Nayreth Garcia
Content Writer at Gradehacker
Updated January, 2023
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You are looking for the best scholarships for non-traditional students, so you’re here!
Education has long been encouraged by parents and teachers for generations, but maybe you didn’t know what your passion was after finishing high school, and you needed more time to figure it out. Or perhaps, after finishing high school, you had different responsibilities and priorities, began a full-time job or had children to take care of.
Whatever the case, if you are an adult with just a school diploma but want academic achievements, you may be eligible for a non-traditional student’s scholarship.
If you are unsure what a non-traditional student is, check out our video and find out!
We believe age doesn’t matter; it is just a number! There are many great reasons education is good for us, and scholarships are an important part of helping your educational and career goals as an undergraduate student.
Here at Gradehacker, we have years of experience assisting adult learners of all ages and guiding students like you as one of the most trusted non-traditional student resources.
That’s why we want to give you a list of scholarships for non-traditional students to help you earn a professional degree!
Let’s start!
The ”Mom to Scholar” scholarship drawing is open to U.S. Citizens, Permanent Legal Residents, or DACA. As its name indicates, it was created especially for mothers who want to begin or continue their journey in a technical or college degree and is funded by Scholarships360’s own Maria Geiger.
As a mother pursuing your degree, you are the embodiment of a true nontraditional student.
Application requirements for the "Mom to Scholar" Scholarship:
- Be a mom around the age of 35 or over
- Have financial need
- Submit a personal essay that shares why you would be a deserving winner with a minimum of 250 words
- Share proof of enrollment at a technical, community, or four-year program in college/university
- Be a U.S. Citizen, Permanent Legal Resident, or DACA
Additional Information:
If you get selected as a winner, you will need to send income and college enrollment information. They choose the winner based on the essay response’s strength regarding your life experiences as a mother and your motivation to achieve higher education.
Amount:
This scholarship is worth $1,000, and the funds will be sent directly to the college the winner is/will be attending.
Deadline:
The American Legion Auxiliary Scholarship for Non-traditional Student’s goal is to allow adult learners who are part of The Legion Family to follow their post-secondary education, get a college degree or get back on track from where they were if they stopped their studies.
That way, you can find a better job or improve your workplace.
Application requirements for the ALA Scholarship for Non-Traditional Students:
- You must be a member of The American Legion, Auxiliary, or Sons of The American Legion
- Dues must be paid for the two preceding years and for the calendar year in which the application is made
- You may be pursuing training in a certified, trade, professional, or technical program or a two-year or four-year degree program
Amount:
It is an annual scholarship of $2,000 per Auxiliary geographic division.
Deadline:
The application deadline is March 1st. Since it is an annual scholarship, in case you missed it, you can try next year!
The Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship is open to students of all ages, which is great if you are a nontraditional student! Gen and Kelly Tanabe started this grant program to support and contribute something to students.
They were accepted to all of the Ivy League colleges and won more than $100,000 in merit-based scholarships to graduate from Harvard debt-free.
Additional information:
This Scholarship is completely merit-based, so they do not consider your financial resources a need for requirement.
The committee takes the essay you write in the application form very seriously. This essay should be short (250 words or less) and answer one of the three following questions:
- Why do you deserve to win this scholarship?
- Describe your academic or career goals
- Any topic of your choice.
Application requirements for Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship:
- 9th - 12th grade high school, college, or graduate student, including nontraditional adult students
- Be a legal resident of the U.S.
- You must currently be in school or planning to start school within the next 12 months
Amount:
It is a $1,000 scholarship. This fund can be used for tuition, room and board, required fees, or educational expenses.
This scholarship program has two deadlines, July 31st, and December 31st.
If you are a single dad, the Little Bundle Superdad Scholarship might be perfect for you. They allow you to focus on your education to give your children a better start in life. This scholarship recognizes your efforts and pushes you to pursue your higher education goals.
Application requirements for the Little Bundle Superdad Scholarship:
- Be a graduating high school senior in your final semester who has been accepted to university
- Or be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at a 4-year, 2-year, vocational, or technical institution in the U.S.
- Be a single father or the child of a single father
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
- Write an 500-word essay (1000 words maximum) telling your story and the difficulties you have had as a single father or as the child of one
Amount:
It’s a $2,000 scholarship. In addition to this, the winners receive a year of free organic baby formula from Little Bundle. In case you do not need it, you can defer it for later use or donate it.
Deadline:
They award one college winner and one high school winner. The application are open every 6 months.
The first application deadline is on June 30th, and the second one on December 31st. The winner is announced on the 31st of the following month.
The College JumpStart Scholarship is an annual and merit-based scholarship funded by corporate donations, so they do not accept individuals’ contributions. It has a wide range of eligibility since it is open for 10th-12th graders, college students, and non-traditional students.
So, keep reading; you may be an eligible student for this scholarship!
Requirements for the College JumpStart Scholarship Application:
- Must be a high school 10th-12th grader, college student, or non-traditional student
- Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident
- You must attend or plan to attend an accredited 2-year, 4-year, or vocational/trade school in the U.S.
- You need to fill a personal statement in the online application form of 250 words or less, answering 1 of the following prompts they give you:
- What are your educational goals?
- How will winning this scholarship help you attain your goals?
- Write about a time when “hard work” paid off
Amount:
The winner gets $1,000, which can help cover educational expenses. The best thing about this scholarship is that it can be used at any college or university in the U.S.
Deadline:
For this scholarship, the deadline are April 15th and October 17th.
The AAUW Scholarship Trust St. Paul Branch created the Returning Woman Scholarship, designed for female students who had their education interrupted by life events and are now prepared to continue their education.
The AAUW members develop grant programs that will allow women to grow and improve their education for the future of other women.
- You must maintain an overall 3.0 grade point average and enroll in at least two classes during the college year
- You are pursuing an Associate or Bachelor’s degree
- Create a cover letter explaining why you need financial help and all the financial factors that are affecting you
- You will need a letter of recommendation from a professional source detailing your qualifications and character. Consider a faculty member, employer, colleague, etc.
- College courses completed transcripts
- FAFSA copy or federal income tax copy
Amount:
With this scholarship, the woman who wins will have the assistance they need to complete and pursue a Baccalaureate or Associate’s degree for the amount of $2,000.
Deadline:
Applications must be sent by February 23, 2023, or received no later than February 28, 2023.
For this scholarship, the priority of candidates are women, part of the nontraditional student population who have suffered from an abusive partner and have the greatest barriers to continuing and completing their education.
- Identify as a female survivor of intimate partner abuse
- Be physically separated from your abuser for a minimum of one year but not more than ten
- Have sought services from a non-profit agency that provides services to survivors of intimate partner abuse for a minimum of 6 consecutive months
- Be a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States, or have an immigration status that makes you eligible for FAFSA
- Be a current physical resident of the United States or its territories
- Have applied to or been officially accepted into an accredited course of study at a United States institution
- Demonstrate a critical need for financial assistance
- Exhibit a strong desire and the ability to complete an academic program
- Have a definite plan to use the desired training to upgrade skills for career advancement, to train for a new career field, or to enter or reenter the job market
Amount:
The women who win this scholarship receive an amount from $500-$2,000 per semester or quarter from the financial aid office. For master’s degrees, it is an average of $1,000 per semester or quarter too.
You must know that the number of credit hours students are enrolled in can influence the scholarship amount awarded.
Deadline:
They accept first-time applications twice a year, from January 1st to March 1st and September 1st to November 1st.
The Courage To Grow Scholarship awards men and women non-traditional graduate students who indicate the need for financial help and demonstrate educational achievement. If you want to be eligible for this scholarship, you must be a non-traditional student member of ANTSHE.
- Complete ANTSHE Scholarship Application; for that, you will need to create an account
- Must be considered a non-traditional student
- You must be a junior or senior in high school or college student with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or better
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Demonstrate your contribution to your college and community
- Write a 250-word essay on why you deserve the scholarship
Amount:
This scholarship offers you the minimum amount of $500 so you can continue your education at any university.
Deadline:
This application was accepted until January 31, 2023.
If you missed the date, don’t worry! You can try again next year.
Funded by The Poway Peñasquitos Branch of the American Association of Women, this scholarship is designed to help nontraditional students who have experienced life challenges to continue a traditional four-year educational path.
Requirements for Re-entry Woman Scholarship Application
- You must be a woman high school graduate or GED equivalent without a bachelor's degree
- Enrolled or accepted in a degree program at a community college, 4-year college, or university
- You must be currently taking courses toward the stated goal
- Be a non-traditional student older than 23 years of age who experienced challenges in life
- Engaged in leadership activity
- Completion of at least 20 undergraduate credit hours, excluding physical education and remedial classes
- You must live or attend school in North San Diego County, including the northern city of San Diego
Amount:
This scholarship offers not only one but three winners for the scholarship amount of $2,000.
Deadline:
The applications must be sent by April 15th. It is available each year if you missed the date.
It's Never Too Late To Pursue The Education You Want!
Stop thinking your age is an inconvenience to go back to school and accomplish the career you want. whether you become a full-time student or part-time student, you might have complete eligibility, so fill out an application and start. It does not cost you anything to try, and it can only benefit you and your pocket.
This list proves you have a wide variety of options; from private scholarships for low-income women to a lot of different award amounts, and they all can benefit you!
We encourage everyone not to give up on the education they want to get their degree and push their lives forward. We know how expensive and frightening it can be to attend some colleges after your 25s and go through the application process. However, the benefits of a college education will always be higher than the disadvantages.
We hope you can fulfill some of the eligibility requirements in the non-traditional scholarship options we presented.
And remember that if you want to finish your degree faster, you can count on Gradehacker to help with essays and even full classes!
If you’re a non-traditional student and want to learn more information about your options, we have some interesting articles for you to read:
6 Best Websites to Find Free College Textbooks in 2023
Best iPads For College Students
How to Succeed as a Non-Traditional Student? | Aim For Your Goal
Best Scholarships for Non-Traditional Students | Find Yours!
The 10 Best Colleges for Non-Traditional Students
Can Non-Traditional Students Get Financial Aid?
How Much Does it Cost to Get My Degree Faster? | Self-Invest
