Scholarships for specific careers can be invaluable for students who have decided exactly what career to pursue. These programs may provide financial assistance based solely on personal interest, recent accomplishments, and passion for a particular type of work. These scholarships can be awarded on the basis of broad interest or a more limited scope. There are several different groups that make these kinds of programs available for slightly different reasons.
Professional associations
Associations such as those that exist nationwide for professionals such as lawyers, doctors, or carpenters often advance the career field. This includes enriching the available talent pool so that new breakthroughs or developments can be made that add value to everyone working in the industry. Professional scholarships are often awarded to promising students who have the talent and passion to make a difference that could impact their entire career.
advocacy groups
There are a number of job-specific grants sponsored by think tanks or advocacy groups that advance a particular cause. This could be the use of green building materials, the study of a particular disease, or the promotion of a particular philosophy. These groups provide assistance to students who show a genuine interest in a particular area. They may also give awards to students who pursue a specific major and align with the organization's values. These programs sometimes include obligations such as attending a dinner, speaking at an event, joining the group in some way, and participating in activities outside of the university.
government organizations
City, state, and federal agencies may offer job-specific grants for a variety of reasons. This may include a marked deficit in a particular type of work that is critical to maintaining the existing social infrastructure. Some awards are given to try to keep students in a particular geographic area after graduation. There are even scholarship awards designed to encourage college graduates to enter public service as engineers, politicians, or administrators. Some of the government scholarship programs are very prestigious and can be a good addition to any resume.
Business
Companies and organizations offer many job-specific scholarships. This can be done to help stimulate innovation. It can also be done to encourage students to enter new fields of study so that when new technologies arrive there will be trained workers who can maintain and operate the systems. Sometimes companies focus their efforts on graduate students doing research. Sponsoring this research may allow the company to find the next generation of talented employees.