I'm not inquiring about tuition assistance or the GI Bills. I'm looking for scholarships that are specifically meant for military veterans, and ideally scholarships that go unused.
I'm active duty Navy and pursuing an MBA at the University of North Carolina's weekend program. I'm using the Post 9/11 GI Bill, but I have some out of pocket costs that a scholarship could greatly help my financial situation.
I'm hoping someone's network will allow me to better search for one of these hard to come by scholarship opportunities.
Thank you in advance, I look forward to your responses.
Answers
Hi Berek:
Check out your local chapter of AFCEA - Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association - http://www.afcea.org.
AFCEA’s 135 chapters provide scholarships, grants and tuition assistance for aspiring STEM teachers, engineers, technicians, programmers, military personnel and government officials. Financial assistance is made available for students living or attending school within each chapter's local community.
Good luck!
Hi Berek,
FastWeb is one site that you could look at (http://www.fastweb.com/). When you register to search scholarships, there is a section where you can list your military status, as some scholarships are geared specifically towards active duty service members and veterans.
Also, if you haven't already, check with a counselor or advisor at UNC - they might have some additional suggestions on scholarships that are veteran-specific. Additionally, MANY universities offer tuition discounts or military-specific scholarships to their military students (http://www.northcarolina.edu/?q=content/resources-military).
Finally, one resource that I discovered while pursuing my own education is your local Chamber of Commerce as well as your local Small Business Association chapter. Both will often sponsor their own scholarship programs for adults. The one in my neck of the woods ended up being discontinued because nobody ever applied (nobody knew it existed!), so you never know what gems you might unearth by doing some investigating.
Hopefully this provides a bit of a start! I'll continue to pass along resources if I find others.
- Stephanie
My suggestion that a better bet for you is trying to reach out to a philanthropic group who would be willing to give you a scholarship. At worst, if they can't give you one directly, they could guide you to the specific place where you could find an attainable scholarship. Also, I strongly recommend that you focus on other things besides pure management. I have noticed that there are many veterans on this site, who are focusing on MBAs and management careers, but there may be too many people in these areas already. You need to combine the MBA with an industry-specific expertise, such as: IT, health, engineering, education or any other area that might exist: example: marine, aerospace, mechanical systems, hydraulics, plumbing systems, building systems and building maintenance, and then you apply your MBA to those. Best, June
Berek,
I would apply to the Rotary Clubs and Kiwanis Clubs in your area.
Meet in person with the president of the club or Community Relations.
Have a brief resume prepared that shows your experience in the military, job experience, education, and some testimonials from teachers and people you have worked for.
Best wishes,
Naomi
Thank you everyone for all your help. I'm going to take a good look at these current recommendations. I hope something bears some fruit.
If anyone else has any questions or comments that could help me find additional scholarship opportunities, I'd love to hear it.
>Berek
It's too late for this year, but put this on your next year's schedule:
https://sites.google.com/site/attveteransscholarship/Home
I used to help with this program-a great group of Veterans at AT&T administer it.
Hello Berek,
I completed grad school a year ago and the scholarship well is pretty shallow for veterans. I assume this is due to how much the post 9/11 offsets in costs.
I subsidized my education by being an active reservist. The drill pay each month made up most of the difference. Many National Guard states have tuition reimbursement, though enlisted have priority, as thy should.
When you begin to job hunt, finding a company which pays a bonus helps to finish off any student loans you may have taken out. Usually these are associated with development programs.
Morgan
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