Nowadays, because of the steady rise in tuition costs, it is getting harder and harder for undergraduates to pursue college education and a career in their desired field of expertise. Luckily, measures have been taken by the government and many other institutions and foundations to provide all the help they can lend to students in order to guarantee their higher education and the continuous development of society.
No matter what minority you come from, or if you don’t belong to any of them but just have a low income, you are guaranteed to find a source of financial support to help you in obtaining a college degree. For example, numerous grants are offered to the black, Asian, Hispanic or Native American minorities. Other incentives are offered based on the gender of the applicant while some were specially created to cater for the financial needs of the people that suffer from disabilities.
But now, let’s talk about another “minority” so to speak, the limited group of individuals who have a dream of owning their own business. The importance of this group has been recognized by the government and other institutions because it is these people that not only create job opportunities for others, but also have great ideas behind their plans, which help out the national economy.
The only thing that these individuals need in order to start their own business is a little financial boost that would guarantee their higher education which in turn would offer them the required skills to manage a business. So, if you are someone who dreams of being self-employed and is seeking for college grants for women business owners, then here are some available options to get you on your way.
The National Association for the Self- Employed
Running your personal business can be a very complicated and stressful endeavor, especially if you are a woman and also have to worry about money for higher education, so, to take some of the weight off your shoulders the NASE scholarship program can offer you free money for college if you are found eligible. Founded in 1989, NASE has offered almost 2 million dollars until now, to young people aspiring of running their own business.
This popular grant program gives 4,000 $ to each of its members who are between 16 and 24 years of age, qualify for it, and plan to pursue college education in the first semester of the scholastic year. The individuals who are found eligible for this grant will be selected based on the following criteria:
- leadership skills
- academic merit
- educator recommendations
- the student’s past education and work experience
- the student’s interest in school activities
- income
Aside from the normal and by now very popular grant program, NASE also offers the renowned Entrepreneur grant, worth up to 24,000 $, making it the best scholarship of this type in the United States. This great incentive is offered each year to one exceptional student who portrays the abilities of a future entrepreneur , able to run his own business.
Xavier Uni. Williams College for Business
Xavier University will offer every year a substantial financial aid worth of 18000 $ to one student who is in his junior year but plans to attend the courses of XU for his final year of education. The winner will be chosen based on his academic merit, leadership and entrepreneurial abilities and experience but also his interest in other activities in the same field of expertise.
The National Fed. of Independent Business
If you are a female with dreams of owning your own business but need some financial aid to get you started, then some opportunities for college grants for women business owners can be found at the NFIB. Here, high-school graduates with entrepreneur abilities are given the chance to win grants ranging between 1,000$ and 10,000$.
During the last year, more than 150 students from all over the country were offered these incentives. These grants are given by the foundation only for tuition purposes to help individuals attain a college or other higher education institutions. Furthermore, every year, one student will be chosen as the Entrepreneur of the Year and will be offered a substantial sum of 10,000 dollars.
California Uni. Entrepreneur Spirit Scholarship
To help young students who have great entrepreneur abilities develop their skills and own their personal business, the Inland Empire Center of Entrepreneurs ( IECE ) found at California University has developed a special grant fund named “The Spirit of the Entrepreneur.” Undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career as an entrepreneur and want to start out at the San Bernardino California University can opt for financial aid from this fund every year.
Grants up to 10,000$ will be given to students of undergraduate and graduate level. To apply for this scholarship, all females who seek college grants for women business owners should complete the required application process at the CSUSB office for financial support. It is important to note that the criteria of selection don’t include the applicant’s income.
The OdioWorks Grant
This 500$ worth scholarship is awarded by the OdioWorks company to one student who can prove his natural entrepreneurship abilities. Applicants should write an essay describing how they decided to pursue this type of career while also attending higher education. Aside from this, they should provide any kind of proof denoting their excellent skills as an entrepreneur, be it business documentation, web pages or recommendations. For more information, interested individuals should visit the company’s website at odioworks.com.
North Dakota University, Center of Innovation
Undergraduates who study at the University of North Dakota and are involved in entrepreneur activities have the chance to benefit from five different scholarships, all created with the purpose to help the future entrepreneurs with free tuition funds. These incentives are all named after successful entrepreneurs (Art Rosenberg, Michael Marcil, Robert and Myrna Kuk, Jack Wright) that decided to help students fulfill their dreams of owning their personal business. Anyone interested can find more information as well as the application forms online at www.innovators.net.
