There are a number of school grants and scholarships available in the historic state of Virginia. The Virginia Commonwealth Award helps undergraduate students with financial need to pay some of their college costs. The award also is available to graduate students. The funds are used for grants to Virginia resident undergraduates or for grants or assistant-ships to graduate students (including in-state and out-of-state).
Students with the greatest need will receive a greater award than those students with a lesser need. To apply, go to the financial aid office of the college you plan to attend in Virginia. Eligibility requirements state that you must be a resident of Virginia; attend college at least half-time working toward a degree or certificate; have financial need; and be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.
The Lee-Jackson Foundation gives out scholarships as follows: One $10,000, eight $2,000 and eighteen $1,000 scholarships are ready to be given to Virginia high school juniors and seniors submitting excellent essays on the life of either General Robert E. Lee or General Stonewall Jackson or both. The industrialist, Jay W. Johns of Virginia, founded the Lee-Jackson Foundation of Charlottesville in 1953. Johns felt that both General Robert E. Lee and General Stonewall Jackson had exemplary traits that should be followed by Americans in the future. Both of these famous men in history, Lee and Jackson, were involved in education. So the purpose of this scholarship is to expand educational benefits for students in Virginia. The essay competition is held annually, and the essays are judged based on clarity of writing, historical accuracy, and how well the research was conducted.
If you have financial need and you have demonstrated academic merit, then you may be eligible for the Granville P. Meade Scholarship in Virginia. You need to be a high school student planning to enroll at a public or private college or university in Virginia. The scholarship amount is $2,000 per year, renewable for four years. The student must maintain satisfactory academic progress.
The procedure to apply is to turn in a scholarship application to your high school principal by March 5th of the year prior to when you plan to attend college. An application form can be found at a link at the following website . The superintendent of the division overseeing public schools will receive the applications that are forwarded by each public school principal in Virginia. Then, each division superintendent will go over all the applications and select the five best applications and submit them to the chairperson of the region by April 2nd. Then, each regional chairperson will hand over the five most outstanding student scholarship applications to the Virginia Dept. of Education by April 16th. Private school and home-school associations have until April 20th to submit their five most outstanding applications. In summary, apply on time to receive the generous school grants in Virginia and college scholarships that are available
Grants in Virginia for 2012
A post-secondary education is expensive, especially in these tough economic times. If you live in the state of Virginia then finding a means to go to college or university may be something that is weighing heavily on your mind. Loans must be paid back which can lead to a high debt load as soon as you graduate from school. A better option for Virginia residents is to apply for grants. Here we look at one grant program in VA that is available to students in this state this year:
Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program (VTAG): The VTAG is not a financial need based grant nor is it a grant based on merit. This grant is suitable for students who wish to attend private colleges and universities in the state. The applicant does not need to prove financial need nor does the student need to have a specific Grade Point Average (GPA). All students who submit their applications for this grant early will receive some money from the funds that are available. Those who apply late are put on a waiting list and may not receive any money at all.
The amount of money awarded is based upon the number of eligible applicants and the amount of money that is available on a yearly basis by the VA General Assembly. Undergraduates receive higher amounts than do those taking graduate studies. An average undergraduate grant could be as high as $11,000 over a four year field of study. If the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements then the grant will be automatically renewed for each school year.
Eligible students must be American citizens and permanent residents of the state of Virginia. They must be enrolled in an accredited private not-for-profit Virginia college or university. Applicants must be full-time students who are enrolled in any course of study except religious or theological studies. Graduate students must be enrolled in health related courses of study. Applications must be submitted no later than July 31, 2012.
Grants for Biology Students
If you are an undergraduate student studying biology, and in particular birds then there are two grants that may be of interest to you. The first is called the George A. Hall/Harold F. Mayfield Grant Award. This comes from the Virginia Commonwealth University but is for applicants enrolled at any university or institution in the state. It is a one-time award for scientific research done on birds. Applicants must be full-time students.
The second biology grant is also awarded by the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Biology. It is called the Paul A. Stewart Grant Award. Applicants must be attending a university or institution in Virginia. This grant is open to full-time as well as part-time students. It is a one-time award for scientific studies related to the movement of birds. The studies must be based upon banding, the analysis of recoveries and the return of banded birds. The money from this grant can also be put towards research that has as its focus economic ornithology.
Minority Undergraduate Student Grant Awards
If you are a member of a minority group and are studying science and need money to travel to science meetings as well as the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting then this undergraduate student grant could be very helpful. Those who apply for this grant must be enrolled at a two year or four year college or university.