Imagine America Foundation Scholarships: Your Guide to Career Education Funding
The Imagine America Foundation offers several scholarship programs designed to help students pursue career education at participating career colleges across the United States. These scholarships aim to make career-focused education accessible and affordable, helping individuals gain the skills and training needed for in-demand industries. The Imagine America Foundation distributes more than $10 million in tuition assistance to students attending career and technical colleges across the United States every year.
Scholarship Programs Overview
The Imagine America Foundation provides various scholarship opportunities tailored to different student profiles:
- High School Scholarship Program: For graduating high school seniors pursuing career education.
- Adult Skills Education Program (ASEP): For adult learners seeking career training.
- Military Award Program (MAP): For veterans, active-duty military personnel, reservists, and their families.
- Industry’s Choice Scholarship: Helps qualified enrolled students to decrease their overall cost of tuition.
- School District Scholarship: For students from specific school districts who seek to enroll at Universal Technical Institute.
High School Scholarship Program
Eligibility and Qualifications
The Imagine America High School Scholarship Program was created in 1998 to provide scholarships for high school students. This program offers a $1,000 tuition discount to graduating high school seniors who plan to attend career colleges participating in the Imagine America Scholarship High School Scholarships Program.
To qualify, applicants must:
- Be graduating high school seniors.
- Demonstrate a commitment to pursuing a career education.
- Meet the regular admissions requirements of the participating career college.
- Be scheduled to start training prior to applying for a scholarship.
Each high school in the United States and Puerto Rico can nominate up to five graduating seniors to receive this scholarship annually.
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Application Process
The application process involves several steps:
- Create a Profile: Start by creating a profile on the Imagine America Foundation portal page.
- Follow the Prompts: Follow the prompts to create your account.
- Complete Your Profile: Fill out your profile completely and save it.
- Apply for Scholarships: Click on the "Apply for Scholarships" tab on the left-hand navigation.
- Select Scholarship Type: Under "Type," select "HS" if you are a graduating high school senior in the current calendar year. Find the school you wish to apply for by using the "Program of Interest" or the "State" search features.
- Review and Apply: After selecting your school, review the information and apply for the scholarship.
- Watch FPMS Video: To complete your application, you will need to watch the entire Financial Planning Made Simple (FPMS) video, which should automatically populate after submitting your application. If you do not have time to watch the FPMS video immediately after submitting your application, you can always log back in and watch it by selecting the "Video" tab in your left-hand navigation. After completing the video, select the red button that says "Submit and Complete."
- Guidance Counselor Review: Your application will be sent to your guidance counselor for review. Once they approve your application, it will then be sent to the college for their review.
The application period runs from September of your senior year until December 31st of the year you graduate.
Adult Skills Education Program (ASEP)
Overview
The Adult Skills Education Program (ASEP) builds upon the Foundation's award-winning Imagine America Scholarship Program. ASEP is a national aid program established in 2009 by the Imagine America Foundation that offers a one-time grant to qualified adult students planning to attend a participating career college.
Eligibility and Qualifications
The ASEP program is designed for non-traditional students seeking career training. To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Be at least 19 years of age.
- Have a high school diploma, GED, or pass an Ability to Benefit test.
- Not be a previous recipient of any other Imagine America Foundation scholarships/awards.
- Demonstrate financial need.
- Be enrolling in a participating college and meet its eligibility requirements.
Application Process
The application process for ASEP involves the following steps:
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- Create a Profile: Create your profile on the Imagine America Foundation portal page.
- Follow the Prompts: Follow the prompts for creating your account.
- Complete Your Profile: Fill out your profile completely and save it.
- Apply for Scholarships: Click on the tab “Apply for Scholarships” on the left-hand navigation.
- Select Scholarship Type: Under "Type," select ASEP for Adult Skills Education Program. Find the school you wish to apply for by using the "Program of Interest" or the "State" search features.
- Review and Apply: After selecting your school, review the information and apply for the scholarship.
- Complete Assessments and Video: To finish your application, you will need to complete the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) Student Success Assessment and watch the Financial Planning Made Simple (FPMS) video, which should automatically populate after submitting your application. If you do not have time to watch the FPMS video immediately after submitting your application, you can always log back in and watch it by selecting the "Video" tab in your left-hand navigation. After completing the video, select the red button that says "Submit and Complete."
- College Review: Your application will be sent to your career college for review.
It is recommended to apply three months before enrolling or starting college.
Military Award Program (MAP)
Overview
The Imagine America Military Award Program (MAP) is designed to help military service members receive career education and make the transition from military to civilian life. The Imagine America Foundation established this national aid program in 2004, which offers a $1,000 career education award to any qualified active-duty, reservist, honorably discharged or retired veteran of a United States military service branch for attendance at participating career colleges.
Eligibility and Qualifications
Prospective MAP applicants must meet the following guidelines to apply:
- Be enrolling into a participating college.
- Be an active-duty, reservist, honorably discharged, or retired veteran of the United States military.
- Demonstrate a likelihood of enrolling and successfully completing postsecondary education.
- Not be a previous recipient of any other Imagine America Foundation scholarships/awards.
- Demonstrate financial need.
Application Process
The application process involves these steps:
- Create a Profile: Create your profile on the Imagine America Foundation portal page.
- Follow the Prompts: Follow the prompts for creating your account.
- Complete Your Profile: Fill out your profile completely and save it.
- Apply for Scholarships: Click on the tab "Apply for Scholarships" on the left-hand navigation.
- Select Scholarship Type: Under "Type" select MAP for Military Award Program. Then find the school you wish to apply for by using the "Program of Interest" or the "State" search features.
- Review and Apply: After you’ve selected your school, review the information and apply for the scholarship.
- Watch FPMS Video: To complete your application, you will need watch the entire FPMS video, which should automatically populate after submitting your application. If you do not have time to watch the FPMS video immediately after submitting your application, you can always log back in and watch it by selecting the "Video" tab in your left-hand navigation. After completing the video, select the red button that says "Submit and Complete."
- College Review: Your application has now been sent to your career college for the school to review.
Industry’s Choice Scholarship
The Industry's Choice Scholarship program helps qualified enrolled students to decrease their overall cost of tuition. Scholarships are awarded monthly on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Eligibility and Qualifications
Eligible applicants must complete an application and meet all eligibility requirements to be awarded a scholarship. An SAI of 8,000 or less must be received by the school prior to the application submission. Enrolled more than 30 days prior to applicant's scheduled start date. Applicants' proximity to the campus is a component of this scholarship program and will be based on the address provided at the time the student initially provided their information to the school. The applicant's address must be less than 50 miles from the campus which the student is attending.
School District Scholarships
Several scholarships are program-specific to students from particular school districts who seek to enroll at Universal Technical Institute. These include scholarships for students from:
- Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District
- Birdville Independent School District
- Houston Independent School District
- Broward County, Florida School District
- Miami-Dade County, Florida School District
- Orange County, Florida School District
- Osceola County, Florida School District
- Palm Beach County, Florida School District
- Phoenix Union High School District
Eligibility and Qualifications
Eligible applicants must complete an application and meet all eligibility requirements to be awarded a scholarship. Scholarships are awarded annually. Please check back in September 2025 for new program details.
Additional Scholarship Opportunities
Besides the Imagine America Foundation's programs, several other scholarships can help fund career education:
- "Be Bold" Scholarship: A no-essay scholarship awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile.
- Niche Scholarship: Open to all residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, age 17 or older at the time of entry.
- Scholarships360 "No Essay" Scholarship: Open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education.
- Christian Connector Scholarship Drawings: For students interested in Christian/Faith Based colleges and universities.
- Appily Scholarship: Open to high school sophomores, juniors, and first-semester senior students for all majors and schools.
- Lenny Scholarship: Offers $1,001 US to support young individuals aged 16 and above, enrolled in college and residing in the US or India.
Tips for a Successful Application
- Create a Compelling Profile: Take the time to create a detailed and engaging profile on the Imagine America Foundation portal.
- Meet All Eligibility Requirements: Ensure you meet all the specific eligibility criteria for the scholarship you are applying for.
- Complete the Application Thoroughly: Fill out all sections of the application accurately and completely.
- Watch the FPMS Video: Complete the Financial Planning Made Simple (FPMS) video as required.
- Follow Up with the College: After submitting your application, check in with the college to ensure they have everything they need from you.
- Apply Early: Submit your application well before the deadline to increase your chances of receiving funding.
Career-Focused Resources
The Imagine America Foundation offers a variety of resources to help students navigate college admissions, financing, and program selection:
- Imagine America Radio: A podcast channel promoting career opportunities in today's workforce.
- Career Exploration Tools: Resources to help you explore different career paths in mechanical sciences, health sciences, IT, and business.
- Connections to Schools: Assistance in connecting with colleges and universities offering programs that match your interests and ambitions.
tags: #imagine #america #foundation #scholarship #requirements
