Many students would never think to look for scholarships through their Internet and cable provider. However, The Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program was developed was developed to reward high achieving students who graduate from Comcast service areas. In addition to residing in a community that Comcast services, students must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership skills, and a history of being an active member of the community. To date, over 23,000 students have received funding from Comcast. The program was developed in 2001 and since that time, it has awarded over $24 million dollars in scholarships in an effort to help students reach their goal of obtaining a higher education.
In order to be eligible for this award, students must be full-time high school students and reside in a community that Comcast serves. Furthermore, a grade point average of at least 2.8 is required in order to apply. Applicants must plan to enroll in an accredited institution that is located in the United States. Many schools are eligible, including vocational and technical schools. Students are required to be nominated by a guidance counselor or their high school principal. Furthermore, the student must have documented leadership skills that are evidence through involvement in school activities or through a job. Nominees should demonstrate a high level of interest and involvement in community service activities.
Since this is a nomination-based award, the application is not open to every student. In fact, schools are limited in that they may only nominate one high school student to receive this award. The award itself provides a one-time scholarship worth $1,000 to winners. Students do not need to be Comcast customers in order to be eligible for this award. However, employees of Comcast as well as family members of Comcast employees are not eligible for the scholarship.
The application process for this award is slightly different from other scholarships. Once a school determines the student that they would like to nominate, they provide the student’s first and last name, the student’s grade point average, and the e-mail address of the student nominee. After that time, the student will need to validate their nomination by entering something called a Comcast School Code, which they will receive from their high school. Nominees will also have to agree to a media release if they are at least 18 years of age. If the student is younger than 18, a parent must accept the media release conditions on behalf of the minor student.
In addition to the Leaders and Achievers Program, Comcast also has higher levels of scholarship funding through their Gustavo G. Amsterdam Leadership Award and Comcast Founders Scholarship programs. The Founders Scholarships provides up to $10,000 in funding in memory of Ralph Roberts, the founder of Comcast. This award also recognizes students who volunteer in their community and excel academically. Unlike many other scholarships, this funding opportunity only requires applicants to have a mediocre grade point average, but looks for evidence of community engagement.