Unknown college scholarships for adopted children are available but not in abundance like other larger well known scholarship programs. Scholarships are open and available for people of many backgrounds and students from any demographic should always consider where they stand in the world to specifically look for programs which they may be eligible for. This is true in many cases – scholarships exist for women, minority ethnics, refugees – the list goes on. These unknown college scholarships for adopted kids are one of these many categories, and can often be useful for students who have been in the foster system or were orphaned in their youth that need to find additional funding for their college education.
These adoption scholarships often run a range of criteria, so students should be vigilant in reviewing the eligibility requirements of various programs, but in all likelihood there is a program available for students from many different adopted or foster backgrounds. Students coming from foster or adopted homes should not be ashamed of their past but embrace the fact that they have achieved a good deal in their lives as is indicated by being able to now apply for college. Programs which offer college scholarships for adopted children are a great way to find funding for those students who have risen above their past troubles and have become strong members of their community. While they are competitive in nature, any student who has had the tenacity to lead in their school or achieve strong academic marks should consider applying to multiple programs to better maximize their funding opportunities.
One of the more commonly applied for little known scholarships for adopted children comes from the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA). While award amount vary year by year due to donations available from NFPA members and those outside of the organization, this program does what it can to provide financial assistance to those students who have been adopted or who have spent their lives in foster care. Students interested in this adoption scholarship for children should be in their last year of high school and be preparing to attend an accredited college. They will need to have a copy of their transcripts and be able to show a financial need. Apart from filling out the application, all interested students will have to write a personal statement about why they want to continue their education in college and get two letters of recommendation from people they have worked with or who know them personally. Deadline for this scholarship is March 31, 2011 and all material must be submitted by that date. Of course the NFPA is not the sole source of obscure scholarships for adopted children, and many students will want to continue searching for available programs.
The Orphan Foundation of America offers several unknown college scholarships for adopted kids which will be useful for potential applicants to review. Amongst them is the Casey Family Scholars Program which is available to adopted children who have spent at least 12 consecutive months in a foster program during the course of their lives. It offers up to $10,000 to students who are selected to receive an award which can go a long way towards funding one’s education. Students interested in this program will need to assess their financial status as they must be eligible for Pell Grants from the United States Government and must be under the age of 25. While US citizenship is not required to apply for the program, applicants must have been placed into foster care while living in the country. The deadline for this program is March 31, 2011.
The Orphan Foundation of America directly offers their own little known about scholarship for adopted children called the OFA Scholarship, and it follows many of the same guidelines of the Casey Family Scholars Program. Students who would like to consider this program will need to have been in foster care for at least 12 months in a row, are able to get a Pell Grant and be under the age of 25. Applications for this adoption scholarship program are also due no later than March 31, 2011.
