Community college can be a great option for students looking to save money on their education or ease into the college experience. However, financing a community college education can still be a challenge for many students. Thankfully, there are numerous scholarships available specifically for community college students. In this article, we have compiled a list of 26 scholarships that can help make your community college journey more affordable. From general scholarships to those for specific majors or demographics, there is something for everyone. So, if you’re a community college student looking for financial assistance, keep reading to learn about these amazing opportunities.
OCCACCF Scholarship – $5,000 each year for 4 years
The Orange County Chinese-American Chamber of Commerce Foundation (OCCACCF) offers an annual scholarship to help local students of Chinese descent afford higher education. Each applicant must demonstrate financial need, be graduating from a high school in Orange County, Los Angeles County, or other nearby cities in 2023, be admitted to a community college, college, or university by May 2023, have at least one parent who is of Chinese descent, and have a cumulative, non-weighted GPA of at least 3.0 and a SAT score of at least 1100 or an ACT of 25.
James H. Davis Memorial Scholarship – Varies
Offered by the National Horticulture Foundation, the James H. Davis Memorial Scholarship is an annual, renewable prize awarded to undergraduate students interested in the horticulture industry. Applicants must be enrolled in or plan to enroll full-time in a horticulture field at a community college, college, university, or other academic program in Florida, intend to graduate in a horticulture field, and have a GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
AFCEA DC STEM Scholarships – Varies
Each year, AFCEA Washington, DC awards STEM scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, live within the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (greater DC area), be either graduating from high school or transitioning from a two-year community college to a four-year college or university, and be accepted to a U.S. accredited college or university in a four-year, full-time STEM curriculum. Students whose family members include current members of the military, Veteran, and AFCEA DC chapter members are encouraged to apply.
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.
Heroes’ Legacy Scholarships – Varies
The Fisher House Foundation, a charitable foundation dedicated to providing housing for military and veteran families, runs the Heroes’ Legacy Scholarships program, which honors not just who have fallen in battle, but those who have died or have become disabled through their active military service since September 11, 2001. To qualify, applicants must be the dependent unmarried children under age 23 of active-duty personnel, Reserve/Guard and retired military members, or survivors of service members who died while on active duty and meet one of the these criteria: one of the parents died, became disabled, or received a permanent and total compensation rating of 100% from the DOD or Department of Veteran Affairs, while serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001 in any branch or component of the US Armed Forces; they must be enrolled or planning to enroll full-time in an undergraduate degree program leading to a bachelor’s degree, or a community college program designed for direct transfer into a four-year program; they satisfy the minimum cumulative GPA requirement (3.0 on a 4.0 for high school seniors, 2.5 for college students).
Fisher House Foundation Scholarships for Military Children – $2,000
The Fisher House Foundation, a charitable foundation dedicated to providing housing for military and veteran families, runs a Scholarships for Military Children Program that provides scholarships for students whose parents are serving in or retired from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard. In order to qualify, they must be enrolled or planning to enroll full-time in an undergraduate degree program leading to a bachelor’s degree, or a community college program designed for direct transfer into a four-year program.
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.
Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship – $5,000 (over 2 years)
Administered by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, the Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship is annually awarded to college-bound seniors with a learning disability. Applicants must plan to enroll in a two-year community college, a vocational or technical training program, or a specialized program in the fall and be diagnosed with a documented learning disability and/or ADHD.
Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF) Scholarship – Up to $2,500
The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF) Scholarship is annually awarded to undergraduate and/or post-graduate students who survived pediatric cancer. Applicants must be graduating high school seniors, community college students, or 4-year university students who have been treated for pediatric cancer, be full-time students, and meet a minimum GPA requirement of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Point Foundation Scholarship – Varies
The Point Foundation offers three types of scholarship programs: the Point Flagship Scholarship, the Point BIPOC Scholarship, and the Point Foundation Community College Scholarship. The Point Flagship Scholarship is meant for LGBTQ students who are earning their undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees at accredited colleges in the United States. The Point BIPOC Scholarship provides financial, coaching, and community support to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color students. The Point Foundation Community College Scholarship empowers LGBTQ community college students to fulfill their ambitions in college. Eligibility requirements and deadlines for the three programs vary.
Point Foundation BIPOC Scholarship – Up to $1,500
Offered by the Point Foundation, the Point BIPOC Scholarship supports Black, Indigenous, and People of Color students who also identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students. In addition to financial support, Point BIPOC scholarship recipients receive community resources and professional development. The foundation assesses applicants on many factors, including financial need or independence, personal history, academic achievement, community involvement, and work experience. To qualify, students must identify as a member of the BIPOC community and LGBTQ, be enrolled or intending to enroll at an accredited community college, four-year college/university, or graduate program in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, and be enrolled full-time or part-time (six credits) for the funded term. Students in college or universities in a U.S. territory or post-doctoral program are not eligible for the scholarship.
Point Foundation Community College Scholarship – $2,400 per semester or $4,800 per academic year
Offered by the Point Foundation, the Point Foundation Community College Scholarship supports supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students in community college. In addition to financial support, scholarship recipients receive access to coaching and admissions counseling for those who want to transfer to a university. The foundation assesses applicants on many factors, including financial need or independence, personal history, academic achievement, community involvement, and work experience. To qualify, students must be “out” as a person who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community, be enrolled or intending to enroll at an accredited community college in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, have 1-2 years of community college left and either (1) intend to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program at a four-year institution or (2) graduate with an associates degree within two years, and must be enrolled at least half-time (six credits) throughout the academic year. Each year, application opens in November.
Pride Foundation Scholarship – Up to $12,000
Each year, the Pride Foundation offers scholarships to LGBTQ students who show leadership, lack a support system, demonstrate financial need, and face additional barriers to higher education. Applicants must be a resident of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington, but they may study elsewhere. Additionally, applicants must be pursuing postsecondary education at a community college, four-year public or private college or university, certificate-granting institution, vocational school, trade school, technical school, law school, medical/dental/veterinary school, or graduate school.
Colonel Kathleen Swacina Scholarship – $1,500
The COL Kathleen Swacina Scholarship Fund awards one female college student a $1,500 scholarship to be applied toward the student’s ongoing higher-level academic education at an accredited four-year school. Community college students in their first two years are eligible if they will continue on to an accredited four-year college or university. Applicants must be: a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or enrolled in a ROTC program, an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, or a direct descendant of an AFCEA member or an honorably discharged member of the Armed Forces; enrolled as a full-time college student at an accredited institution attending schools in or residing in the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama, including community colleges; maintain a 2.8 GPA; and major in a STEM-related area of study. Each year, the scholarship has two deadlines: the spring scholarship opens in January and closes end of May and the fall scholarship opens in October and closes end of November.
Stephen W. Cavanaugh Scholarship – $8,000 (over 4 years)
The Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF) offers the Stephen W. Cavanaugh Scholarship. This scholarship is open to students majoring in an insurance-related field as a full-time student at an accredited university, college, or community college in Louisiana. The scholarship awards $1,000 per semester and is renewable for four years for a total award of $8,000. Applicants must submit a 250-500 word essay explaining why they are pursuing a career in insurance.
Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship – Varies
Offered by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL), the Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship is annually awarded to graduating high school seniors in the community who are interested in natural resource studies. Each applicant must be a graduating high school senior or high school graduate, be enrolled or planning to enroll as a full-time student at an accredited two- or four-year community college, college, or university, study in a natural resource field such as fish or wildlife biology, conservation or management, air quality, botany, conservation education, ecology, forestry, hydrology, soils, pollution control or water quality, and have a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Additionally, all applicants must have their permanent address in Boone, Cook, Dekalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, or Winnebago Counties.
Dr. Pepper Scholarship – $100,000 Tuition Prize (5 total), $20,000 Runners-Up Prize (5 total), $2,500 Consolation Prize (5 total)
The Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway is an annual video contest that gives students the opportunity to win up to $100,000 in tuition awards, which must be used for postsecondary education expenses at an accredited two- or four-year college, technical school, vocational school, or master or doctorate degree program in the United States. To enter, applicants must create a video and submit it during a one-month window, starting on September 12, 2022 and ending on October 12, 2022. In the video, which must be between 15 and 60 seconds long, they must state their career goals, why they need tuition assistance, and how their life, community, and the world will be improved if they are able to pursue their goals with the help of the tuition assistance. They should submit the Video publicly through their TikTok account, using the official Challenge (“Tuition Dreamin’”) sound and #DrPepperTuitionContest. Additionally, if they are not doing it already, they must follow @drpepper on TikTok until such time as the Grand Prize winners have been announced. Finalists will be selected to throw for the prize at a College Football Conference Championship game this year. To qualify, applicants must be a U.S. legal resident residing in one of the 50 U.S. states or District of Columbia and be 18-24 years of age at the time of submission of video entry.
eQuality Scholarship – $6,000
The eQuality Scholarship Collaborative offers scholarships awarded to California students who demonstrate service to the LGBT community. Three types of candidates are eligible for scholarships: (a) residents of northern or central California who completed or expect to complete high school or the equivalent; (b) residents of northern or central California who completed or expect to complete community college; and (c) students pursuing a medical degree at an accredited medical school in California, or as a California resident attending an accredited medical school elsewhere in the United States.
Foot Locker Associate Scholarship – $5,000
Each year, Foot Locker, Inc. awards the Foot Locker Associate Scholarship to one of 30 Foot Locker team members selected as a part of the Foot Locker Associate Scholarship. The recipient will receive an additional $5,000 (for a total of $10,000) for demonstrating superior educational achievement, as well as outstanding leadership, and a true love of the game. The recipient must be either employed part-time or full-time with the Company during the application process AND at the time the scholarship is awarded; be employed for at least 6 months; be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident; demonstrate personal passion and drive to succeed; demonstrate strong core values, bring others along, and participate fully and with enthusiasm, whether in school, in sports, or in their community; be interested in entering OR enrolling as a part-time or full-time student in a certificate, undergraduate, or graduate degree program at an accredited community college, two-year or four-year college/university in the upcoming fall; and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (if currently attending school).
Excelsior Scholarship Program – Up to $5,500
The Excelsior Scholarship allows students to attend a SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free. The program covers any remaining tuition expenses up to $5,500 for eligible SUNY and CUNY students. Applicants must be New York State residents, who have resided in NYS for 12 continuous months prior to the beginning of the term, and be U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens. They must sign a contract agreeing to reside in NYS for the length of time the award was received, and, if employed during such time, be employed in NYS. They must also meet other requirements, including graduating from high school in the United States, earning a GED, or passing a federally approved “Ability to Benefit” test, having a combined federal adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less, pursuing an undergraduate degree at a SUNY or CUNY college, including community colleges and the statutory colleges at Cornell University and Alfred University, and enrolling in at least 12 credits per term and complete at least 30 credits each year (successively).
Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholarship Program – $500-$5,000
Each year, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) selects about 10,000 students to become HSF Scholars. HSF Scholars gain access to a wide range of “Scholar Support Services,” including career services, mentorship, leadership development, knowledge building, and wellness training. Additionally, HSF Scholars become eligible to receive scholarships each year, which range from $500 to $5,000. College-bound high school seniors, undergraduate students, graduate students, and community college students who are transferring to a four-year institution are all eligible to apply. However, applicants must be of Hispanic heritage, be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients, and submit the FAFSA. In addition, all high school senior applicants must meet a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and all undergraduate and graduate students must meet a minimum GPA requirement of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship – Up to $40,000
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is designed to help students attending two-year institutions transfer to four-year institutions. Applicants must be second-year community college students or have recently graduated, plan to enroll full-time in a baccalaureate program at an accredited college or university, meet a minimum GPA requirement of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, demonstrate unmet financial need, and have never attended a four-year institution. Application opens in early October each year.
NFSF Construction Trades Scholarship – $500-$2,500
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Founders Scholarship Foundation offers the Construction Trades Scholarship to students enrolled in a construction-related training program approved by the Bureau of Apprenticeship Training. Community college, technical schools, and equivalent programs are also eligible.
Optimal Scholarship – $2,000
Launched in 2010, the Optimal Scholarships program helps students with high financial need and strong career aspirations. The program offers three scholarship awards: Community College Scholarship, Undergraduate Scholarship, and Online Degree Scholarship. Each scholarship is a $2,000 award. The program is open to legal residents of the United States (excluding Rhode Island, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands). To qualify for the Community College Scholarship, applicants must be enrolled at a public community college, junior college, technical college, or city college, and working towards a certificate, diploma, or degree at the associate’s level or a first-time bachelor’s level. To qualify for the Undergraduate Scholarship, applicants must be enrolled at a private or public educational institution, and working towards a certificate, diploma, or degree at the associate’s level or a first-time bachelor’s level. To qualify for the Online Degree Scholarship, applicants must be enrolled at a private or public educational institution, and working towards a certificate, diploma, or degree at the associate’s, bachelor’s or post-bachelor’s level.
PHCC Educational Foundation Scholarship Program – $1,000-$10,000
The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) Educational Foundation offers a scholarship for students who are citizens of the United States or Canada and are currently enrolled in or plan to enroll in a PHCC-approved plumbing or HVACR apprentice program; a full-time certificate or degree program at an accredited two-year community college, technical college, or trade school; and a full-time undergraduate degree program at an accredited four-year college or university. All applicants must be enrolled in courses or majors related to directly related to the plumbing-heating-cooling (p-h-c) profession.
TheDream.US National Scholarship – Up to $33,000 per year (renewable of each year)
Dream.US refers to its National Scholarship as a “Pell Grant for highly motivated DREAMers with significant, unmet financial need.” The organization works with more than 70 partner colleges to help immigrant students pay for and succeed in higher education. The program is open to high school seniors, high school graduates, GED diploma holders, and community college graduates entering their first year of a four-year bachelor’s program. Applicants must have graduated or will graduate with a high school or GED diploma, or a community college associate degree by the end of the academic year, meet DACA criteria, have significant unmet financial need, agree to enroll full-time at one of the organization’s partner colleges, and qualify for in-state tuition at the partner college.
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.