Georgia is home to almost 60 four-year public and private not-for-profit colleges and universities. This makes Georgia one of the states with the most institutes of higher learning in the United States. Georgia is also home to some of the nation’s top-quality colleges, such as Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).
But another great thing the state has going for it is the large number of scholarships in Georgia available for students to apply for and win. Georgia scholarships can help make going to college a reality for many students who may not have the financial means to cover all or part of the cost of attending college. BrokeScholar compiled a list of some of the best scholarships in Georgia that students can apply for and, ideally, win so that they can attend the college of their dreams.
Read on for a breakdown of the top scholarships in Georgia that you can apply for.
ARRL Charles Clarke Cordle Memorial Scholarship
The Charles Clarke Cordle Memorial Scholarship, provided by the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program, is an award for amateur radio operators. To be eligible, applicants must possess an active Amateur Radio License Class, be a resident of Georgia or Alabama, and have a GPA of 2.5 or higher, with students preferably studying electronics, communications, or related fields. Eligible students for this Georgia scholarship must also be enrolled at an accredited college or university in Georgia or Alabama. The scholarship award amount is $1,000 and one award per year is given out.
AWS Airgas Jerry Baker Scholarship
The American Welding Society (AWS) offers the Airgas Jerry Baker Scholarship. Airgas is a preeminent US supplier of industrial, medical, and specialty gasses, and one of the largest suppliers of safety products. The Airgas Jerry Baker Scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student studying at a four-year college or university for a bachelor’s degree in welding engineering (WE) or welding engineering technology (WET). Take note, however, that priority is generally given to welding engineering (WE) students interested in pursuing a career with an industrial gas or welding equipment distributor.
To be eligible, applicants must be 18 years or older, have a high school diploma and must be a full-time student. Applicants must also have at least a 2.8 overall GPA and a 3.0 GPA in engineering courses, as well as be a citizen of the U.S. or Canada who is or will be attending an academic institution located in the U.S. or Canada. What makes this a Georgia scholarship is the fact that this scholarship gives priority to applicants residing or attending school in the states of Georgia, Alabama, or Florida.
AWS Airgas Terry Jarvis Memorial Scholarship
Airgas offers another one of many scholarships in Georgia with its Terry Jarvis Memorial Scholarship. The purpose of this scholarship is to give financial assistance to applicants interested in pursuing a career in welding engineering. Like the Jerry Baker Scholarship, the Terry Jarvis Memorial Scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student pursuing a minimum four-year bachelor’s degree in welding engineering (WE) or welding engineering technology (WET). Again, priority for this award is given to welding engineering (WE) students who want to pursue a career with an industrial gas or welding equipment distributor.
Eligible applicants must be 18 years or older with a high school diploma or equivalent. Applicants must also be full-time students with at least a 2.8 overall GPA and a 3.0 GPA in engineering courses. Citizenship in the U.S. or Canada with plans to attend an academic institution located in the U.S. or Canada is necessary. Priority for this scholarship is given to those who demonstrate financial need and to those who possess interest in pursuing a career with an industrial gas or welding equipment distributor by prior work experience, clubs, organizations or extra-curricular activities. Like the Jerry Baker Scholarship, priority for this scholarship is given to applicants residing or attending school in Georgia, Alabama, or Florida. Scholarships are renewable for up to four years, with the annual award being $2,500, which goes directly to the academic institution to pay for tuition and books only.
CBC Spouses Education Scholarship
This scholarship is offered by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) to talented and deserving students. This scholarship is designed for full-time African American or Black students. To be eligible for this Georgia scholarship, applicants must be a US citizen or legal permanent resident; have permanent residence or attend an academic institution in a CBC Members district who is planning on pursuing, or is currently pursuing, an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral degree full-time at an accredited college or university. Current high school seniors are also eligible to apply. Qualified applicants must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher as well as exhibit leadership and be active in their community. The amount of the scholarship award varies, but the application involves a two-part online application, personal statement via video, two letters of recommendations, transcripts, and resume.
CBC Spouses Performing Arts Scholarship
The CBC Spouses Performing Arts Scholarship is designated for full-time African American or Black students pursuing a degree in performing arts including, but not exclusive to, drama, music, dance, opera, marching bands, and other musical ensembles. To be eligible, applicants must be a US citizen or legal permanent resident who is planning to pursue, or is presently pursuing, an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral degree full-time at an accredited college or university. That said, current high school seniors are eligible to apply as well. Applicants must be pursuing a career in the performing arts with a qualified major in line with this. Applicants must also have a GPA of 2.5 or higher while at the same time exhibiting leadership and being active in their community. The amount of the scholarship award varies, but the application involves a two-part online application, personal statement via video, two letters of recommendations, transcripts, and resume.
CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship
This is another Georgia scholarship offered by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. The CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship is for full time African American or Black students who are pursuing a degree in visual arts. These degrees can include, but are not limited to, architecture, ceramics, drawing, fashion, graphic design, illustration, interior design, painting, photography, sketching, video production and other decorative arts. To be eligible, applicants must be US citizens or legal permanent residents who are planning to pursue, or presently pursuing, an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral degree full-time at an accredited college or university. As with the CBC Spouses Performing Arts Scholarship, current high school seniors are also eligible to apply. To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must be pursuing a career in the visual arts with an eligible major, as well as maintain an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher, along with displaying leadership and activity in their community. The amount of the scholarship award varies, but the application involves a two-part online application, personal statement via video, samples of your creative work, two letters of recommendations, transcripts, and resume.
Dixie Youth Baseball Scholarship
This is one of the more interesting scholarships in Georgia on our list. The Dixie Youth Baseball organization is a franchised baseball league and, in order to be eligible, applicants for this scholarship must have played in the league before they reached the age of 13. In order to be eligible, the applicant must be a senior in high school and have at one time played in a Dixie Youth Baseball league. There is no relationship between the award of a scholarship and athletic ability. Be aware the NCAA rules may prohibit acceptance of this scholarship if a student will be participating in a collegiate athletic program.
Georgia Mining Foundation Scholarship Program
Another one of the scholarships in Georgia provided by a professional organization, the Georgia Mining Foundation Scholarship Program is designed to aid deserving students in Georgia — who plan on attending a Georgia college or university — with college tuition. The Georgia Mining Foundation was established with a $40,000 scholarship fund that is distributed on an individual basis of $500 scholarship awards each. On top of those individual $500 scholarships, the Foundation also awards three $1,000 scholarships to be paid out over two years. To qualify for this Georgia scholarship, applicants must have an ACT score of 18 or an SAT score of 960, as well as a minimum 3.4 GPA. Applicants also need to complete four years of college preparatory English, three years of history plus social sciences, and five courses in math and science at the high school level.
Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant
The mission of the Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant is to promote Georgia residents to attend eligible private colleges in Georgia by providing grant assistance. To be eligible for this grant students must be a US citizen or permanent resident and be a legal resident of Georgia. They also must be enrolled as a full-time student at an eligible private college or university in Georgia, studying in a program leading to a college degree. Applicants must maintain satisfactory academic progress, as defined by their respective college, as well as be in compliance with Selective Service registration requirements. Other notable requirements for this Georgia scholarship include not being in default or owing a refund on a student financial aid program; being in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Post-secondary Education Act of 1990; and not having received TEG payment for more than 127 semester/190 quarter hours.
Greenhouse Scholars Program
The Greenhouse Scholars program provides a four-year renewable, need-based college scholarship of up to $5,000 per year. In order to be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must have an unweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher, demonstrate financial need (specifically, having an annual household income of less than $70,000), be a US citizen or permanent resident, and a high school senior in Georgia, as well as Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, or New York planning to attend a four-year accredited institution. There are four rounds in this scholarship process, beginning with an eligibility survey and short response, academic information and essay responses, video responses, and then finalists in the fourth round will submit transcripts, test scores, college acceptance status, other scholarship awards statuses, and to schedule an interview.
Korean American Scholarship Foundation-Southern Regional Chapter
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) is a national organization that has regional chapters, such as its Southern Regional Chapter. In order to be eligible for the Korean American Scholarship Foundation-Southern Regional Chapter, applicants must be of Korean ancestry, or a foreign student from Korea; they must demonstrate financial need, have a 3.0 GPA, and be a full-time student at a school in one of the designated Southern region states, including Georgia, as well as Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee during the upcoming school year. Scholarship awards range from $500 to $5,000.
Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship Program
The Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation's scholarship program awards annual grants for the education of female students with financial assistance at more than 200 accredited educational institutions in Georgia, as well as Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The majority of scholarship grants support undergraduate higher education, though with a particular interest in health education. A substantial number of the Foundation’s grants aim at education in the medical, nursing, and allied health fields.
NACME Scholars Block Grant Program
The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) Scholars Program provides block grants to colleges and universities that, in turn, award the money to talented African American, American Indian, and Latino students enrolled in engineering or computer science programs as part of their financial aid packages. The NACME’s Scholars Block Grant Program provides minority college scholarship support in the form of a lump sum grant to partner institutions.
NIADA Foundation Regional Scholarships
The National Association of Independent Automobile Dealers (NIADA) offers several scholarship opportunities for outstanding high school seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in the automotive industry. Currently, NIADA provides five different scholarships. Each year, four regional scholarships are awarded, with Region II containing Georgia, as well as Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. To be eligible, applicants must be high school seniors during the school year they apply for the scholarship and legally reside in one of the four regions listed on the information/application form on NIADA’s website. In addition, applicants must have maintained an exceptional academic achievement record as demonstrated in an official high school transcript and show an aptitude for college work. Critically, applicants must have a desire to work in the automotive industry.
Regions Riding Forward Scholarship
This Georgia scholarship is provided by Regions Bank and is aimed at celebrating African Americans who inspired others to positively impact the world around them. The scholarship award amount ranges from $3,500 to $5,000. Regions award scholarships to high school seniors who live in states with Regions branches, namely, Georgia as well as Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. To be eligible, applicants can be either high school seniors or college students. If you’re a high school senior, you must have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher and plan to attend an accredited college in the US during the coming academic school year. If you’re a college student, you must be a freshman, sophomore, or junior who permanently resides in, or currently attends an accredited college in, states with Regions branches. The same GPA requirements apply to college student applicants.
Southern Automotive Women’s Forum Scholarship
The Southern Automotive Women’s Forum (SAWF) Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to women enrolled or planning to enroll in a STEM-related field, like science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, at an accredited two-year technical program, four-year undergraduate program, or a graduate program that can be utilized for pursuing a career in the automotive industry. The scholarship amounts depend on the number of applicants and range from $1,000 to $5,000 for each winner.
Eligible applicants must be female high school seniors or graduates enrolling or enrolled in a STEM field at an accredited two-year technical program, four-year undergraduate program, or graduate program. The minimum GPA requirements include a 2.5 overall GPA and a 3.0 GPA in their major, both of which must be maintained. Applicants must be enrolled or enrolling in a college or university in Georgia or other southern states, such as Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas or West Virginia.
Tall Clubs International Student Scholarships
This scholarship isn’t strictly a Georgia scholarship, though Georgia residents are certainly eligible for it. Tall Clubs International annually awards student scholarships of up to $1,000 each to tall students (minimum height requirement of 5’10” for women and 6’2” for men) who are under 21 years of age and entering their first year of college as a full-time student. Another requirement is that applicants must find a local Tall Clubs member to sponsor them. Tall Clubs International provides the opportunity for applicants to apply for two separate scholarships:
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Merit-based: This type of scholarship is based on activities you’ve performed; two letters of recommendation; official transcript grades; an essay entitled “What Being Tall Means to Me”; and a resume and SAT scores.
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Legacy-based: This type of scholarship is based on the applicant having a direct relative of a Tall Clubs International member in good standing; activities you’ve performed; two letters of recommendation; official transcript grades; an essay entitled “What Being Tall Means to Me”; and a resume and SAT scores.
Watson-Brown Foundation Scholarships
The Watson-Brown Foundation provides scholarships in Georgia as well as in South Carolina. This scholarship program provides need- and merit-based scholarships students attending accredited four-year colleges and universities or are current high school seniors in the United States. Eligible applicants must plan to attend a four-year regionally accredited, nonprofit college. The Foundation awards individual annual scholarships that are renewable for the student's first four years of undergraduate study. The scholarship award amount is $3,000, sent to the recipient’s college or university twice per year, once for the fall semester and once for the spring semester. To keep this scholarship, you’ll need to maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. Eligible students must live in one of 23 counties across Georgia and South Carolina, with the 14 counties in Georgia being:
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Burke County
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Columbia County
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Elbert County
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Glascock County
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Hart County
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Jefferson County
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Jenkins County
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Lincoln County
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McDuffie County
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Richmond County
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Screven County
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Taliaferro County
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Warren County
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Wilkes County
Woodrow Wilson Georgia Teaching Fellowship
The Woodrow Wilson Georgia Teaching Fellowship aims to attract talented, top-quality individuals with backgrounds in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—in order to teach at Georgia’s most under-served public schools. Eligible applicants include US citizens or permanent residents who are college seniors, recent college graduates, mid-career professionals, and retirees who have a degree or an extensive academic background in STEM. If awarded by the fellowship program, fellows receive $30,000 to complete a specially designed master’s degree based on a yearlong classroom experience. Awarded fellows, in turn, commit to teaching for three years at urban and rural Georgia schools most in need of high-quality STEM teachers. Participating colleges in this Georgia scholarship include Columbus State University, Georgia State University, Kennesaw State University, Mercer University, and Piedmont College.
The Bottom Line on Scholarships in Georgia
These Georgia scholarships are just several of thousands of other, national scholarships that students can apply for. Almost every state in the US has their own catalog of scholarships that are eligible for residents living in the state or students attending a college within the state. What's more, you don't have to search for scholarships solely on a state-by-state basis. An additional savvy way to find scholarships is to search BrokeScholar's collection of scholarships by study area, which includes everything from engineering scholarships to environmental studies scholarships to photography scholarships.