Promote a Passion for Psychology With College Scholarships
If you're constantly fascinated with how the human brain works or find yourself predicting how people will act in different situations, then a career in the psychology field may be for you.
There are lots of ways that your passion for psychology can translate into a profession. In each case, a degree in psychology is essential, especially if you know you'll need to attend graduate school to become a therapist or behavioral researcher . Fortunately, The Scholarship Coach is here to jump-start your scholarship search.
[Avoid making these four scholarship search mistakes.]
If you're wondering where to start looking, your first visit should be to the American Psychological Association. The APA and its affiliate organizations collectively distribute hundreds of scholarships, grants and other awards.
The association's robust search tool allows you to search by award type, sponsor and study topic. Commit some time each year to comb the site based on your topics of interest. You'll find a wealth of awards at both the national and local level offered throughout the year.
Whether you're a brand-new or seasoned psychology major, you've likely found that writing strong research papers is a vital part of your studies. To continue honing your writing skills, consider the Diversity Article Awards. The award is meant to help prepare students for what it's like to submit research for publication, both in journal and magazine form.
[Get additional information on how to pay for college.]
Offered by Psi Chi, the international psychology honor society, two prizes of $600 each are given for articles that cover diversity issues, such as topics related to ethnic minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning individuals; gender; economic issues; mental disabilities; and physical disabilities. Undergraduate or graduate Psi Chi members are eligible to submit an article.
One award goes to a primary author already published in the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research the year before the award deadline. The other award goes to a primary author who wants to be published in Eye of Psi Chi, the society's quarterly magazine mailed to members and alumni. The deadline for both awards is Aug. 15.
In addition to papers, psychology majors often end up doing a great deal of data collection and statistical analysis. That's where conferences come into play, as they're a prime situation for displaying your own work as a researcher. In addition to scholarships that cover your tuition, look for grants and other financial assistance that can help defray research and travel costs for a project that you've worked hard on.
For instance, the Association for Psychological Science's Student Research Award covers some of the travel costs of students who want to attend the association's annual convention to present winning research.
[Check out these scholarships that cover extra college costs.]
If you're interested in submitting your research for review, check back for updated instructions and call for submissions. The next convention is May 21-24, 2015, in New York City.
Finally, always remember to check in frequently with your school's psychology department or financial aid office. Scholarships available for psychology students will be listed in these locations.
Additionally, your psychology department will likely have fellowship and internship opportunities on hand. Combined with scholarships, every contribution makes a difference in supporting your psychology studies. Not to mention, the research skills gained from your major can help pay off in your search for scholarships.
Carissa Chang joined Scholarship America in 2013. She is an alumna of Taylor University and a former scholarship recipient.
