If you are an incoming college student and you have been scouting for opportunities to help you pay for college expenses, you most certainly have encountered the many types of scholarships available these days. There are scholarship types that are common, while there are those that are cut out for a specific class, group, or field of interest. Examples of these are athletic scholarships and minority scholarships.

Then there are those that fall under the bizarre cluster; those scholarship grants that were made for people with unique abilities or characteristics. These scholarship grants were established to prove that nothing can keep a person from getting a college diploma, no matter how unique or special he is. This cluster is where the tall scholarships belong to.

Tall scholarships, as the name implies, are for unusually tall who wish to earn college degrees. The Tall Clubs International, an organization founded in 1938, is one of the most prominent sponsors of scholarship grants for tall people.

The Tall Scholars

The Tall Clubs International (TCI) is comprised of over 2,000 members and made up of 50 member clubs who maintain the organizations primary goal of providing great opportunities for tall people. The organization aims to promote the beauty of being tall by traveling around the world and making people aware of it. In addition, the Tall Club International has also developed activities that lanky men and women could easily take part in and enjoy. It provides an arena for above-average-height individuals to meet, socialize, and express themselves sans the hassle of discrimination. Aside from holding conventions, gatherings, pageants, and other social activities, the organization also keeps a fund for students who plan to have a college diploma.

The tall scholarship grants sponsored by TCI is open to both men and women who are seeking to pursue college degrees despite their limited financial resources. Only applicants who are 21 years old and younger are welcome to apply. There is also a height requirement: 6'2” for men and 5'10” for women.

However, age and height are not the only things needed to qualify for a TCI tall scholarship. Unlike with other scholarship programs where anybody could just apply, applicants for the TCI scholarship program must be nominated by a TCI member to qualify for the scholarship. Every once in a while, TCI members are sent out to hold scholarship drives that will get the organization a number of deserving individuals who will go up against each other to win the grant. Application forms of chosen candidates would then be submitted to the TCI office, after which will be evaluated to determine the winners.

TCI members are spread out all over the United States. The best way to get them to nominate you is to visit the nearest TCI office in your area. Get to know the TCI members and win his approval by proving that you are worth the investment. Keep in mind that TCI strictly admits applicants through nomination. There is no way you can directly apply for the organization's scholarship grant because it does not entertain applications from non-nominees.

Become a TCI Member’s Bet

If you are thinking of becoming a TCI scholarship program nominee, you should think of ways on how to get the TCI members to notice you. One way to do this is to stand out from the crowd—and this is not just referring to your height. Since getting nominated is the only way you can take advantage of a tall scholarship grant, you have to do your best to impress the TCI people.

Although TCI does not actually have a definite set of rules for choosing nominees, members of the selection panel still makes it sure that tthe candidates meet the organization's expectations. More often than not, candidates are picked based on their financial need and of course, their merits. For a student to nail a scholarship grant, he must be able to display his abilities that will assure the sponsors that he's worth it. It would also not hurt if the candidate is active in community services and other extracurricular activities. As a matter of fact, a lot of scholarship programs prefer students who are dynamically involved in the society.

Like any other scholarship type, applying for a tall scholarship would require some legwork. Prepare yourself to run the extra mile because in the end, the effort you exert in applying for the scholarship grant will be all worth it in the end. Nothing is more rewarding than an opportunity to finish a degree without shelling a single cent!