What is a scholarship?

• A scholarship is a gift that doesn’t have to be repaid.
• Scholarships can be a one-time gift or renewable.
• Scholarships go unclaimed if no one applies, so don’t be afraid to apply. 

Main types of scholarships

Some scholarships are income-based, meaning they’re only awarded to awardees with a certain amount of financial need. Other scholarships are merit-based, meaning they might be awarded based on academic achievement or on a combination of academics and a special talent, trait, or interest. Others  are not tied to financial need or merit. Some scholarships limit the application pool to women, certain cultural or religious minority groups, to those who served in the military, or other groups of people.

We’ll add to the list below, as we become aware of more scholarship sources. If you know of a scholarship you’d like to share on this page, please reach out to Toi at Toi.Sennhauser@doh.wa.gov.

Washington State-focused scholarships

• Washington State Opportunity Scholarship - Baccalaureate Scholarship:
  • Receive flexible money that can be stacked with other aid like the Washington College Grant to cover costs beyond tuition, such as food, housing, or transportation
  • Most Scholars are first-generation students, women, or students of color
  • For enrollment at eligible Washington state colleges or universities only
  • Eligibility requirements

Dietetics-focused scholarships

• AND Scholarships
  • For students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral dietetics-focused programs
  • For interns enrolled in dietetic internships

• CDR Scholarships and Awards
  • CDR Expanding the Reach of Dietetics Scholarship (formerly Diversity Scholarship)
  • CDR Expanding the Reach of Dietetics: Scholarship for Interns (formerly Diversity Internship Scholarship)

• Diversify Dietetics Scholarships and Grants
  • Diversify Dietetics Internship Program Scholarship

Affiliation-specific scholarships

Some examples of available scholarships:

• American Association of University Women: Career Development Grants (technically a grant, not scholarship)
  • Open to women who hold a bachelor’s degree and are preparing to advance or change careers or re-enter workforce in education, health and medical sciences, STEM, or social sciences
  • Primary consideration given to women of color and women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in nontraditional fields

• American Association on Health and Disability: AAHD Scholarship Program
  • Open to applicants with a disability as defined by the American with Disabilities Act
  • Preference will be given to students majoring in public health, disability studies, health promotion, or a field related to disability and health
  • Applicant must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student and must have completed one full year of college or more.

• American Indian College Fund: Scholarships
  • Open to American Indian and Alaska Native college students who are enrolled in certificate, undergraduate, or graduate programs at tribal colleges and universities, or nonprofit, accredited schools

• Asian and Pacific Islander Scholars Scholarships:
  • APIA Scholarship Program, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) Scholarship
  • Focus on supporting AANHPI students who live at or below the poverty line; are in the first generation of their family attending college; are representative of the APIA community’s diversity (geographically and ethnically)

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute: NextOpp
  • Scholarship, internship, and fellowship database for Latino students

• Federal Student Aid: Scholarships for Military Families

• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: HSF Scholar Program
  • Open to persons of Hispanic heritage
  • U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident, or DACA
  • Minimum 2.5 GPA for college and graduate students
  • Plan to enroll full-time in an accredited, public or not-for-profit, four-year university, or graduate school, in the US

• United Negro College Fund:
  • UNCF Scholarship, Programs, Internships, and Fellowships: Database of available aid; can be sorted for applicants of any ethnicity or race
  • Scholarships geared toward students at HBCU’s and African American students

Applying for scholarships

• FAFSA or WASFA: If you submitted a FAFSA or WASFA form, any scholarships and amounts that you’re eligible for would be included.
  • If you submitted a WASFA, you’re eligible for state and institutional aid only, not federal aid         
• Search engines for scholarships:
  • thewashboard.org:
    • Collection of available scholarships in Washington State
  • CareerOneStop: Scholarship Finder
    • National database
    • Includes scholarships, fellowships, grants, and other financial aid award opportunities

Does a scholarship affect my other financial aid?

A scholarship will affect your other financial aid because all your financial aid added together can’t be more than your cost of attendance at your college or career school. So, you’ll need to let your school know if you’ve been awarded a scholarship so that the financial aid office can subtract that amount from your cost of attendance (and from certain other aid, such as loans, that you might have been offered). Then, any amount left can be covered by other financial aid for which you’re eligible. Questions? Ask your financial aid office.

Additional learning resources for scholarships

• Federal Student Aid: Scholarships
• United Negro College Fund: Applying to Scholarships and Grants
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute: Scholarship Writing Guide