Scholarships and grants
Applying for scholarships and grants is another way to finance your education. In addition to the 46 billion dollars of gift aid provided by the U.S. Department of Education, private scholarships and grants account for about 3.3 billion in gift aid. Explore the resources below and start searching for scholarships.
Some resources you might use to find scholarships:
- The College Board
- Scholly
- Fastweb
- For non-U.S. scholarships click here.
Types of scholarships
There are many different types of scholarships and grants available, such as academic achievement, demographic background, and financial need. Also, scholarships can be specific to the school, student, or type of major. We recommend students explore the full range of possibilities. For more information on the different types of scholarships please visit the Federal Student Aid website.
Look into category-specific scholarships as well. Many scholarships are specifically catered toward students from a certain demographic or economic background, and there are also scholarships for minorities, women, and military veterans.
Gies College of Business and Coursera Scholarship Program
Coursera and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Gies College of Business are providing a limited number of scholarships per year, covering 70% of a student’s full tuition. These competitive scholarships aim to improve access to a top-quality education for students interested in careers in finance, marketing, management, and accounting.
Students who plan on enrolling in any of the three Gies College of Business online degree programs on Coursera will be eligible to apply for a scholarship as part of their application to the online Master of Business Administration (iMBA), Master’s of Accounting (iMSA), and Master’s in Management (iMSM) programs. Recipients will be selected based on need, academic standing, and essay submissions outlining their need for financial assistance, as well as their experience demonstrating a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion via personal mentorship or community involvement.
Read more about the scholarship program here.
Scholarships for underrepresented communities
Below we’ve identified scholarship resources you can look into to determine whether there are additional options available to you, and that address your particular circumstances.
Hispanic Scholarship Fund – Empowers families with the knowledge and resources to complete a higher education, while providing scholarships and support services to as many exceptional students as possible.
Minority Scholarships – Scholarships.com has put together a list of scholarships catered toward minority students.
African American Scholarships – FastWeb.com has curated a list of educational institutions, foundations, and many other organizations for scholarship opportunities for African American students.
Application fee waivers
Some of the degrees hosted on Coursera offer application fee waivers or do not require an application at all. Please consult the relevant degree pages for more information.
