text: Students in the Buckeye State have a wealth of college opportunities at their fingertips. Students in the state can choose to attend some world-class colleges or universities and can help pay for the education through awards from some excellent scholarship programs. Here are some of the better scholarships in Ohio that are available to students in the state:
  Each year, the Ohio Newspapers Foundation awards three $1,500 scholarships to students who are majoring in journalism or an equivalent degree program. Preference is given to candidates who demonstrate a career commitment to newspaper journalism. To be eligible, students must be in the sophomore or higher year at an Ohio college or university with at least a 2.5 GPA. To apply, students must submit the official application along with college transcripts, an autobiography, published writing samples, and two letters of recommendation by March 31. Scholarship applications and details on writing submissions can be found at www.ohionews.org.
  This $1,500 scholarship is available each year to a northern Ohio student who is currently enrolled in a communications or journalism degree program at an accredited college or university in the state. To be eligible, students must be graduates from a high school in Lorain, Cuyahoga, Huron, Wood, Erie, Sandusky, Geauga, Lucas, or Ottawa County and must be a sophomore or higher in college during the award year with a 3.0 or higher GPA. To apply, students must submit the completed application along with an autobiography, two letters of recommendation, and up to two published writing samples by March 31. To apply, visit www.ohionews.org.
  Ohio Newspaper Women's Scholarship
  This $1,500 scholarship will be awarded each year to a male or female student who is in the senior year of an accredited journalism or equivalent degree program. To apply, students must submit the application along with two recommendations, a college transcript, answers to essay questions, and 3-4 newspaper clippings showing the applicant's work. Applications are due March 31 and can be found at www.ohionews.org.
  This program provides scholarships to students who have been admitted to ABET approved engineering programs. To be eligible, students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and a Minimum SAT of 600 Math and 500 Reading or Comprehension OR ACT scores of 29 in Math and 25 in English. In addition, students must be U.S. citizens and permanent residents of Ohio who are graduating seniors. Applications are available at the official website and are due December 15.
  The Richland County Foundation provides scholarships each year that are funded by over 60 sources. The scholarships are awarded based on financial need. To be eligible, students must be attending an accredited college or university full-time and must be residents of Richland County. In addition, applicants must have a 2.5 GPA as a new applicant and must maintain a 2.0 GPA to maintain funding. To apply, complete the application found at www.richlandcountyfoundation.org and submit it by April 1.
  This program provides a nonrenewable $1,000 scholarship to college bound high school seniors from Shelby County. To be eligible, students must have at least a 2.5 GPA to qualify and must have financial need. In addition, applicants must demonstrate commitment to community service, involvement in athletics and fitness, demonstrate leadership qualities, and exemplify Christian values. Preference will be given to YMCA members, but membership is not a requirement. To apply, students must submit the completed application form along with the volunteer form, the athletic/fitness form, and the YMCA programs form by April 5. To apply, visit www.sidney-ymca.org.
  National Military Intelligence Association Ohio Chapter
  These scholarships are for students interested in entering careers in intelligence or furthering their professional careers in the field. The size and number of awards depends upon the amount of funding available each year. Full-time students receive larger scholarships than those for part-time students. To be eligible, students must be residents of Ohio and citizens of the United States. In addition, applicants must be juniors or higher at an accredited college or university and provide evidence of satisfactory academic achievement. Preference for these awards if given to students attending colleges and universities in Ohio. To apply, students must submit the program application and all supporting documentation by March 31. Full program information is available at www.ohiohighered.org.
  This program is designed to offer scholarships to the spouses and children of police officers, firefighters, and certain other safety workers killed in the line of duty. The program also provides scholarships to children and spouses of armed forces members killed during Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or a combat zone designated by the Commander in Chief if the child is not eligible for the Ohio War Orphans Scholarship. To apply, visit www.ohiohighered.org.
  These and other scholarships in Ohio can make a world of difference to financially struggling students of all disciplines. If you are a student in the state and need help paying your educational bills, these programs can make a world of difference.