Forensic Science School Scholarships
If you’re planning to become a forensic scientist, have you thought about how will you pay for your college education? One of the best ways to pay for your schooling is through scholarships. Although scholarships may demand essays or other criteria for entering a competition for funds, you never need to repay scholarship money once you meet the requirements for that scholarship.
You can find many scholarship offerings through college scholarship Web sites such as FastWeb, but – fortunately – a person who wants to study forensic sciences also can find funds earmarked just for this field. Many of these scholarships can be discovered through sites such as the Bronx High School of Science, which lists a number of available forensics scholarships on their site.
During your search for scholarships, you might check with the financial aid office at the college of your choice. If you plan to attend a forensics program at that college, they may offer scholarships to entering freshmen or to juniors or seniors for that program. Your college also may offer scholarships based upon merit (good grade average) or financial need. You may need to write an essay or fulfill some other criteria to obtain that scholarship, but the effort may be minor compared to the financial help you may receive.
You also can look for scholarships based upon your choice for specialization while in college. For instance, the IIE Passport site offers about 140 results for funding in forensic anthropology if you want to spend some time studying abroad. Other opportunities await you in the form of scholarships offered by various organizations and institutions focused on forensic sciences.
For instance, the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE) Scholarship provides funding for students pursuing a degree in Forensic Science. Annual student scholarships are available from the American Society of Crime Lab Directors. Students must be at least in their junior year of college and must provide a letter of recommendation from faculty in their forensics program. Applicants are also required to write an essay on their career goals and career choice.
Each year the Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists awards scholarships to regional students enrolled in a forensic science program. Applicants may be undergraduate or graduate students and a student member of this organization. The Chesapeake Bay Division of the International Association for Identification funds the George Robinson Memorial Scholarship. Students or professionals in the field are welcome to apply for the awards. Qualified applicants must be members of the organization and possess superior GPAs.
Finally, you can look for scholarships outside your realm of studies. If you are a member of the military, or a child of military veterans, you may be eligible for scholarships. You can find scholarships based upon religious affiliation, a disability, gender or ethnic association as well. No matter where you find scholarship funds, the point is to go after them – after all, if you don’t try for the money, someone else may receive the funds you deserved.
