Today kicks off our 50 states, 50 scholarship blog segment. In our efforts to serve students all over the country, we want to highlight scholarships from every state in the union.

We won’t get to every school, but we will be able to hit regions that are often neglected. How many scholarships do you hear about coming from Alaska? Well there are some and we think plenty of students will be interested. You never know where the perfect opportunity may pop up!

Speaking of Alaska…

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Scholarship and Internship Opportunities

File this one away for next year as the deadline for this year has passed, but it’s a great opportunity!

• Five scholarships of five-thousand (5,000) dollars are awarded  per academic year in healthcare-related fields to full-time undergraduate students 
• Five scholarships of five-thousand (5,000) dollars per academic year in healthcare-related fields to full-time graduate students
• Students must be Alaska Native or American Indian permanent Alaska residents.

CPAI 2008 Scholarship Program
Another future scholarship! The ConocoPhillips Alaska scholarship program is open to Alaska high school seniors planning to attend an institution of higher learning, academic or trade school.

• Seven $5,000 in-state scholarships and thirteen $3,000 general scholarships will be awarded to Alaskan high school seniors.
• A panel of judges will select the winners based on each student’s future potential to contribute their knowledge and talents in Alaska. In addition, each student’s service to their community, service to their school, school achievements, and financial need will be taken into consideration.

If you’re not out of school yet, take heart, you’re almost there and with the extra free time, why not pad your college dollars with a few more scholarships? These puppies all have a June 15th due date so make copies of your scholarship resume, double check your application and get a move on it!

Garden Crusader Awards from Gardener’s Supply Company

-Given to those who are improving the world through gardening!

Dorothy Payne Scholarship -American Association of University Women

-$5,000 grant for high school seniors who attend a public school in Buffalo, Niagara Falls or Lackawanna, New York school districts.

Polonia Foundation of Ohio, Inc. Scholarship

-Ohio State University students of Polish ancestry will receive grants between $750 - $1,500.

The Thomas P. Quinn Scholarship Fund

-Residents of New London County who will attend a four year college can win awards between $2,000 and $4,000.

-Students also need four letters of recommendation.

-Students must also submit SAT scores.

I hope the bunny has made a trip to your house this morning. Whether you celebrate the holiday or not you’ve got an excuse to eat chocolate, so munch up!

Here are some holiday inspired scholarships just for you!

Easter Seal Society of Iowa Disability Scholarship

Criteria:

• Must have a permanent disability
• A resident of Iowa
• At least a 2.8 GPA and
• Financial Need

The minimum award for this scholarship is $750 and the max is $1,000.

Easter Island Foundation

The Wiegand Educations Scholarship Award

Two $2,000 awards for one male & one female student that is renewable.

Criteria:

• Under 30 residents of Rapa Nui heritage
• Decided based on academic performance, short essay
• Annual progress report from recipient

St. Lukes United Methodist Church Easter Egg Project College & Professional Scholarship

Info:

• Must be an active member of St. Luke’s
• Must either be a recent high school graduate or attending college
• Scholarship is renewable for 5 years max.

The Western States Dentistry Scholarship Program is designed for students who are interested in career opportunities within the field of dentistry. This is an annual scholarship.

To be eligible for the award, you must:

Interested applicants should submit an essay that responds to the following question:

“You have been selected to write an article for a children’s book about dental health. In 250 words or less, what would you tell them about maintaining their teeth and gums?”

This is a $500 award. Submissions must be received by May 31, 2008. Click here for more information about this award.

Direct questions and submissions to the address below:

Marjan Shagasi, Inc.
4530 Dublin Blvd.
Dublin, CA 94568
USA

Yes, there are even more than we listed last week! Illinois is chock-full of scholarship opportunities….you just have to know where to look. Many of these opportunities require that you take the time to to either call and request more information or write and request an application. Not all of the information is available online.

The Lord Educational Fund: Open to residents of Taylorville and Assumption, Illinois. This award is available to 50 students and is administered through First Trust and Savings Bank. The deadline to apply is April 1; between $500 and $4,000 is awarded annually to the recipients based upon fund availability.

For more information, write to:

Lord Educational Fund
First Trust and Savings Bank, Trust Officer
P.O. Box 309
Taylorville, Illinois 62568-0309

Phone: 217-824-4955
Fax: 217-287-1835

Sangamon County Scholarships: Live in Sangamon County? You’re in luck! There are over 50 scholarship opportunities available to you. These awards require the completion of a formal application.

For more information, write to:

Sangamon County Foundation
Trust Officer
1 East Old Capitol Plaza
Springfield, Illinois 62701

The Herber T. McLean Memorial Fund: The deadline for this award is August 1, and the award varies from $500 to $1,000. This scholarship is open to all students in Illinois interested in pursuing a college degree.

Herbert T. McLean Memorial Fund
Scholarship Coordinator
302 E. Jefferson St.
Bloomington, Illinois 61701-6533

Attend a university or college in Missouri? Is your school a UNCF member? This might be a scholarship opportunity that you are interested in learning more about.

The Abbington, Vallanteen Scholarship is a $5,000 award. The best part about this scholarship is that it is renewable, so over the course of your college career it will have provided you with up to $20,000 in financial assistance!

To be eligible for this award, students must:

Note that to make sure you are eligible to renew this scholarship, be sure that you meet the GPA requirement, which increases after each year. After your sophomore year, the GPA requirement is 3.3. After your junior year, the GPA requirement is 3.5.

For more information about this award, visit the UNCF website.

The Northeast States Dentistry Scholarship Program is designed for students who are interested in career opportunities within the field of dentistry.

To be eligible for this annual award, students must:

Interested applicants should submit an essay that responds to the following question in 250 words or less:

Cosmetic dentistry is becoming more widely accepted and popular. As a future dentist, would you recommend cosmetic dentistry over a more traditional regimen of yearly exams and fluoride treatments as a way to maintain dental health? Why or why not?

This is a $500 award. Submissions must be received by April 30, 2008. Click here for more information about this award.

According to the website, “a qualified panel of judges will select a potential winner based on the overall application, including writing ability (25 percent), creativity (25 percent), originality (25 percent), and overall excellence (25 percent).”

You may also direct questions and submissions to the address below:

Marjan Shagasi, Inc.
4530 Dublin Blvd.
Dublin, CA 94568

The scholarship opportunities outlined below are offered to students that reside in specific regions of Illinois.

The Fenton E. Scholarship Trust: This award is offered to any students who are residents of Paris, Illinois. The deadline varies each year, but the award amount ranges from $375 to $1,550.

If you are interested in learning more about this scholarship opportunity, write to:

Fenton E. English Scholarship Trust
Scholarship Program
P.O. Box 1308
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

4-H Scholarships: These scholarships vary in size but are available to students who are residents of Kane, McHenry, or Macon County in Illinois. Deadlines typically occur in the spring, and the award may be as much as $1,500.For more information, write to the appropriate address below:

Macon County 4-H Foundation
Scholarship Committee
2535 Millikin Parkway
Decatur, Illinois 62526

Kane County 4-H Foundation
Youth Development Educator
535 S. Randall Road
St. Charles, Illinois 60174

McHenry County 4-H Foundation
4-H Scholarship
P.O. Box 1430
Woodstock, Illinois 60098

The Ella G. McKee Loan Program: Not as great as a scholarship–that’s for sure–but interest-free loans can be hard to find and they are certainly a step up from the standard school loans that you may be forced to rely on otherwise. This loan program awards 10 students each year with interest-free loans for up to $2,250. This is a need-based loan program open only to students of Fayette County, Illinois.

For more information, contact:

Ella G. McKee Loan Program
First National Bank, Trust Department
P.O. Box 40
Vandalia, Illinois 62471

Phone: 618-283-1141
Fax: 618-283-1139

Think you know something about autism? Want to learn more? Well now you have an incentive in the form of $500!

The Autism Scholarship Challenge was developed by the University of Miami/Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. It is sponsored through the Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation.

To be eligible for this award, you must:

According to the website, this scholarship focuses on “what participants know about autism and associated speech, language and communication disorders.”

The quizzes are available on the website each year in April. Questions are taken from the following sites:

http://www.danmarinofoundation.org

http://www.umcard.org

There are two $250 awards available. One award will be given to a student who is a resident of Florida; the other will be reserved for the highest scoring out-of-state applicant. For more information, visit CKFS.org.

Regional scholarships are everywhere….you just have to know where to look. Local, state, or regional scholarships are often the best kind to apply for because they limit the number of qualified applicants by designating an eligible area, so it’s definitely worth taking some extra time to scope out opportunities just like this one.

The Muddy Waters Arts scholarship is available to students in the Chicago, Illinois area. It is an annual $2,000 award sponsored by the Blues Heaven Foundation, Inc.

To qualify for this award, you must be a full-time undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in the arts.

Selection is based on the following criteria:

To request more information about this award, visit the Foundation’s website or write to the address below:

Blues Heaven Foundation, Inc.
Scholarship Selection Committee
2120 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60616