Scholarships and Financial Aid 
Non-WMU Scholarships
Athena Foundation
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Be a female who has completed or will have completed at least one year of post secondary education by May;
- Be at least 30 years or older;
- Provide current year application, references and transcript;
- Must be enrolled for the fall semester of 2010 at a West Michigan area accredited 4 year, 2 year, or technical or vocational program, which should demonstrate a commitment to a professional, business or entrepreneurial career; and
- Have limited financial resources.
Thomas N. and Juanita A. Bos Family Scholarship
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Be a Hamilton or Otsego High School graduate who attended HHS or OHS in their junior and senior years.
- Carry a minimum GPA of 3.0 (high school and/or college)
- Exemplify leadership and good citizenship
- Prior to award, applicants must be accepted to Western Michigan University as a full or part time student OR be currently attending Western Michigan University
- Be pursuing a career in teaching or nursing
Questions: (269) 673-8344.
Irma Gelhausen Scholarship
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Must be in the third year or more of college/university studies and pursuing a career in elementary or secondary education
- Must possess a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for post-secondary studies
- Must be a resident of Lapper County, MI
- More information
- Complete the application
The Jackson Community Foundation Scholarships
- Education Scholarships including the Antonia Dellas Memorial Scholarship, June Danby and Pat Pearse, and Martha and Oliver Hansen Memorial Scholarship
- High School Specific Scholarships (Each award is specific to a Jackson County High School) including the William and Beatrice Kavanaugh Scholarship, Ruth Creps Scholarship, Robert P. Ernest Scholarship, and the Eleanor A. Ernest Scholarship
Kalamazoo Rotary Scholarship
Deadline: Postmark by Mar. 31
Horace Mann Educator Scholarship Program
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Be a K-12 educator currently employed by a public or private school in the U.S. with two years teaching experience
- Plan on entering an accredited public or private, not for profit college or university
- Not be a resident of Hawaii, New Jersey, or New York.
MI Teach – Early Childhood Scholarship
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Pursue a bachelor's degree (B.A.) in Child Development or Early Childhood Education and have earned 55 semester credits.
- Currently work at least 30 hours per week in a licensed child care center, group home, or regulated home.
- Be admitted to Western Michigan University, eligible for in-state tuition.
- Have worked in a child care facility for one year
- Apply for PELL grant (Preference to recipients)
Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Have completed a minimum of 60 semester hours credit hours by the start of the next school year
- Have attained and maintained a grade point average of 2.75 or higher
- Be registered at a four year college or university within the state of Michigan
- Be taking classes toward a Bachelor's degree
- Must be pursuing a major or minor in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a related field
Gail and Hilda Oster Scholarship
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Van Buren County resident who is a graduating high school senior or graduate, or a high school senior or graduate from a high school within Van Buren County.
- Plan to enroll full-time in a bachelor's degree program at WMU in education or mathematics
- Have a 2.75 grade point average as a high school senior or college undergraduate; financial need
PDK Scholarship
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Be a high school senior who intends to attend college and major in education
Pearls of Service Foundation
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Be enrolled in a College of Education as a sophomore or above
- Have a GPA of 3.0
- Application
Women's Education Coalition Grant Program
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Be an adult woman who is underemployed or unemployed (Preference given to underemployed, working mothers)
- Have had a significant break in formal education
- Need education to become financially self-sufficient
- Be a resident of Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, or Van Buren counties in Michigan.