Taco Bell, the Live Mas Scholarship is annually awarded to passionate high school and college students throughout the United States. Applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 24 and be U.S. citizens. Applicants must be enrolled in or on track to enroll in an accredited post-secondary institution, including two-and four-year colleges, universities, vocational-technical, and trade schools.
In conclusion, the journey to finding the perfect scholarship doesn’t have to be daunting. Whether you’re just beginning your search or looking to expand your options, our comprehensive scholarship directory offers a wide range of opportunities catering to diverse academic interests and backgrounds. For a more personalized approach, consider leveraging the power of TUN AI, our innovative tool designed to match you with scholarships uniquely suited to your profile. Start exploring today and take a step closer to securing the financial support you need for your educational journey.