Xerox Scholarships
Xerox scholarships for minorities, offered by the copy machine giant of international renown, are available for multiple students from a diverse background. Interested in seeing students join their workforce who have technical know-how, Xerox scholarships for students tend to focus on degree seeking programs in computer science or other technical degrees. The rewards from a Xerox scholarship tend to be pretty high, though the number of scholarships available is not always equally as high. Students will find that a Xerox scholarship is sometimes available through specific institutions, but the bulk of their scholarship money is dedicated to national programs. Students who are ethnic minorities or interested in technical degrees will find a Xerox technical minority scholarship which will suit their needs nicely.
One of the biggest Xerox scholarships available comes in the form of their minority program. This Xerox minority scholarship provides from $1,000 up to $10,000 to a varying number of students every year who are interested in getting a bachelor’s degree in a technical field. During the 2010-2011 academic year, over 60 different students received one of these minority scholarships from Xerox. All applicants interested in the program will need to have at least a 3.0 grade point average, be an ethnic minority, and working towards an undergraduate degree in a specifically acceptable field. Fields of choice are in the hard sciences such as chemistry or physics and other fields such as computer engineering. A complete list of applicable degree programs is available on the Xerox website under the Frequently Asked Questions section. The deadline for submitted an application to this program no later than September 30.
The Xerox College Experiential learning Program (XCEL) is another great scholarship program offered directly by the Xerox Company focusing on technical fields or business learning. Students getting this particular Xerox scholarship will be responsible for working at the company through internships or work study positions. This corporate scholarship pays students based on hours worked or through a credit exchange program with the host college. In order to be eligible for this particular Xerox scholarship students will need to have a 3.0 grade point average, pass a drug test, and be able to legally work in the United States. This program operates on a rolling basis, and students will be able to apply to it throughout the year depending on what type of work they are interested in doing. While not a scholarship program exactly, it does work much like FAFSA work study programs in which students get access to funds by working at an academic institution. In this case students not only receive money which they can use for school or other educational needs, but they also gain valuable experiences and insights by participating in the program.
Apart from those two programs, there are not many other nationally available Xerox programs. What generally is the case is that Xerox may from time to time offer grants to educational institutions which may then be used to establish scholarship programs. The company also has a number of programs it operates internally which are not scholarships but will give students access to valuable experiences in the work place. The Xerox Student Careers website is a great place for students interested in engineering or business fields to take a look at. It gives not only details on the company’s minority scholarship but also introduces students to their future careers.
Students interested in Xerox scholarships can always attempt to find one at their local university, though with the limited amount of such programs that exist they will be unlikely to find one. In 2010 grants were given to North Carolina, Howard University, Spelman College and Morgan State University to give access to education to minority students. Additional grant money was given to California Polytech, City College of New York and the University of Central Florida through a different program targeting specifically Hispanic students. While Xerox is interested in hiring good workers, their giving tends to be heavily biased towards creating opportunities for minority students interested in technical degrees.