More than 2 million students per year are home schooled in the United States and the numbers increase every year. While there’s a lot of sacrifice going into providing that first rate education one thing homeschoolers don’t have to sacrifice is a college education.

While most scholarships don’t specifically exclude homeschoolers from applying, more and more are specifically including and even encouraging homeschoolers to apply. This may have something to do with the widely publicized studies revealing that homeschoolers have consistently scored higher on college entrance exams than their public school counterparts for the last eight years.

Homeschoolers should follow the same guidelines as other students when preparing for college. This means taking the SAT/ACT in your junior year as well as being active in your community. Many scholarship selection criteria lists extracurricular activities and/or community service as part of the decision process when awarding scholarships. That’s because scholarship committees recognize that while homeschoolers may not have the opportunity to be active in school-sponsored events, anyone can be involved in their community.

Every community has volunteer opportunities available for high school and college age young men and women that would not only benefit your community but would look great on a scholarship and/or college admissions application. Homeschoolers really have an advantage when it comes to preparing for college because of the flexibility to plan community and volunteer activities.

Don’t be put off by scholarships that require a specific GPA either because there are many such scholarships awarded to homeschoolers each year. True, you’re going to need high test scores to compete but the fact is anyone applying for scholarships needs to have high test scores and this is exactly what homeschoolers have become famous for. Some colleges and universities even openly recruit homeschoolers and set aside a homeschool day for just this purpose.

Here are just a few examples:

State Scholarships-Wyoming

Check out all scholarships pertaining to your state of residence. Chances are, state scholarships won’t be specific to homeschoolers but will either specifically include homeschoolers or won’t exclude them. This is just one example of a state scholarship that gives specific instructions for homeschoolers.

Hathaway Scholarship awards need and merit based scholarships to eligible students. Although GPA is a selection criterion for non-homeschooled students, students who are homeschooled can bypass this requirement and submit a list of classes completed and ACT or WorkKeys score. Homeschoolers must meet all other eligibility criteria and apply for admission to a post-secondary institution before the age of 21.

Applicants must meet the Hathaway scholarship specific requirements as set forth by the four different scholarships: Hathaway Career, Opportunity, Performance or Honor. Hathaway scholarships are for study at accredited Wyoming community colleges as well as the University of Wyoming.

For more information about the Wyoming Hathaway Scholarship and to view scholarship specific eligibility requirements, visit the Hathaway Scholarship Portal at the Wyoming Department of Education website.

Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) – Patrick Henry College – Purcellville, VA

PHC Scholarship awards scholarships to eligible HSLDA members ranging from $1,000 to $1,500. This is a Christian college appealing primarily to Christian homeschoolers. Applicants must have financial need, outstanding academic achievement and be involved in community service. Applicant must be PHC Freshman who was homeschooled through high school and applicant’s family must have been member of HSLDA for 4 years.

Applicant must also submit two letters of recommendation and a personal testimony. For precise requirements and to access online application, read this pdf document.

Oral Roberts University – Homeschool Grant

Award amount is $2000. Applicant must have been homeschooled for 4 years and graduated from a homeschool. Must have already been accepted to ORU to apply. For more information and/or to apply for this scholarship, go here.

Michigan State University

Like many other colleges and universities across the United States, MSU not only welcomes homeschoolers but they also welcome scholarship applications from homeschoolers and require the same information from homeschoolers as they do traditional students, although it is understood that homeschool transcripts may be slightly different than those from traditional high schools.

Arizona Homeschool Scholarship Fund

In the summer of 2000, Arizona Families for Home Education (AFHE) formed the Arizona Homeschool Scholarship Committee (AHSC). Comprised of Valley business professionals, the AHSC established criteria and an administrative process to operate the Fund. Under the oversight of the AFHE Board of Directors, the AHSC reviews applications and recommends scholarship awards for qualified students.

From 2001 to 2009 the AHSC has awarded more than $50,000 to 39 outstanding homeschool applicants. To further expand the program AHSC has now added designated scholarships. The designated scholarship program allows donations in the name of an individual, family, business, or other entity. This approach allows donors to personalize the scholarships by specifying such things as amount, conditions, title, and purpose.

Those applying for scholarships should review the Arizona Homeschool Scholarship Fund Application Information and all designated offered scholarships before filling out the Scholarship Fund Application. These can be found on this Scholarship Opportunities link.

Homeschoolers should conduct their scholarship search just like other students. Most scholarships listed online provide an email address or a phone number of someone who is available to answer any questions about the scholarship or the application process.

You can also find scholarships by following this link:

http://www.homeschool.com/homeschool_contests_and_scholorships/default.asp