Do you love Earth Day? Do you focus your volunteer efforts on cleaning up trash and promoting recycling? Are you a member of your school’s environmental club? If so, these college scholarships are just for you. We compiled a list of opportunities specifically for students who love taking care of the planet and encouraging green living. Share your passion for the earth and get rewarded for your efforts by submitting applications for the scholarships below.
Industrial Metal Service Scholarship
How to Apply: Write a 300-word essay on one of four topics related to recycled metals, sustainable development, metal 3D printing, or renewable energy.
Eligibility: Open to college-bound high school seniors and current college students
Amount: $500
Deadline: December 27, 2024
Website: https://industrialmetalservice.com/scholarship/
The Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) Scholarship
How to Apply: Complete the online application, including transcripts and contact information for two faculty member references.
Eligibility: Open to high school seniors, college students, and graduate students intending to pursue a college curriculum directed toward a career in applied geophysics
Amount: Awards range from $500 to $10,000
Deadline: March 1, 2025
Website: https://seg.org/programs/student-programs/scholarships/
E-waste Scholarship
How to Apply: Write a 140-character statement that addresses the impacts of toxic materials on the environment and completes the sentence, “The most important reason to care about e-waste is….”
Eligibility: Open to high school, college, and graduate students who are U.S. citizens or legal residents
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: April 30, 2025
Website: http://www.digitalresponsibility.org/ewaste-scholarship
ExtremeTerrain’s Student Scholarship
How to Apply: Write a 700–1,500 word essay describing why you feel it is important to maintain access to public lands for recreational use and how you plan to use your degree to advocate for the recreational use of public lands.
Eligibility: Open to high school seniors and college students who are pursuing a degree in biology or a related degree in environmental studies
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: June 15, 2025
Website: https://www.extremeterrain.com/scholarships.html
Ventana Ocean Conservation Scholarship
How to Apply: Write an essay between 400 and 600 words on why you care about protecting the ocean and how you plan to use your degree to do so.
Eligibility: Students must be California-based and have completed at least one year of an accredited college or university while pursuing a degree with a major related to ocean conservation
Amount: $500 to $3,000
Deadline: July 15, 2025
Website: https://ventanasurfboards.com/pages/ventana-ocean-conservation-scholarship
Apprentice Ecologist Scholarship
How to Apply: Participate in or lead an environmental stewardship project, include photos of the project with your application, and write an essay of about 750 to 1,500 words.
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors and seniors
Amount: Three scholarships totaling $1,750
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Website: https://www.wildernessproject.org/volunteer_apprentice_ecologist.php
Scholarships should be considered a small—yet still important—source of revenue for college. Data shows that most families pay for college using parent and student income, savings, and loans. Most scholarship recipients receive $2,500 or less, and only 0.1% of undergraduate students receive $25,000 or more in scholarship funds. In addition to looking for scholarships to help pay for college, families should apply for financial aid and consider saving in a dedicated college savings account.
