We love to share scholarships that are of interest to or apply to the motorsports community, and this is a great motorsports scholarship in memory of racer Jeff Krosnoff that we’d like motorsports students to be aware of. All information has be obtained through the Jeff Krosnoff Scholarship Fund website.

The scholarship will award $10,000, payable to the college or university the winner will attend.

Racing was a dream come true for Jeff, and the organizers and sponsors of the scholarship hope that the money awarded will help the recipient in reaching his or her own dreams. The scholarship will not only help Jeff’s legacy live on, but also help in creating a better future for deserving young adults.

Qualifications: Four-year college bound California high school seniors with excellent academic credentials who have demonstrated a breadth of interests, a driving desire to succeed in their chosen endeavors, outstanding community citizenship and the ability to share their experiences through the written word.

Applicants should have a cumulative grade point average in grades 9-12 of at least 3.0.

And complete the application and essay. Don’t write what you think we want to hear.. We’ll know. Be honest and forthcoming.

Each application MUST do the following:

-Complete Student Application Form. (Found on the website.)

-Enclose a copy of your high school transcripts. These transcripts can be unofficial.

-One copy of the essay, which should be 2-4 type printed pages in length, double spaced. Do not hand write your essay.

-Staple your application form, transcripts and other information to your original type printed essay.

-Include only contact information of your references on the application. There is no need to send Letters of References. We will contact your references.

-Send materials postmarked on or before the deadline of January 8, 2014.

-In the case of a close decision there may be a short phone interview.

Are you looking for scholarships to help you pay for or reduce the cost of school? It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, whether you’re returning to school in the fall or it’s winter break, now is the time to start looking and apply for scholarships, whether they are motorsports scholarships or just funding a motorsports education.

No matter where you’re going to be attending school, what age you are, or what you’ll be studying, there are scholarships out there that you can qualify for. But many of the scholarships have deadlines far in advance of the semester so that they can go through applications, decide on a winner and prepare paperwork with your college.

1. GENERAL SEARCH

The first step in getting a scholarship is doing a search on what’s out there. One of the best places to start is Fastweb, an online scholarship search tool. It’s a great way to see what kinds of scholarships are out there, and what it takes to apply for them. You can also purchase a scholarship book but you want to make sure that it’s up to date with the latest information, like The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2012: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, Grants and Prizes.

2. IDENTIFY YOUR STANDOUT QUALITIES

Once you know what kinds of scholarships there are, from essay to application, you’ll want to narrow your search down to your strengths and anything else that makes you unique aside from wanting a motorsports education. Do you go to a church? Do your parents belong to a club or work for a large company? See if those organizations have scholarships available.

Did you grow up farming potatoes? Have you been involved in student government? Are you a skilled photographer? If you’re interested in a motorsports education, you’ve obviously shown some interest in racing. Motorsports scholarships are out there in addition to scholarships targeted towards your other interests and skills. Some include the Ricky Hendrick Scholarship, the Automotive Women’s Alliance Motorsports Scholarship and many more.

3. SEARCH BY SPECIFICS

Do a google or Fastweb search for terms with your standout points along with ‘scholarship’. There are lots of scholarships out there and, whether they offer a $500 prize or a gift card to Amazon.com, every little bit helps when it comes to paying for college.

4. APPLY

Once you identify a few scholarships that you qualify for, it’s time to get to the applications. The strategy that will work the best for most people is to pick less than 10 scholarships and give those the best application you can instead of spreading yourself thin by applying to every scholarship out there.

And the best way to apply? Start. That’s often the hardest part for most people, but it’s the most important. Draft an outline of what you’ll write or do for the scholarship. Then start filling it in slowly. You’ll have a draft of your essay or application. Then, edit it. Then have your parents read it. Then edit it more. Then have a teacher read it. Have everyone you can get look over your application. Very few applicants will do this, so it will improve your application, and chances of getting a scholarship, greatly.

5. BE DEDICATED

Set aside 15 minutes every day for your scholarship search, and make that happen. If you feel like working longer, and often you will, that’s great. If not, at least you’re creating a habit out of it.

Good luck with your scholarship search as you pursue a motorsports education, whether it is at a motorsports engineering school or otherwise!

The Automotive Women’s Alliance offers a scholarship of varying amounts (although the majority appear to be $2,500) quarterly to female students who show a passion for the automotive industry or are pursuing a motorsports education based on a written application.

While this scholarship isn’t specifically a motorsports scholarship, it certainly can be applied to motorsports education if the committee deems it fit. There is no age limit on the scholarship and it can be applied to any type of program as long as the applicant will be applying her education to the automotive industry.

The application is pretty straightforward. In order to apply, students must fill out the application and provide a college transcript or high school transcript and proof of college enrollment, a cover letter (essay-style), and a resume.

There is no deadline, although the description shows that it is awarded quarterly.

Scholarship winners must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA for the year in which they receive the scholarship.

Past scholarship winners have applied their awards to: Colorado School of Mines Mechanical Engineering, Oakland University Human Resource Management, Northwood University Automotive Marketing and Business Management, University of Northwestern Ohio Performance Motorsports and Automotive Management, Rose Hulman Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering, Eastern Michigan University Graduate School Quality Management, Kettering University Mechanical Engineering and many more.

As you can see, it’s not necessary to be in a motorsports or even automotive technology program to qualify for the scholarship. It’s enough to show interest in the automotive industry and have the intent to apply your education to that field. This is a great way to help fund your motorsports education, even if you’re not attending a motorsports engineering school.

Daytona Beach, Fla. (May 12, 2011) – NASCAR today announced the return of the NASCAR Wendell Scott Scholarship Program and the University of Central Florida, DeVos School of Management Scholarship.

For a second consecutive year, the NASCAR Wendell Scott Scholarship Program is funded in part by long-time NASCAR partner UPS. The program was established to provide financial support to deserving African-American and Hispanic students currently enrolled in college who are pursuing degrees in areas of study related to motorsports, including marketing, engineering and public relations.

The scholarship program is part of NASCAR Diversity Affairs’ integrated initiative that includes a scholarship program, mentorship program and summer internship program.

“We are continually seeking ways to further engage students as fans and as future employees of the sport,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR vice president, public affairs and multicultural development. “The goal is to create permanent employment prospects for diverse college students entering the work force through viable, real-world opportunities.”

The NASCAR Wendell Scott Scholarship Program provides annual scholarships administered by the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). In addition, NASCAR and UPS support a scholarship program for students attending the University of Central Florida, DeVos School of Management which offers a master’s program in sports management.

“UPS’s commitment to diversity extends beyond our workforce, and we’re excited to continue our support with NASCAR in this important initiative,” said Ron Rogowski, UPS vice president, global sponsorships & events.

The scholarships are based on the following award criteria:
§ 3.0 GPA requirement
§ Documented financial need
§ College juniors, seniors and graduate students with majors in: business, communications, engineering, mass media, public relations or technology
§ Participation in the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) is encouraged but not required

2010 UNCF NASCAR/UPS Wendell Scott Scholarship recipients:
· Dionna Shamecca Everett, Clafin University, Camden SC
· Barry Antoine Formey, Saint Augustine’s College, Raleigh, NC
· Latrice Rashon Levels, Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, TX
· Nerrissa Mitchell, Xavier University, New Orleans, LA

2010 HACU NASCAR/UPS Wendell Scott Scholarship recipients:
· Yesenia Arrovo, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
· Jocelyn Baez, Florida International University, Miami, FL
· Neida Ortiz, Florida International University, Miami, FL
· Vanessa Ramos, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL

2010 University of Central Florida, DeVos School of Management Scholarship recipients:
· Caitlin Schneider, Class of 2011
· Cristina Ecks, Class of 2011
· Jesse Gardner, Class of 2011
· Kristin Hurst, Class of 2011

Facts about Wendell Scott
Wendell Scott was the first African American driver to win a NASCAR Cup race. He won in NASCAR’s premier series on Dec. 1, 1963, on a 1-mile dirt track in Jacksonville, Fla. Wendell Scott made 495 starts during his career and posted 147 top-10 finishes before retiring in 1973. Scott died in 1990. As part of an ongoing effort to recognize trailblazers in the sport, Wendell Scott was recognized during the Las Vegas Race the weekend of March 4-6, 2011, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of his first start – March 4, 1961 in Spartanburg, SC.

If you happen to have a parent who works for the Hendrick Automotive Group, you might be interested in applying for the Ricky Hendrick Scholarship Fund. The Hendrick organization is giving away up to 50 motorsports scholarships worth $2,500 towards higher education.

The motorsports scholarship is very easy to apply for: just provide a transcript, a personal statement and sign the terms of agreement. The Ricky Hendrick Scholarship can be applied to any college and any major. Motorsports engineering and mechanical engineering are both eligible, so if you’re interested in motorsports education this is definitely worth applying for. The scholarship application opens on April 1 and closes on May 31, 2011. Learn more here: https://www.scholarshipprograms.org/hendrick/index.php