If you are a GED student looking to further your education, you may be wondering how to finance your dreams. Luckily, there are numerous scholarships available specifically for GED students. These scholarships not only provide financial aid, but they also recognize the determination and hard work it takes to obtain a GED. In this article, we have compiled a list of 22 scholarships for GED students that can help you achieve your academic goals. Take a look at the various opportunities and see which ones you are eligible for. With a little bit of effort, you could be on your way to a brighter future!
CIRI Foundation Achievement Annual Scholarship – Up to $8,000
Offered by the CIRI Foundation, the Achievement Annual Scholarship is a merit scholarship awarded to students with a passion for community service, civic activities, and contribution to the Alaska Native community. Each applicant must be a CIRI original enrollee or direct lineal descendant, have a high school diploma or GED, be a full-time student enrolled in a degree program at an accredited institution, and meet a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0. Students who apply for the CIRI Foundation General Scholarships and meet the minimum requirements of the Achievement Annual Scholarship will be considered automatically.
CIRI Foundation Excellence Annual Scholarship – Up to $10,000
Offered by the CIRI Foundation, the Excellence Annual Scholarship is a merit scholarship awarded to students with a passion for community service, civic activities, and contribution to the Alaska Native community. Each applicant must be a CIRI original enrollee or direct lineal descendant, have a high school diploma or GED, be a full-time student enrolled in a degree program at an accredited institution, and meet a minimum GPA requirement of 3.5. Students who apply for the CIRI Foundation General Scholarships and meet the minimum requirements of the Excellence Annual Scholarship will be considered automatically.
CIRI Foundation General Scholarships – Up to $6,000 (F/T Students), Up to $5,500 (P/T Students)
The CIRI Foundation is an organization dedicated to promoting education, self-development, and economic self-sufficiency among Alaska Natives who are original enrollees of the Cook Inlet region and their descendents. The CIRI Foundation General Scholarship is open to CIRI original enrollees and their direct lineal descendents. In order to qualify, applicants must have a high school diploma or GED and be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program.
CIRI Foundation Special Excellence Annual Scholarship – Up to $20,000
The CIRI Foundation is an organization dedicated to promoting education, self-development, and economic self-sufficiency among Alaska Natives who are original enrollees of the Cook Inlet region and their descendents. The Special Excellence Annual Scholarship is a merit scholarship awarded to students with a passion for community service, civic activities, and contribution to the Alaska Native community. Each applicant must be a CIRI original enrollee or direct lineal descendant, have a high school diploma or GED, be a full-time student enrolled in a degree program at an accredited institution, and meet a minimum GPA requirement of 3.7. Students who apply for the CIRI Foundation General Scholarships and meet the minimum requirements of the Special Excellence Annual Scholarship will be considered automatically.
Family Fellowship Scholarship Program – Up to $12,000 per year (for up to 5 years)
Offered by nonprofit Together We Rise, in partnership with the Fund II Foundation, the Family Fellowship Scholarship s intended to help propel foster care youth into higher education. Applicants need to be U.S. citizens between the ages of 17 and 23 and been in public or private foster care for the 12 months leading up to their 18th birthday, have been adopted or placed in legal guardianship after the 13th birthday, or been orphaned for at least one year by the age of 18. Additionally, applicants must be graduating high school seniors who graduated with a GPA of 2.5 or higher and been accepted to an accredited Pell-eligible institution.
APIA Scholarship – $2,500-$20,000
The APIA Scholarship supports AANHPI undergraduate students attending any U.S. accredited university or college. Awards range from $2,500 one-year awards to $20,000 multi-year awards. To be eligible, applicants must be able to describe their ethnicity, heritage, or ancestry in relation to the countries, territories, or lands in Asia or the Pacific Islands; be a citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the United States, or a citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau; be enrolling or continuing as a degree-seeking undergraduate student in a U.S. accredited college or university in Fall 2023, meet a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale (unweighted), or have earned a GED; and apply for federal financial aid using the FAFSA by early April 2023.
Delmar Foundation Scholarships – Up to $5,000
Delmar Foundation Scholarships are open to students who live within the Franklin Regional School District in western Pennsylvania and need financial assistance to attend an accredited college, university, junior college, technical college, or trade school. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, meet a minimum GPA requirement of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, and have been involved in a variety of extracurricular activities, volunteer activities, and/or work experiences.
Denver Alumnae Chapter Scholarships – $1,500-$6,000
Each year, the Denver Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority awards scholarships to incoming college freshmen. Applicants must be Black/African American women, be residents of the Denver metropolitan area, be graduating or have graduated from high school or recieved a GED within the past two years, have applied to an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or technical school, and meet a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement.
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.
Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship – $10,000
The American Traffic Safety and Services Foundation provides the annual Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship for those who’ve had a loved one die or become disabled due to an on-the-job accident. Applicants must be dependents of deceased or disabled roadway workers who were killed or injured in a work zone. Additionally, applicants must be high school graduates or have received their GEDs.
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.
AWS District Scholarship – $1,000-$2,500+
The American Welding Society (AWS) annually offers scholarships to students living or going to school in one of its 22 districts. Applicants must enroll in a welding-related educational or training program, be high school graduates or possess a GED equivalent, and reside in and attend school within the boundaries of an AWS District. Application opens on December 1, annually.
CIA Undergraduate Scholarship Program – Up to $18,000 (Up to $25,000 for STEM)
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) offers one of the most unique scholarships available. The CIA Undergraduate Scholarship is a merit and needs-based scholarship that offers students an award up to $18,000 per calendar year (STEM recipients receive $25,000) plus a full starting salary in return for working summer internships at the CIA during their tenure. Recipients of this scholarship are also required to accept continued employment with the CIA after graduation for a period equal to 1.5 times the length of the college sponsorship they received from the CIA.
Discover Student Loans Scholarship Award – $5,000
The credit card brand Discover offers a scholarship open to high school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate students. This scholarship is offered in the form of a sweepstakes on a monthly basis. Students need only fill out a short online survey in order to apply. Each applicant must be a U.S. resident, be at least 16 years of age, be a high school senior, college student, or a student who has earned a General Education Development (GED) or equivalent, and be enrolled at least half-time in a bachelor’s, associate’s degree, or graduate program at an eligible school within one year of confirmation. Employees and the immediate family of employees of Discover Products, Inc, Merkle, Inc., and their affiliate and parent companies may not apply.
Esperanza Education Fund Scholarship – $5,000-$20,000
The Esperanza Education Fund provides scholarships to graduating seniors or recent GED grads from Washington D.C., Maryland, or Virginia who are either immigrants or have immigrant parents. Applicants must also be planning to enroll full-time at an accredited public college or university and have a family income of less than $100,000. Application opens in January.
Mike Rowe Scholarship – Varies
Mike Rowe, who served as an apprentice on the TV series “Dirty Jobs,” created the Work Ethic Scholarship Program to promote skilled labor. Awarded through his mikeroweWORKS Foundation, the scholarships are intended to encourage students to learn a useful skill. In 2022, the foundation awarded a total of $1.5 million in work ethic scholarships to 250 recipients. To qualify, applicants must be enrolled or plan to enroll in an approved trade program at an accredited two-year college, vocational or technical school, sign the S.W.E.A.T. (“Skills and Work Ethic Aren’t Taboo) Pledge, answer four questions about the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge, make a video, submit two references from a teacher or a supervisor, verify their school costs, provide a transcript, and submit the most recent Form 1040 tax form.
NMFA Military Spouse Scholarships – Up to $2,500
Offered by the National Military Family Association (NMFA), the NFMA Military Spouse Scholarships are one-time/year awards averaging between $500 – $2500 meant for spouses of all 8 Uniformed Services – Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), and NOAA. The awards can be used to pay for everything from GEDs to PhDs, professional licenses and certifications, including re-licensure, business and entrepreneurial expenses, supervised clinical hours, continuing education courses, and more. Applicants must (i) be the spouse of a post 9/11 service member who is an active-duty service member, Retiree (including medically retired), 100% Disabled, Guardsman, Reservist, Fallen service member, or a 20/20/20 spouse, and (ii) also have, or are eligible to hold, a valid military/Uniformed Services ID.
Palumbo Family Foundation Scholarship – Up to $11,000
The Palumbo Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Chicagoland, annually awards scholarships to local students. Scholarships are open to high school seniors, students with GED diplomas, undergraduate college students, and students at vocational or trade schools. Applicants must meet a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement, come from a family with an adjusted gross family income of $63,000 or less, be U.S. citizens, and have lived in Illinois’ Cook, Dupage, Kane, Lake, or Will counties for at least six months.
Purple Heart Scholarship Fund – $1,000-$5,000
Each year, the Purple Heart Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to college-bound soldiers who’ve been awarded the Purple Heart. Applicants must be high school graduates or have successfully completed a GED program, be accepted to or enrolled as full-time undergraduate students at an accredited college, university, or trade school at the time the scholarship is awarded, maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, have been awarded the Purple Heart, and be members of the armed forces in good standing or who have separated from service honorably.
Scarlett Family Foundation Scholarship – $2,500-$15,000
The Scarlett Family Foundation, an organization that promotes education in Middle Tennessee, offers scholarships open to graduating high school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors from Middle Tennessee. Applicants must be graduating or have graduated from a high school any of the 40 counties in Middle Tennessee and be studying toward a business or STEM degree at a four-year college or university.
SFM Foundation Scholarship – Up to $10,000 (renewable for 2 years for 2-year program and up to 5 years for undergrad)
The SFM Foundation Scholarship is annually awarded to Minnesota or Iowa residents whose parent has either been injured or died due to a work-related accident. Applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 25 at the time of application, be U.S. citizens or a lawful permanent residents, demonstrate financial need, and be college-bound high school seniors or currently be pursuing a bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, certificate, or license from an accredited school.
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.