With the rising cost of college, footing the bill yourself isn't an option for every student. If you have a GED, you can pursue your higher education goals with the help of a scholarship from a college or technical school, a local or state agency or an organization that helps people with special circumstances.

Single Parents

If you're a single parent, have a GED and are enrolling in a post-secondary program, you'll find that there are scholarships that cater to you. For example, Craighead County, Arkansas offers a single-parent scholarship for GED holders. Single parent applicants must live in the county and have an income at or near the federal poverty level. Financial awards vary depending on the availability of funds. Likewise the Ford Family Foundation offers annual scholarships to single parents. Applicants must reside on either Oregon or Siskiyou, California, be a single parent with custody of the child or children and have a GED. The awards vary by need and can total up to 90 percent of the student's school expenses up to $25,000 per year.

School-Specific Scholarships

Some colleges and technical or vocational schools offer their own scholarships for GED recipients. Stevens-Henager College offers the Better Future Scholarship, open to GED holders who plan on earning on degree at the school after completing its preparation program. The $3,000 annual scholarship can be used the school's sites in Idaho and Utah. Likewise, the Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, South Carolina, offers its own scholarship for state-resident students with a GED who are enrolling in one of the school's certificate or associate-degree programs. Certificate students are eligible to receive a one-time $250 scholarship. Associate degree students can receive $500 over the course of two years. Scholarship recipients must take at least six credits per semester. Mississippi's Hinds Community College offers a one-time six-credit course scholarship to GED recipients who are in-state residents, first-time college students and have earned an average of 577 or higher on the equivalency test.

Regional Funds

Some scholarships for GED recipients require a specific residence or are regional funds. For example, Daniels Fund Boundless Opportunity Scholarship is open to students in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. A state-specific example is the Georgia Hope Grant. Georgia residents who have a GED and are attending a two-year, four-year or vocational school may apply for this program. Only students who received a GED from the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education are eligible for this scholarship.

Special Circumstances and Populations

Foster and Adoptive Family Services of New Jersey provides a scholarship to GED recipients who are or have been in the state's foster care system. The organization's Hattie Talley Opportunity Grant, Nachi Franco Memorial Opportunity Grant and Jane W. Smullen Opportunity Grant are specifically for GED recipients. The awards vary based on the student's needs and the availability for funds. All applicants must submit an essay that explains how the foster care system experience shaped their goals. The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth offers two annual $1,500 scholarships for GED holders who were homeless at some point between kindergarten and grade 12. All applicants must submit an essay describing how being homeless influenced their lives and education.

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Writer Bio

Based in Pittsburgh, Erica Loop has been writing education, child development and parenting articles since 2009. Her articles have appeared in "Pittsburgh Parent Magazine" and the website PBS Parents. She has a Master of Science in applied developmental psychology from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education.