These College Scholarships Encourage Teens To Go Green

When it comes to college, prices seem to only be increasing, especially when one considers tuition, fees, and cost of living for the four plus years people pursue higher education. But a sincere passion for sustainability not only helps the environment—in fact, it might just help your wallet.

There are a growing number of scholarships aimed at enrolling and current college students who are passionate about going green. College campuses often have good awareness programs that focus on sustainability issues, such as recycling in dorms or reducing waste in the dining hall, but for students who are seeing green for their long-term careers, many companies and organizations are willing to help them knock down the cost of their education via scholarships.

Scholarships like these can be especially important in terms of getting the green industry more diversity. For example, scholarships can provide low-income or marginalized communities more accessibility to attend school, take internships, or spend time studying abroad, helping them flesh out their experience and broaden their learning experiences.

As Arthur Murray reports for U.S. News, there are numerous scholarships available depending on where you live, what your specific interests are, and some, even, depend on your social media presence and activism. For instance, the Air & Waste Management Association: Allegheny Mountain Section offers up to $4,000 in scholarships for undergraduates pursuing environmental studies at universities in West Virginia and western Pennsylvania. California's Calaveras Big Trees Association administers the Emily M. Hewitt Memorial Scholarship, a $1,500 award for a full-time undergraduate or graduate student attending an accredited California university who is studying environmental protection, forestry, wildlife and fisheries biology, parks and recreation, park management, environmental law and public policy, environmental art or California history. 

You can even win scholarships while still a high school student. For instance, as Murray higlights, The National Society of High School Scholars Foundation and the Captain Planet Foundation award up to 10 Earth Day Awards worth $500 each to high school students who are working on environment-focused projects. Another awesome scholarship open to both high school seniors and college students is the Good360. These awards are $1,000 each and come from an Alexandria, Virginia-based nonprofit that provides these awards for students who have an interest in sustainability. 

If you're hoping to find scholarships, definitely don't hesitate to ask your guidance counselor or advisor. You can also look into what local environmental companies and nonprofits work in your area and see what opportunities they have available, either in terms of scholarship, job-training, or internships. It's also a great idea to explore STEM related scholarships and workshops, as many of those also promote environmental science.