Whether you are a college aspirant or not, you would know that getting a college education is not that easy. As academically challenging as college is, it is also extremely expensive, making it inaccessible for a number of aspirants. The cost of higher education in national universities increased by 179% between 1995 to 2015, statistics that are steep enough to blow anyone’s mind. And this is just the cost of the tuition, not including the additional expenses such as on-campus recreational services, technology fees, and others. Not only finding the right job after college graduation is a challenging feat, but also getting into college is full of financial obstacles.

So what can you do if you want to pursue higher education but don’t have the resources to? A good option is to go for the various federal, state, and private scholarships that help eligible students share the cost of college based on merit, type of program, and even cultural background. All these scholarships are exceptional, but some private scholarships offer generous sums to deserving students every year, ranging from millions to even billions of dollars! Some of these offer an absolutely “free ride,” whereas others compensate for a generous portion of an eligible student’s costly degree programs.

Let us look at seven of the biggest private colleges, foundations and corporations scholarships programs that are bound to widen your eyes and take your breath away if you are looking to apply.

1. The Gates Millennium Scholars Program

• Deadline: January 13
• Amount Offered: $12,785 (on average)

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program is funded by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and is one of the biggest scholarships offered by this Fund. It helps approximately 1,000 students sustain the high costs of college every year, awarding an average of $13,000 per student between 2000 and 2014. The Gates Millennium Scholars Program is a whopping $1.6 million initiative that helps support minorities’ avail of college education and is one of the many post-secondary awards that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awards.

2. Davidson Fellows Scholarship

• Deadline: February 8
• Amount Awarded: Up to $50,000

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is as impressive as any other private scholarship program, even though it does not touch upon the annual giving goals that others set. Since its birth, this prestigious scholarship program has offered 286 scholarships worth more than $6.7 million to eligible students. With its exceptional individual high-dollar awards, students can win undergraduate scholarships from $10,000 to $50,000 annually.

Students who have made critical contributions to the following fields are especially considered for this program:

• Literature
• Engineering
• Technology
• Music
• Philosophy
• Mathematics
• Science

But that does not mean others cannot apply: students in other fields are eligible for a separate “Outside the Box” award.

3. Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

• Deadline: August
• Amount Awarded: $20,000

Coca-Cola is much more than the favorite Cola brand: it offers around 1,400 scholarships worth $3.45 million in three national programs. The largest of these scholarship programs is the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, which awards 150 scholarships worth $20,000 each to exceptional high school seniors with academic and extracurricular potential. Some other awards offered by Coca-Cola include the Leaders of Promise program and the Community College Academic Team, which awards 200 scholarships each year ranging between $1,000 to $1,500.

4. Gates Cambridge Scholarship

• Deadline: October 12 for U.S. residents
• Amount Awarded: Variable

Bill and Melinda Gates are the primary force behind the establishment of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. They awarded the world-famous Cambridge University with a generous amount of $210 million in 2000, which was the single largest-ever donation ever made to the institute. This huge amount has allowed “full-ride” scholarships for more than 1,400 Cambridge students, offering them to 100 new students every year.

Although the scholarship amount awarded varies per student, it covers not only the fees and full tuition expenditure but also fieldwork, maternity/paternity funding, continuing education costs for graduate students, childcare (if applicable ), and the maintenance of a student visa. This United Kingdom award also includes economy airfare tickets provided at the start and end of each course.

5. Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship Program

• Deadline: January 23
• Amount Awarded: $25,000

The Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship Program is quite interesting: it does not depend on your grades or how good you are at a particular sport. Neither do you have to indulge in the hassles of test scores, essays, and right or wrong answers? So how can you avail of this scholarship? All you have to do is submit a 2-minute video that covers your life’s passion in a storyline.

It can be a plain old testimonial, an animation, or a short film; the competition does not depend upon how well you make a film, but rather, you explain your passion and express your desire for the Live Más Scholarship program. But if you are a parent, subsidiary of a parent, licensee, franchisee, or a part of the advertising and promotion agencies of Taco Bell Foundation, Inc., Taco Bell Corp., and Taco Bell of America, LLC.

6. Denny’s Hungry for Education

• Deadline: 13th December
• Amount Awarded: Up to $28,000

Denny’s Hungry for Education Scholarships believes in the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities as pivotal cultural forces in the African-American community. It offers scholarships to young minds in Historically Black Colleges and Universities to help them lead the next generation. These selected individuals are also allowed to connect with guidance counselors and other school leaders to connect and reconnect with the intricacies of higher education.

7. Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program

• Deadline: December 30
• Amount Awarded: $20,000

Foot Locker awards 20 scholarships worth $20,000 to deserving high school senior athletes planning to pursue a career in the sport of their choice in a four-year accredited university immediately after graduation. Not only does this scholarship program promote academic leadership but also a robust moral character and fair sportsmanship amongst the students competing. One of the lucky recipients of this scholarship is also awarded the Ken C. Hicks Scholarship in addition to the Scholar Athletes award, piling on an additional $5,000 to the total scholarship amount. But the $20,000 scholarship amount is not awarded at once: it is broken down into equal annual payments that cover the course of four undergraduate years.

Summing Up

Getting a college education can be challenging both financially and academically, but there is no reason why you should give up. There are various secondary routes that you can adopt to reach your academic destination, one of them being private colleges, foundations and corporations scholarships. So do your homework, apply everywhere, and believe in yourself! To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.