The Ombudsman is an unbiased resource for helping families plan for post-secondary education including savings plans/strategies, identifying grant and scholarship resources, completing the Federal Student Aid process, understanding post-secondary admissions and financial aid packages sent to families by prospective colleges, universities and trade schools.
Scholarships and Grants
On page, , replace the listed below scholarships with the information listed below.
SPIE Optics and Photonics Scholarship
Date: February 15, 2026
Amount: Up to $11,000
GPA Requirement: N/A
Description: Applicants must be student members of SPIE; must be enrolled full-time in an optics photonics imaging or optoelectronics program or related discipline at an accredited school; must be in high school or secondary school, undergraduate or graduate school.
McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship
Date: February 17, 2026
Amount: Up to $100,000
GPA Requirement: 2.8
Description: Applicants must be current high school senior who is eligible to attend a two or four-year college, university, or vocational/technical school; must be legal U.S. resident or Dreamer/DACA recipient; must be less than 21 years of age; Must be of Hispanic/Latino heritage.
Davidson Fellows Scholarships
Date: February 18, 2026
Amount: Up to $100,000
GPA Requirement: N/A
Description: Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents residing in the U.S. or be stationed overseas due to active U. S. military duty. The applicant must be no older than 18 years old by application deadline. Application can be submitted in teams of two, but both parties must meet eligibility requirements. This scholarship requires an in-depth project submission.
2026 National Association of Black Journalists
Date: February 27, 2026
Amount: Up to $2,500
GPA Requirement: 3.0
Description: Multiple scholarships are available at this site. Applicant must be an undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a career in journalism with at least one year of school remaining at the time of application and disbursement of funds at an accredited U.S. college/university. Applicant must be a National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) member in good standing.
Achieving My Potential Scholarship
Date: February 28, 2026
Amount: $2,000
GPA Requirement: 2.0
Description: Applicants must be enrolled in a trade school, undergraduate, graduate program, or any other post-secondary school within the United States. A resume, transcript, and essay are required.
The LAGRANT Foundation Scholarships
Date: February 27, 2026
Amount: Up to $2,500 (Undergraduate) and $3,750 (Graduate)
GPA Requirement: 3.2
Description: Multiple scholarships for undergraduate, graduate, Ph.D., and TLF Healthcare M & C. available. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients. Must identify as one of the following ethnic groups: African American/Black, Asian American/ Pacific Islander, Hispanic/ Latino, or Native American/ American Indian. Students must be enrolled full-time and attending four-year accredited institutions in the U.S. and majoring in the fields of advertising, marketing, or public relations. An essay, reference letter, resume, transcripts, and headshot photo are required.