DuPont Scholarships
A DuPont scholarship is available in different forms through programs at individual universities and colleges. The international company offers very little in the way of DuPont scholarships itself but through partnerships and family members of the original founder programs are available. Because of the selective nature of these programs a DuPont scholarship tends to be highly competitive and getting access to an award will not always be easy. This is a classic unknown scholarship because scholarship details are hard to come by. That being said, students with the interest, academic achievement and ability to keep an eye on upcoming programs may find themselves handily covered with a decent amount of financial aid.
Unknown scholarships from DuPont linked more directly with the company itself tend to lean towards chemical or engineering degrees while those DuPont scholarships offered through foundations built around family of the company’s founder tend to get more general in their degree requirements. Students who are interested in a DuPont company scholarship should understand that these programs are relatively rare and, should one exist, it will likely be through an individual academic institution. While other programs may pop up from time to time, the programs that currently exist are relatively limited in scope.
Students who are attending the William and Mary Law School will find that they have access to a DuPont scholarship. This program is funded through the DuPont Scholarship fund and awards a varying amount to students who are attending the school only. As the program is offered through the school itself, students will need to fill out a scholarship application form available at the office of financial aid and submit it. Those students who meet the eligibility requirements for the program will be enrolled automatically for consideration in the selection process. The William and Mary Law School is very vague about eligibility for scholarships on their website, so interested applicants should consult with their financial aid office for more information.
John Tyler Community College in Virginia offers a DuPont scholarship through the Spruance Plant Endowed program. The money for this DuPont scholarship was received through funds raised by employees at the Spruance Plant and will be available for the next couple of years. In order to be eligible for this program, students will need to complete a scholarship application at the college, be a full time student, be enrolled in an engineering technology program and maintain at least a 2.7 grade point average. Beyond these requirements students must also be able to demonstrate financial need. All application material must be submitted along with the main scholarship form given to the office of financial aid at Tyler Community College.
The Society of Women Engineers offers a DuPont college scholarship, one of the only nationally available programs, to at least two recipients every year. Eligibility for this program requires that the applicant be a woman, be enrolled in an engineering or computer science degree program, have at least a 3.0 grade point average, not currently be receiving another renewable SWE scholarship and be a full time student. This DuPont scholarship awards $1,000 to students who are at least sophomores all the way up to the senior grade level. Beyond this students will only be able to apply the scholarship at schools located on the United States’ eastern seaboard or Midwestern region. Though all DuPont scholarships for 2011 have been disbursed, the 2012 application year will open to new applicants in December.
Little known DuPont scholarships are rare and, should a student manage to locate one they can apply for, it may be difficult to get. Despite the rarity of these programs applicant rates are going to be fairly high as engineering is a very commonly sought degree in the US. This should not deter interested applicants from applying and those students who have had a successful academic career should feel very comfortable submitting their applications. Because of the rarity of these programs students should not expect a DuPont scholarship and, after applying to those programs they are eligible for, move on to other sources of concrete financial aid.
