Outside Scholarship Opportunities

Outside Scholarship Resources

Minnesota Masonic Charities offers a varied portfolio of scholarships - Visit their website at https://mnmasoniccharities.org/scholarships/student-scholarships/ for more information regarding the criteria for 2023 recipients.

2023 Criteria Requirements
Signature ($6,000 Award; Six Awards Available)
Legacy ($4,000 Award; 11 Awards Available)
Heritage ($3,000 Award; 20 Awards Available)
Selfless Scholar ($5,000 Shared Award; 12 Awards Available)
Career and Technical ($2,500 Award; 40 Awards Available)
Undergraduate ($3,000 Award; 30 Awards Available)

PFund Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Students - Application deadline: March 17

PFund’s scholarship fund is used to provide scholarships to LGBTQ+ learners from the upper Midwest at all stages of their educations. In 2022, PFund Foundation distributed a record $125,000 to 50 queer students from across the upper Midwest.

The Ethel Curry American Indian Leadership Scholarship (ECS) is an annual award administered by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). This scholarship is meant to aid American Indian students in their pursuit of higher education opportunities. Awards generally range from $1000-$5000 per academic year, but may vary. The scholarship is open from March 1 to May 31 annually. For students enrolled at any accredited institution in the state of MN.

Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship - Application deadline: June 1

STARBASE Minnesota - Annual Scholarship Opportunity for STARBASE Alumni
Application deadline: October 15

Do you remember attending STARBASE Minnesota with your school as a 4^th or 5^th grader? Do you recall attending STARBASE on the MN National Guard base, engaging in the technologies and STEM activities, such as rocketry, robotics, 3D printing, and more? STARBASE Minnesota wants to help support your pursuits in post-secondary education. Apply for "The General Tim Cossalter Scholarship" awarded to former STARBASE students!

Mark M. Welter Foundation - For any enrolled student at a Minnesota State College or University institution in good standing.
Application deadline: Applications accepted annually in the fall

LeadMN Scholarships - Multiple deadlines

Hire a Helper Scholarships ($2,000) - Multiple Deadlines

Scholarship America Scholarship Search

Additional resources:

• Fastweb
• FinAid
• Scholarships.com
• SallieMae
• Unigo

Important Tips

Here are some suggestions and important things to remember when applying for scholarships from organizations outside the college:

• Create a new, free email address solely for submitting scholarship applications.
  • Many of the scholarships are offered by companies that want to promote their goods, or services to you. They do award the scholarships, so the opportunity is valid, but they are interested in getting your contact information for marketing activities. Having a separate email account will prevent your primary email box from filling up.
•     Never pay a fee to apply for a scholarship.
  • No legitimate scholarship program will ever charge a fee. If the organization wants you to pay a fee to apply, walk away.
•     An essay may be required. Make sure it's good.
  • Have a trusted person review your essay and provide feedback. The good news is that if you have a solid essay, you can use this as a core document and edit it to fit specific application requirement.
•     Numbers matter.
  • Scholarship opportunities are a numbers game. The more applications you submit, the greater chance you have of being awarded a scholarship. If you develop an organized packet of standard information, you will make the process relatively easy and be able to submit multiple applications. If it takes you 15 minutes to apply and you receive a $250 scholarship, you will have been paid $1000 per hour!

If you have questions about Outside Scholarships, please contact the Office of Financial Aid Help Desk at 651-450-3495, or finaid@inverhills.edu. We will do our best to answer your questions and provide financial aid information needed for the application. We wish you the best of luck in your scholarship search.