If you aren’t familiar with IAF, it stands for Imagine America Foundation which was established in 1982. It used to be known as the Career College Foundation. The goal of the organization is to identify various types of IAF scholarships that students may need. They provide reports about trends in the job market and career possibilities.
They strive to recognize those students that can make a significant contribution to a given field if they are able to secure enough funds to pay for their education. They offer a variety of scholarships which may become unclaimed because they are little known about. To date, they have offered more than $75 million on funds for the various unclaimed college scholarships they offer.
High School Scholarships
One of the categories offered by IAF is for high school students. High schools can nominate up to 5 students each school year for a IAF scholarship worth $1,000. There are numerous awards annually based on the amount of funding that is available and the number of nominees. The funds can be used at any college that is part of the Imagine America Scholarship Program.
The eligibility criteria for nomination are quite simple to meet. They include the student demonstrates a financial need, they have a GPA of 2.5 or better, they have demonstrated community involvement, and they have demonstrated they are very likely to complete their college education. Nominations are due by December 31st annually.
Scholarships for Adult Students
IAF understands that a large percentage of college students out there are non-traditional. This means they aren’t going right out of high school. Many adults return to college later in life to pursue a career or to change their career. That is why this organization offers some IAF scholarships that are only available to adult students.
Non-traditional students may qualify for a grant of $1,000. An assessment has to be completed that will determine if Imagine American Foundation deems that adult as one that is very likely to complete their post-educational goals. This is a one-time grant that can be applied for any time during the course of an accredited adult education program.
Applicants must be at least 19 years of age with a high school diploma or a GED. The college that they are attending must also be participating g in the Imagine America Scholarship Program. You can click on a list of those schools from the website.
Grants for Military
IAF also offers grants for those that have served in the military to help them pay for their college education. The goal is to help them successfully make the transition from military life to civilian life. The Imagine America’s Military Award Program was established in 2004. Any military person that is active duty, a veteran, in the reserves, or that has been honorably discharged can apply for a $1,000 grant.
Applicants for this grant money must be able to show financial need. They must also demonstrate that there is a very good chance they would be able to successfully complete their post-secondary educational goals. They also have to be enrolled or enrolling in a college that participates in the IAF scholarship programs.
LDRSHIP Award
This was established by IAF in 2004 to honor those students that have also served honorably in the United States military. They may be currently enrolled in a college that is part of the program. The award can be up to $2,500 and it is open to those that are active military, retired military, that have been honorably discharged, or those that are in the reserves.
Gail Benjamin Fellowship
IAF is also one of the supporters and contributors of the Gail Benjamin Fellowship. This offers funds for women and minorities to be able to attend the annual APSCU (Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities) leadership conference. The conference location varies each year, but for 2012 it will be held in Potomac, Maryland.
The above are all perfect examples of unclaimed scholarships which go undiscovered. They are the kind that many students don’t apply too simply because they are obscure in nature and hard to find unless you read about them (like here). Read more at Imagine America Foundation scholarships.