Featured Partner Scholarships: December 2023 (Part 1)

Featured Partner Scholarships: December 2023 (Part 1)

By Matt Konrad

Heading into the final month of 2023, we have some incredible scholarship opportunities for all kinds of students. In fact, we have so many that we’re featuring two posts! In today’s Part 1, we have amazing $10,000 renewable scholarships from the Essential Visionaries Scholarship Fund (for aspiring nurses, teachers and counselors) and the GE-Reagan Foundation—plus a unique memorial award for students planning on culinary school.

Check those options out below, and catch Part 2 later this month!

Essential Visionaries Scholarship Fund  

Are you a future nurse, teacher, or mental health counselor? The Essential Visionaries Scholarship Fund has been established to support students pursuing a degree or certificate in the fields of Education, Counseling, Social Work, Psychology or Pre-Nursing/Nursing. Approximately 100 scholarships are available; awards provide funding up to $10,000 per year and are renewable for up to four years total. 

If you’re interested in applying, you must be a high school senior, high school graduate or current college undergraduate in the United States, and you must plan to enroll in part-time or full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year. You must also be planning to pursue a certificate or degree in an education, counseling, psychology or nursing-related field of study, and have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).

Applicants with the greatest financial need will be prioritized. Other considerations include the type of school you’re attending. Recipients attending vocational-technical or two-year institutions will receive awards up to $5,000; recipients attending four-year schools will receive up to $10,000. Essential Visionaries Scholarships are renewable up to four years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first, on the basis of satisfactory academic performance and continued part-time or full-time enrollment in an eligible field of study. 

 Applications are open through January 8. Apply Now >  

GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship

The GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program offers $10,000 scholarships to outstanding high school seniors—and awards are renewable up to three subsequent years, for a potential total of up to $40,000 each.  

A tribute to the character and values of our nation’s 40^th President, the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship has awarded $8.62 million to students attending more than 120 college campuses across the country—a diverse network of more than 215 student leaders attending college, pursuing graduate degrees, and working in careers ranging from medicine, law, education, business, nonprofit and more.  

The GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program is open to current high school seniors who have at least a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent) and who exemplify the qualities of leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship. Like President Reagan, candidates use the formative experiences of their youth to lead, serve, and pursue a life of purpose and significance, both individually and for their communities.  

Awards are for full-time undergraduate study at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States and may be used for education-related expenses, including tuition, fees, books, supplies, and on-campus room and board. In addition, Scholars are invited to participate in an exclusive, all-expenses-paid Scholars Retreat in California, and receive support throughout their leadership journeys in college and beyond. Follow the program on Facebook for updates.  

Applications are open until January 4. Apply Now >

Nicole V. Reed Memorial Foundation Culinary Award

Nicole Reed was a full-time software services consultant in Jackson, New Jersey—but it was her custom cake creations that garnered her a huge following of devoted clients. When Nicole passed away suddenly in May of 2019, her husband Charles sought to honor her memory, and the Nicole V. Reed Memorial Foundation Culinary Award does just that, by providing a $5,000 scholarship to a student embarking on a degree in the culinary arts.

The Foundation has honored three scholarship recipients so far: New Jersey’s Aidan Kincaid (who is studying at Johnson & Wales University and had an opportunity to connect with a ranch-to-table program earlier this year), Philadelphia’s Samira Blyden and the newest recipient, Francisco Vega. Francisco is a first-generation college student, and he says: “I plan to open my own restaurant in the future, and this scholarship truthfully brings me one step closer to achieving my goals. Thank you for believing in me and other students like me and supporting us in our future endeavors.” 

This year, applications are open to high school seniors and graduates age 25 or younger anywhere in the United States. You must be planning to enroll full-time in a culinary arts program at an accredited two- or four-year college for the entire 2024-25 academic year. 

As Charles Reed says, creating culinary masterpieces “was [Nicole’s] passion. The reactions of her clients drove her creativity, and the Nicole V. Reed Memorial Foundation seeks to encourage such passion and creativity in others.” If you have a passion for food and you want to turn it into a career, don’t miss this wonderful opportunity. 

Applications are open until January 18. Apply Now >