- Large corporations tend to place an emphasis on building a corporate identity that includes building good community relations. This corporate philanthropy extends to not only monetary awards to charitable causes but also sponsorship of worthy projects or endeavors. Given the recognizable rising cost of education, many corporations include scholarships as part of their philanthropic objectives. Corporate educational scholarships to college bound students vary with many dedicated to minorities and other ethnic students studying in all fields. From the company's standpoint, building goodwill and positive corporate identity allows it to gain exposure to future generations.
- Typically, many of the largest corporations offer the most generous college scholarships. For example, Wal-Mart, one of the companies in the Fortune 500, offers a college scholarship to graduating high school students in each of the communities it operates a store. Likewise, Coca Cola offers corporate scholarships to high school students pursuing four-year and two-year degrees in all fields. Choose a number of companies from the Fortune 500 to start your research. A good place to start is the corporate websites which provide information on scholarship opportunities and eligibility requirements.
- The best way to identify corporate scholarships specifically geared toward physics majors is to visit the websites of the largest companies involved in science and engineering fields. For example, Northrop Grumman's HENAAC Scholarship offers one undergraduate and one graduate scholarship to Hispanic students to encourage Hispanic students to pursue their studies in technical fields such as physics. Northrop Grumman provides products and services in the aerospace, electronics, information technology, ship building and technical service sectors. Applicants to the HENAAC Scholarship must be science, technology, engineering or math majors.
- Xerox offers scholarships to minority students in technical fields including chemistry, information management, laser optics, engineering and physics and material science. In 2011, the awards ranged from $1,000 to $10,000. To apply you must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and be enrolled as a full-time student.
- Microsoft offers four different types of technical scholarships to current undergraduate students. The scholarships are the General Scholarships, Women Scholarships, Minority Scholarships and scholarships for students with disabilities. Eligibility requirements include attending a four-year college, progress toward an undergraduate degree in a technical field such as electrical engineering, math or physics. Candidates must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0.
- You should understand the requirements before applying for any scholarship. Because of high demand, there is much competition for corporate scholarship dollars. While it is a good idea to begin your search with companies that provide physics scholarships, it narrows your search considerably. The idea is to apply for as many scholarships as you can. Expand your search to include corporations such as Coca Cola's First Generation Scholarship offered to students who are the first in their family to attend college.
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