The Robert Byrd Scholarship gives free money to thousands of students every year. Take a look at the 6 simple qualifications.
The more formal name of the scholarship is the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program. You apply through your state to get the award.
The federal government set up this program to help good students go to school. You can use this scholarship at any accredited college or university in the country, one excellent benefit of this scholarship.
History
Robert Byrd was a senator from WV. He had a hard life, so he started giving students money in his home state. It worked so well and helped so many students, he created a bill for a national program that would provide a scholarship to good students. It is now a national scholarship program throughout the 50 states and territories of the USA.
Application Requirements
You need to meet all of these during the school year you apply.
1.  Be a graduate of a public or private secondary school or have received the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma (GED).
So if you go any high school in the country, or pass the test for a general equivalency diploma, you have a shot at this scholarship.
2.  Be a legal resident of the State in which he or she applies.
This one is so easy it is really more of a paperwork item. Just be sure to apply in the state where you live. In most cases, the state where you or your parents pay taxes will be the right state.
3.  Be a U.S. citizen or national of the United States or show that the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service has given you permanent residency or is in the United States for other than a short term purpose.
Fairly simple – have your paperwork in order. If you are here on a long term student visa, you likely don’t qualify. Basically, you need to be planning to become a US citizen.
4.  Have applied or been accepted for enrollment at an accredited institution of higher education. As long as you have full time student status, and the school has accreditation, you can go to any school. An online college should work if it meets these criteria.
This school has to be accredited and offer legitimate degrees. Your school doesn’t need to be in your home state, either. You can attend anywhere in the US, any state or territory or District of Columbia.
5.  No defaults on a Federal student loan or other obligations that would disqualify you.
For good reason, the government has instituted rules to get a student loan. You can’t apply for a new one if you have an old one in default, and government scholarships get the same treatment.
Two other things come to mind in this category. First, if you owe a repayment on a federal grant. Second, if you have a drug conviction on your record, you may need to go through rehab or do some paperwork to retain eligibility. IN most cases, you can regain eligibility.
6.  Young men must register for the selective service
Fairly standard for a government award.
Only one group of high school graduates in the United States can’t apply for the Byrd at all. A student attending a military academy is ineligible, because all military academy students get a full 4 year scholarship.
This scholarship had over $40 million in funding this year – that will help thousands of students. Apply, and see if you can be one of them.
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