Non-traditional, or returning, students face particular hardships in going back to school since there are often job or familial obligations that can make the process more difficult. When searching for funding, non-traditional students will often use the same resources as any other student looking for financial aid. This is because most scholarships and awards do not have age requirements attached to them. For a listing of general resources for financial aid, see our FAQ "Where can I find information on college scholarships and fellowships?"
You may want to start the process by taking the Foundation Center's interactive e-learning tutorial, Finding Foundation Support for Your Education, that guides students through the process of seeking financial support from foundations to pursue their studies. Here you will learn the basics about foundations that provide financial aid for individuals, other funding sources beyond foundations, resources for the scholarship seeker, and how to apply. This fully interactive tutorial also includes several worksheets you can download and complete to assist in your search for funding and a self-test to reinforce what you've learned. Free registration and Macromedia Flash Player are required.
Each of the Foundation Center's five libraries has a collection of materials of interest to individual grantseekers. The Foundation Center's information on grantmakers for individuals is available in two formats and may be helpful in your search for foundation funding for your education. They are:
(In the online version, try searching the "Text Search" field using terms such as "Adult," "Non-traditional," or "Returning")
Foundation Grants to Individuals, in both formats, includes information on grantmakers giving to individuals for research and education, for the arts and sciences, and even for personal, living and medical expenses. Information about how to apply for funding from each foundation is included. All Foundation Center libraries and Cooperating Collections provide free public access to the print version of Foundation Grants to Individuals, and some may have the online version as well. These resource tools also may be purchased through the Marketplace.
There are also some resources that are specifically tailored to the returning student that you may find helpful:
For relevant books and articles you can try searching our Catalog of Nonprofit Literature (CNL), the Center's bibliographic database. You could start searching on the subjects "Scholarships, fellowships and loans--adult students." Many of the books and articles found through CNL will be located in Center Libraries and Cooperating Collections. It is best to call ahead to verify a specific library's holdings.
To learn more about foundation funding for individuals, attend our free one-hour class, Finding Foundation Support for Your Education.
Can't find the answer you're looking for in our FAQs? Ask our Online Librarian.
