USA Scholarships
Professional Development Scholarship Guides
Professional Development Programs
Guides for funded professional development, leadership, and executive programs that don't lead to a degree but build skills and networks. Each guide covers eligibility, benefits, and the full application process.
Albers-Alexander LGBTQ Law Scholarship 2027 - $10K
Horizons Foundation's Albers-Alexander LGBTQ Law Scholarship Fund awards up to $10,000 to LGBTQ first-, second-, or third-year students at Berkeley Law, UC Davis School of Law, UC College of the Law San Francisco, Santa Clara University School of Law, or the University of Wisconsin Law School. Selection prioritizes leadership for the LGBTQ community, significant financial need, and applicants who face educational access barriers such as LGBTQ students of color, transgender students, immigrants, or first-generation college students. Funds go directly to your law school, not to you personally. The 2026-27 portal opens 14 September 2026, applications are due 27 October 2026, and awards are announced in December 2026.
Blood Cancer Survivors Scholarship 2027 - $7,500
The Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors from Blood Cancer United (formerly the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) pays up to $7,500 for one year of tuition and tuition-related fees at vocational, trade, two-year, or four-year undergraduate programs in the United States. You must be a US citizen or permanent resident, diagnosed with a blood cancer at age 25 or younger, and enrolled or planning to enroll full-time or part-time. Graduate programs are not eligible. Awards disburse through Utah my529 accounts after you submit a diagnosis verification form. Applications for the 2027-28 academic year open 3 August 2026 and close 30 September 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
Ability Scholarship 2027 - $1,000 Disability Essay
Solution Now Law Firm's Ability Scholarship awards $1,000 to one US student with a visible or invisible disability who writes a 750-1,000 word essay on turning challenges into strength. Legal residents of all fifty states and Washington, D.C. may apply if they are high school seniors, vocational students, undergraduates, or graduate students enrolled in a vocational or two- to four-year postsecondary program with at least a 3.0 GPA. Submit the online form, resume, transcript or acceptance proof, and original essay. Essays are screened for AI-generated text. Preference goes to students from or attending secondary school in California. The sponsor typically closes applications on 31 October each year, with a winner chosen the following month.
Juris Education Legal Scholarship 2027 - $1,000+
The Juris Education Legal Education Scholarship awards more than $1,000 in service credits, equal to five hours of LSAT tutoring or law school admissions consulting from Juris Education in New York. Applicants follow Juris Education on social media, post a two-minute public video with required hashtags, write a 250-word diversity essay, and submit a Google Form with a transcript link. Fall applications typically close 15 September with winners announced in October; the spring cycle opens 1 December and closes 15 April. Credits expire one year after you receive them and do not pay law school tuition.
SNRS Sigma Research Grant 2027 - Up to $5,000
The Sigma and Southern Nursing Research Society collaborative grant, often searched as SNRS/STTI research funding, awards up to $5,000 for pilot or development nursing research. Licensed RNs who are members in good standing of both Sigma (formerly Sigma Theta Tau International) and SNRS, hold at least a master's degree or equivalent, and are enrolled in a doctoral program may apply through Sigma's online system. Research cannot double as a degree requirement. The April 1 deadline pattern funds projects starting August 1. The 2026 cycle is closed; plan for the April 1, 2027 submission window.
Fred Finch Scholarship 2026 - DFW Law Students
The Fred Finch Scholarship from the J.L. Turner Legal Association Foundation honors the most outstanding male minority law student from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex or attending law school in DFW. Second- and third-year students at ABA-accredited US law schools who are US citizens or permanent residents in good standing may apply. JLTLAF expects a complete package with transcript, resume, writing sample, essay, reference letter, biography, and photo. Amounts vary by year and winners are announced at the November gala. Completed applications are due by 5:00 p.m. Central on 25 September 2026.
Striving Solo Parent Scholarship 2027 - $1,000
Daniel R. Bacalis, P.C., a Hurst, Texas family law firm, awards $1,000 each semester through the Striving Solo Parent Scholarship to one single parent enrolled at an accredited US college or university. You must be a US citizen or permanent resident, carry at least a 3.0 GPA in your most recent semester, and submit a 1,500-word essay on one of the firm prompts plus an unofficial transcript, proof of enrollment, and consent to publish your essay. Applications for the Spring 2027 semester are due by 12 March 2027 via dbacalis.com/scholarship or the OVC Scholarship Network portal linked there.
PhRMA Pharmacology Toxicology Starter Grant 2027
The PhRMA Foundation Pharmacology/Toxicology Research Starter Grant historically offered $100,000 for one year of independent faculty research in pharmacology, drug toxicology, or related pharmaceutical sciences when applicants lacked other substantial funding. Current Faculty Starter Grants use the same $100,000 one-year project support model for early promotion-eligible faculty at US universities, though the Foundation has temporarily paused new Faculty Starter Grant applications while it restructures its portfolio. Eligibility when programmes reopen typically requires three first-author publications, faculty appointments after January 1, 2025, terminal degrees conferred on or after January 1, 2017, and no major NIH R or K awards as principal investigator.
Sam's Legacy Drunk Driving Scholarship 2027 - $1,000
Sam''s Legacy: Fighting to End Drunk Driving Scholarship awards $1,000 annually from attorney John H. Fisher and The New York Injury & Malpractice Law Firm, P.C. in memory of Ensign Samuel Cleghorn, a US Naval officer killed by a drunk driver. Nationwide high school seniors, vocational students, and college or graduate students who are US residents in any state or DC may apply with a 3.0+ GPA, resume, transcript, and a 500-750-word essay on education, legislation, and enforcement strategies to reduce drunk driving. AI-generated essays are disqualifying. Preference goes to applicants from or attending school in New York. The next deadline is expected September 1, 2027.
Oleg Fastovsky Outstanding Citizen Scholarship 2026
The Oleg Fastovsky Outstanding Citizen Scholarship from Maryland Criminal Defense Group awards $1,000 to one US student who demonstrates community leadership through service. Applicants enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited post-secondary program for the 2026-2027 school year need a 3.0 cumulative GPA, a 500-to-1,000-word essay on serving your community, a resume focused on citizenship work, an official or combined transcript, and a recommendation letter. The firm checks essays for AI-generated text. Preference goes to Maryland students. Submit before 30 September 2026 and email [email protected] with questions.
NorthCoast Medical Scholarship 2027 - $5,000 OTA
The NorthCoast Medical Scholarship, funded through the American Occupational Therapy Foundation, awards $5,000 to one occupational therapy assistant student each year. You apply through AOTF''s single online scholarship portal, which opens in mid-January 2027 for the 2026-2027 funding cycle. Eligible OTA applicants must be full-time students in an AOTA-accredited or developing OTA program, have finished at least one year of OT-specific coursework, and be in their final year. You also need three references, a resume, essay responses, and a program director statement submitted by the published closing date. AOTF notifies recipients in May.
NLF Scholarships 2026 - Up to $7,500 for Law
The NAPABA Law Foundation fall 2026 combined application covers the NLF Scholarship ($5,000), two NLF Presidential Scholarships ($7,500 each), the Low Family Scholarship ($2,500), and the LimNexus Scholarship ($2,500). US law students at accredited schools, including incoming 1Ls with proof of enrollment, may apply once online by 23 September 2026 at 5 p.m. Eastern. Selection weighs academics, financial need, leadership, and commitment to serving Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. You need two recommendation letters from non-relatives, transcripts, and essays described in the FAQ. Awardees are notified in November 2026.