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You are an essential worker or a frontliner, your budget is exploding at the edges. You need help, especially in these difficult times. More precisely, you need financial assistance. If you are an essential worker or frontliner, then you should apply for one or all of the scholarships below.
These essential workers and frontliners scholarships are intended for all outstanding individuals who have performed a range of operations and services that are particularly essential for continuing critical infrastructure operations. Some scholarships offer tuition assistance while others provide discounts on a number of services.
If the pandemic has hit you hard, then you shouldn’t let yourself suffer. Check out these essential worker and frontliner scholarships.
List of Essential Worker and Frontliner Scholarships
Now, if you are one of the many essential workers or frontliners who are fighting to save the community, and you are struggling financially, several organizations and institutions offer a number of essential worker and frontliner scholarships, including:
1. Oakland University Frontline Workers Scholarship
To value and appreciate all frontline workers who have contributed so tirelessly to keep the essential industries running during Michigan’s COVID-19 shutdown in the spring of 2020, Oakland University offers a Frontline Workers Scholarship.
If you’ve been approved for the Futures for Frontliners Program through the State of Michigan, you also qualify for Oakland University’s Frontline Workers Scholarship. Simply transfer to OU and you’ll be eligible for the award.
As a matter of fact, the creation of this award, which serves as an extension of the statewide Futures for Frontliners Program, serves Oakland University’s mission of supporting postsecondary degree attainment and impacting Michigan and the world through education, research, scholarship, and creative activity.
The Award
Eligible students will earn $2,500 over a maximum of four semesters ($1,250 per year, or $625 per semester).
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for this frontliners scholarship, you must:
- Provide proof of approval for participation in the State of Michigan Futures for Frontliners Program
- Complete an associate’s degree from any of the 28 Michigan community colleges, or have earned a minimum of 62 credits, at the time of enrollment at OU
- Meet OU admission criteria for scholarship consideration
- Attend OU full-time (minimum 12 credit hours per semester)
- Enroll at OU by the fall 2024 semesters to qualify
How to Apply
To apply, you will need to complete the Oakland University Frontline Workers Scholarship application form which you can access by clicking here. You will be asked to provide the following information:
- Email address
- Grizzly ID
- Full name
- Phone number
- Year of enrollment
- The Michigan community college you are transferring from
- A PDF copy of your approval email/letter for participation in the State of Michigan Futures for Frontliners Program
Upon completing the form, click “Submit”. Then, a copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.
2. Arizona Department of Economic Security Essential Workers Child Care Relief Scholarship Program
Essential Workers Child Care Relief (EWCCR) Scholarship Program will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis to eligible applicants, and are dependent upon capacity and resources available.
However, recipients may have to pay additional charges. Additional charges are any fees a child care provider charges that exceed the DES reimbursement rate. These may include applicable fees upon enrollment and out-of-pocket expenses for you.
Also, please note that the scholarship can only be used for children ages 12 and younger at an approved child care provider within the DES child care provider network.
The Award
The Essential Workers Child Care Relief Scholarship includes:
- Child care scholarships for all age groups birth through 12 years of age
- Child care through any DES contracted child care provider
Eligibility Requirements
The EWCCR scholarship is available to essential workers in the following classifications:
- Healthcare
- First responders
- Essential government operations
- Grocery store and food bank workers
- Licenses/certified child care
In addition to qualifying as serving an essential function, parent eligibility requires that:
- Critical job functions cannot be completed remotely (telework);
- Household income is $65,000 or less annually, and
- The parent does not have access to child care and/or in-person school services, or there is a health or safety concern with the child attending in-person school services.
How to Apply
Click here to fill out the essential worker scholarships application form. However, please take note that before completing this application, visit Arizona Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) at azccrr.com or call them at 1-800-308-9000 to find a DES Child Care Provider.
Then, call the prospective child care providers to ensure availability for your child.
3. Essential Workers Scholarship at WGU
As an appreciation for the struggling essential workers’ unwavering commitment to helping our communities through the pandemic, Western Governors University would like to honor them with a scholarship toward any WGU bachelor’s or master’s degree in business, information technology, health professions, or education.
Particularly, successful candidates can enroll in the following WGU programs: WGU Teachers College, College of Business, College of Information Technology, and College of Health Professions.
The Award
The award of these essential worker scholarships is valued up to $3,000.
Eligibility Requirements
To apply, applicants must be employed by an essential business, such as a grocery store, big-box store, postal service, gas station, etc.
How to Apply
To be considered for the scholarship, first of all, you must be provisionally accepted as a WGU student. Complete the admissions application and work with your enrollment counselor to move through the admissions process.
Then, complete the general scholarship application. The general application is required for the scholarship and lets the assessment team learn more about you. To access the application, you will need your MyWGU student portal credentials.
Take note that you are eligible to apply for scholarships within 90 days of starting a degree program. Also, you must complete the application within 90 days of your intended start date.
Lastly, finish up by completing the supplemental application for the scholarship. These additional applications need to be submitted within 5 days of submitting the general application.
4. OCFS Essential Worker Scholarship
OCFS is administering generous funds to provide child care support for children of essential workers. The Essential Worker Scholarship is only available to residents of New York State and will be awarded weekly through payments made directly to child care providers on the parents’ behalf.
This is the first in a series of new investments to support the child care industry and working families as provided for by the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.
The Award
A grant totaling up to $25 million will be awarded to eligible parents.
Eligibility Requirements
These essential worker scholarships are only open to essential staff whose earnings are less than 300% of the federal poverty level. In addition, OCFS also encourages families currently receiving childcare scholarships under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to apply for this new funding opportunity.
How to Apply
To apply, visit the OCFS website by clicking here. Then, click on the “Apply Now” button. Next, you will be asked to log in to NY.GOV with your username and password. Or, create an account by clicking on “Don’t have an account?”.
Then, you will be taken to the Child Care Pandemic Relief Fund page. You can select a different language in the top right corner of the page. Start the application by clicking on the “Apply for Essential Worker Scholarship” button. After you complete the online application, you will know the status of your application.
5. Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation Frontline Families Scholarship Program
The Frontline Families Scholarship Fund was established by Dr. Michael Osterholm, a world-renowned epidemiologist, to provide educational assistance to the surviving family members of frontline healthcare workers and volunteers who lost their lives in the fight against COVID-19.
The program is administered by Scholarship America, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship, tuition assistance, and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals.
Because of the inequitable impact of COVID-19, priority will be given to families who are historically underserved and those who have demonstrated financial need.
The Award
Total award distribution and individual award amounts may vary based upon funds available, but provided there is sufficient funding, applicants that do not demonstrate financial need, or do not provide financial information, will be eligible to receive a $1,000 award.
On the other hand, applicants who demonstrate financial need will be eligible to receive a $2,500 award.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants to the Frontline Families Scholarship Program must be:
- A child of a deceased frontline healthcare worker who died from COVID-19 while employed at a medical facility.
- High school seniors, high school graduates, or current college undergraduates.
- Planning to enroll in full-time or part-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year.
How to Apply
To apply, visit the official Frontline Families Scholarship Program registration webpage by clicking here.
6. Wayne State University Frontliners Forward Award
In support of the country’s amazing frontline workers, Wayne State University is offering a Frontliners Forward scholarship to any frontliner student that transfers to WSU after receiving their associate’s degree.
The Award
The amount of the Frontliners Forward Award is $1,000.
Eligibility Requirements
To be qualified for the award, applicants must:
- Be pursuing an associate’s degree earned at a Michigan community college
- Enroll in a WSU degree program to earn their first bachelor’s degrees and attend full-time (12 credit hours) each fall and winter semester
How to Apply
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for the funding.
