Scholarships

Students eligible for these scholarships must be active, full members in The United Methodist Church and be enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program at a participating college. Visit United Methodist Higher Education Foundation Scholarships and United Methodist Higher Education and Ministry Loans & Scholarships to access scholarship applications and for more information.

The O. Wayne Rollins Foundation offers six incoming freshmen a $25,000 scholarship, distributed as annual payments of $6,250 over four years. Eligible students must demonstrate financial need, have worked or volunteered during the summer, and show academic excellence in high school. The scholarship is renewable annually, contingent upon maintaining eligibility. Click here for the online application.

Due to the delay in FAFSA for the 2024-2025 year, the application deadline has been extended to July 1, 2024 for this year only.  Keep in mind that the usual deadline of June 1^st will resume in the 2025-2026 year.

This is a $1,000 scholarship offered by the Kessler family. Current students may click here for the online application. Applications are directed to the Kessler family representatives for review and must be postmarked by December 10 each year. One scholarship recipient is chosen each academic year.

Current students may apply for this scholarship if they meet the following criteria: Georgia resident, U.S. Citizen, have demonstrated financial need and have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours with at least a “B” average. Applications must be completed online at www.tycobbfoundation.com by the March 1 deadline. Students may receive this scholarship each year as long as they follow the steps required in the renewal process.

HOPE Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship offered by the State of Georgia to provide assistance toward the cost of tuition. It is available to Georgia residents who graduate from an eligible high school with at least a 3.0 GPA, and who meet the required rigor course requirements as outlined by GAfutures. The State of Georgia determines student eligibility for this scholarship.

Zell Miller Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship offered by the State of Georgia to provide assistance toward the cost of tuition. It is available to Georgia residents who graduate from an eligible high school with at least a 3.7 GPA, a combined SAT score of 1200 or a composite ACT score of 26, and meet the required rigor course requirements as outlined by GAfutures. The State of Georgia determines student eligibility for this scholarship.

Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant (GTEG) is offered by the State of Georgia to provide assistance to Georgia residents toward educational costs at a private college in Georgia. For more information about this program, visit GAfutures.org.

Art scholarships are granted to students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in Art. The art faculty selects students to receive scholarships based on personal interviews and surveys of student portfolios. Your portfolio should contain examples of your work with emphasis on drawing ability. Other work that shows skills in painting, digital, design and photography may be included. A sketchbook of good drawings is strongly suggested. Portfolios are judged on skill, originality and seriousness of purpose. To apply and receive more detailed information about audition requirements, click here.

Music major scholarships are awarded to students pursuing the Bachelor of Music Education or the Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and are based on the students’ auditions/interviews. For the audition, you are asked to perform two contrasting compositions of your choice. Percussionists should audition on as many different percussion instruments as possible (snare drum, drum set, mallets, timpani). If your repertoire requires an accompaniment, you may bring your own accompanist, use an accompaniment tape or CD (an audio system will be available on-site) or use a Young Harris College staff accompanist. View the YHC Music Student Handbook for further information concerning auditions. To apply and receive more detailed information about music audition requirements, click here.

Musical Theatre scholarships are available to students pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre.  Incoming freshmen are selected to receive scholarships based on auditions, diagnostics and interviews. Admission into the BFA Musical Theatre Program is by audition only.  Your scholarship audition will double as your program audition. To apply and receive more detailed information about audition requirements, click here.

Theatre performance scholarships are available to incoming students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre. To apply and receive more detailed information about scholarship audition and interview requirements, click here.

Theatre design and production scholarships are available to incoming students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre. To apply and receive more detailed information about scholarship audition and interview requirements, click here.

This scholarship was established by Len and Beverly Woodward of Rome, Georgia. It awards $5,000 to one student annually to study abroad in England. The grantee will be referred to as the “Woodward Scholar.”

For more information and application deadlines, contact Dr. Jennifer Schroeder.

The Thomas “Jack” and Virginia Tour Endowed McCollough Scholarship helps support YHC students who study abroad at the Wesley House of Cambridge University in Cambridge, England during a summer term. This competitive scholarship is intended for YHC students who want to learn about the origins of Methodist ministry. The McCollough Scholar will spend approximately six weeks at Wesley House, the Methodist college in Cambridge, as a member of a reflective, cross-cultural Christian community of scholarship and prayer in the Wesleyan tradition. This program allows the McCollough Scholar to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Methodist origins and heritage and what Wesleyan theology and spirituality offer today’s world. The scholarship recipient must be able to work independently and be self-motivated; take initiative in shaping aspects of his/her program to his/her personal interests; and have a genuine interest in the Methodist heritage, Wesleyan theology and spirituality, and their contemporary role and application. The scholarship recipient must also be open to meet and engage with a small community of international students from across the global Methodist church; be willing to commit to the patterns of prayer and community life at Wesley House; and be ready to participate in the academic, community and social activities of the college. To benefit fully from this opportunity, the scholarship winner must be able to be in Cambridge from at least May 15 to the end of June. Upon successful completion of this program, the student earns six hours of course credits (RELI 3210 and RELI 4998).

For more information and application deadlines, contact Dr. Jennifer Schroeder.

Established under the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000, Gilman Scholarships provide up to $5,000 for American students to pursue overseas study for college credit.

Learn more about these scholarships through Benjamin A. Gilman’s website.

Funded by the National Security Education Program, these scholarships provide up to $10,000 for a semester or $20,000 for the year to U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. Western European countries, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are excluded. Preference will be given to applications for a full academic year of study abroad.

Learn more about these scholarships through Boren Award’s website.

The Freeman Foundation offers scholarships for students looking to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. The scholarship awards up to $5,000 for a semester or summer term abroad, or $7,000 for an entire academic year. Scholarship recipients are required to undertake a service project upon their return to the United States.

Learn more by visiting Freeman-Asia’s website.

The FEA is committed to increasing the opportunities for dedicated American students to participate in high-quality, rigorous education abroad programs by reducing financial restrictions through the provision of grants and scholarships.

Learn more through FEA’s website.

As the nation’s leading Hispanic higher education fund, HSF works to address the barriers that keep many Latinos from earning a college degree. In addition to scholarship opportunities for deserving Latino students, HSF offers a broad range of outreach and educational programming to help students and their families navigate through the rigors of college life.

Visit HSF’s website for more information.

The Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society offers 45 $1,000 grants each year to help support undergraduate students who want to study abroad. Students must show proof of acceptance into a study abroad program; have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above; have between 30 and 90 semester hours; and have at least one year of study left at their institution after studying abroad.

Learn more by visiting Phi Kappa Phi’s website.

Many local chapters of the Rotary Club have funding for study abroad. One of Rotary’s scholarships is called the Ambassadorial Scholarship, which is the world’s largest privately funded scholarship program.

For more information, visit the Rotary scholarship page.

There are several scholarship and financial aid opportunities for U.S. students who plan to study in Israel.

Visit DiversityAbroad for more information or visit MASA: Israel Journey.

The UNCF Program Services Department administers various scholarship programs. Each program has its own eligibility criteria, open/close dates and required documentation. To apply for a UNCF scholarship, students must apply through the online application process.

For more information, visit the UNCF scholarship page.

ISA awards more than $600,000 in grants and scholarships to participating students each year. Eligibility criteria differ for each award—be sure to read each description carefully. Be sure to view each scholarship description for eligibility requirements, application materials, and required documents.

• The Dr. Carlos E. Castaneda Memorial Scholarship
• The Michaela Farnum Memorial Scholarship
• ISA Diversity Scholarships

Having spent his professional career as an educator, Mr. King wished to stress the importance of written communication in a world now attuned to the visual media.  The income from this endowment is awarded annually to the student selected as the outstanding freshman English student.

This award was established by the English faculty members at Young Harris College. Each year it is given to the student who has written an exemplary essay for an upper-division English course.  Recipients are selected by the English Department faculty.

Outstanding Junior and Senior in English Awards are given to junior and senior English majors who exhibit excellence in writing, literary analysis, class discussion, and contributions to the English program at Young Harris College. These awards were established by the English department faculty.

Established in 2015 with the launch of Young Harris College’s creative writing major, this award recognizes an exemplary junior and senior who exhibit a strong commitment to craft, revision, and the writing community at Young Harris College.

This is an endowed award established in May 1991 by Jan Fortune. The recipient must have completed four courses in a foreign language at YHC, have maintained a 3.5 average in those courses, have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better, intend to major or minor in the chosen language, and have demonstrated a significant understanding of, and appreciation for the language, as exhibited through nonacademic accomplishments. The selection is made by the Foreign Languages faculty.

Lambda Pi Eta serves as the official Honor Society of the National Communication Association.  This award is given on behalf of Omega Tau, YHC’s chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, to the junior or senior Communication Studies major with the highest overall GPA.

This award recognizes a tutor who shows outstanding performance, leadership, service and commitment in the Rhetorica Writing and Speaking Center.

This award recognizes excellent written contributions to Religious Studies or Philosophy.  Papers earn this award through demonstration of critical and constructive rigor, and engagement in research. This award pays tribute to John Cobb, Jr.’s vast contributions to Philosophical Theology, his service to the Department of Religion and Philosophy from 1950-1953, and his lasting friendship with the Clegg family. The recipients are selected by the Religion and Philosophy faculty.

This is awarded to a student displaying an aptitude for fluency and empathetic understanding in the academic study of multiple religions.  This award pays tribute to John Kay’s years of service to the Department of Religion & Philosophy, and honors the institutional and spiritual heritage of Young Harris College.