If you are interested in the Martin Luther King Scholarship Program (sometimes referred as the MLK scholarship), you will find that you cannot just search for this term broadly, but instead must search for a specific MLK award. Whether you are black, white, Asian, or any other race, you may be eligible to win one of the hundreds of King scholarships that are available in the name of Martin Luther King, Jr.
You see, many colleges, cities, states, and organizations have their own Martin Luther King Jr scholarship programs, and you may be eligible for numerous MLK scholarships, if you know which ones to apply for. It is vital that you know which ones you are after, and to get this information, start small and then widen your net. This is the reason why a Martin Luther King jr scholarship may go unclaimed because they are hidden scholarships so to speak. You must ask about them at the colleges you wish to attend to see if they have them.
Start by contacting the guidance counselor at your high school. Ask about local unclaimed King scholarships that may be available that exist for the purpose of honoring Dr. King, or those in his name that are awarded to students who live by his principles. From there, contact the financial aid office at the school you will attend, and ask the same question. These two professionals should be able to let you know about such Martin Luther scholarship awards that are available through the school or within the community.
Following this, contact the board of education in your state, and ask them if they know of or administer any MLK scholarships that were established in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Once you know which MLK scholarships are available to you, examine the eligibility requirements carefully, and make sure that you excel in these areas, or that you can excel in these areas. Ideally, you should start your search as a freshman or sophomore in high school to ensure this. It is very important that you make Dr. King a role model in your day-to-day life if you hope to win this potentially unclaimed scholarship.
Make sure that you are involved in your community, and particularly that you take part in activities that promote Dr. King’s principles. Participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service as well, and make sure that all of your activities are documented in someway, so that you can later prove that you did indeed participate. This day falls on January 11th each year, and there are many ways to serve. You can sponsor or organize a service project, or join another team to perform a service project.
Dr. King once said “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” Make sure that you have an outstanding answer to that question. In fact, if you make it a point to ask that question every day of your high school career, the chances are very good that you will be well prepared to answer that question at length when you apply for Martin Luther King jr Scholarships later on. If you do not ask yourself this question, or you cannot answer it, you most likely will not ever win one of these conceivably unclaimed MLK scholarships.
Related Reading
King Scholarship from BK
Never let an Oprah Winfrey Scholarship go Unclaimed
Bill Cosby Scholarship Unknown to Many
Don’t let a Bill Gates Scholarship go Unclaimed