Find Scholarships for College Degrees That Employers Want
The Scholarship Coach has on several occasions featured scholarship opportunities for in-demand majors. Past subjects have included high-paying future jobs with great postgraduate placement, great majors focused on STEM fields and majors outside science and engineering fields.
Now, we want to take one more look at some in-demand fields. These areas didn't quite fit into either of the previous discussions the topic, and they may not be the first that come to mind.
These majors are featured on this year's ThinkAdvisor list of 30 majors with the highest starting salary, and they're worth looking into if you're undeclared, undecided or just feeling out your options.
[Find additional advice on paying for college.]
Construction management: Construction is traditionally blue-collar job. But, as outlined by U.S. News, builders are looking more and more for construction managers who have real-world experience and a bachelor's degree.
A course of study in construction management combines classes from the worlds of architecture, civil engineering and hands-on carpentry. The median mid-career salary ranges upward of $80,000 per year, according to ThinkAdvisor's list.
This growing field is rich in scholarships for undergraduate students. You can get a decent overview of scholarship programs at ConstructMyFuture.com, a website run by a group of construction industry trade associations.
In addition, the Associated General Contractors of America offers current college students scholarships worth $2,500 per year, renewable for up to three years.
[Check out these scholarships for architecture students.]
Supply chain management: Global business has never operated more quickly or with more international complexity. As a result, the once-obscure major of supply chain management is growing in popularity at business schools.
The University of Illinois advertises the program as being "for those who are innovative enough to think creatively, yet meticulous enough to forecast the big picture."
Thanks to the unique personalities and requirements of the job, supply chain managers can earn as much as $50,000 right out of school, according to ThinkAdvisor.
The L.L. Waters Scholarship, presented by the American Society of Transportation and Logistics, is one of the longest-running scholarships focused on logistics and supply chain management.
This year's winner was just announced and applications open in April for the annual award. In addition, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals gives out a number of awards through its local and regional "roundtables." And most schools that offer the program, such as Rutgers University, have dedicated scholarships.
[Get tips on finding and applying for college scholarships.]
Actuarial mathematics: This relatively new major is another product of business complexity. Just like supply chain management reflects new skills needed in production, actuarial math reflects new needs of the financial world.
Today's high-level financial and insurance professionals require a specialized combination of math, statistics, economics and analysis, and ThinkAdvisor's featured list notes that skill set is worth a median mid-career salary of more than $100,000.
Actuarial math doesn't feature a ton of specific, national scholarships. Fortunately, since it's so interdisciplinary - with elements of business, math and science - your school will offer plenty of options.
If you're at a college or business school with a dedicated insurance or risk management department, there are likely to be even more scholarship options. The departmental scholarships at Georgia State University are a good example.
Nursing: As the nation's population ages, employment demand for graduates with health care degrees such as nursing is among the most stable. If you're interested in a career helping people, great nursing programs are available at colleges throughout the country.
In addition, nursing careers offer flexible degree options - you can pursue an associate's or bachelor's to start - a growing field with an average starting salary, according to PayScale.com, of $54,000.
In addition to the scholarships for nurses we've looked at in the past, students currently enrolled in nursing school can apply now for the National Student Nursing Association's scholarship fund and the AfterCollege/AACN $10,000 Scholarship Fund, which awards one $2,500 scholarship each quarter.
Matt Konrad has been with Scholarship America since 2005. He is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota and a former scholarship recipient.
