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Metro guide

Birmingham scholarships & local foundations

The Birmingham metro area covers Jefferson County and Shelby County in Alabama, with principal cities including Birmingham, Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Bessemer. We haven’t confirmed a scholarship limited to this metro yet, so this guide leads with local foundations, statewide awards and state aid.

The IRS lists 1 community foundation with at least $1 million in assets based in the area’s principal cities; the largest is The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham in Birmingham ($351 million in assets). Community foundations hold hundreds of small donor-funded scholarships, often limited to graduates of specific high schools or residents of one county, and many use a single shared application each winter.

Statewide, 4 more open awards are limited to Alabama residents, and state aid includes Alabama Student Assistance Program (ASAP). Federal Pell Grants stack on top for students who file the FAFSA.

Where local money hides: ask your school counselor for the local scholarship bulletin (many high schools keep one), check employer and union awards from your parents’ workplaces, and look at service clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions) and credit unions near you. These awards rarely appear on national sites, which is why their applicant pools are small.

Scholarships naming the Birmingham area (0)

None confirmed right now. See the foundations and statewide awards below.

Community foundations in the Birmingham area (1)

The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
Birmingham, AL · $351 million in assets (IRS)
Scholarships page ↗

State aid for Birmingham students

Alabama Student Assistance Program (ASAP)
Alabama · Alabama Commission on Higher Education

$300–$5,000 per year

Official page ↗

Statewide awards open to Birmingham residents (4)

49 days left

Alabama Power Foundation (APF) Community Scholarship

$2,500 · Alabama Power Foundation (administered by Scholarship America) · High school senior

Alabama high school seniors living in an Alabama Power service-territory county (not Colbert, DeKalb, Jackson, Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison, Morgan or Pike) who will enroll full-time at an accredited two- or four-year college or vocational-technical school.

Deadline Dec 7, 2026, 3 p.m. CT.
AL
88 days left

Smith Scholarship (J. Craig and Page T. Smith Scholarship Foundation)

$500 to $120,000 (multiyear awards) · J. Craig and Page T. Smith Scholarship Foundation · High school senior

Alabama residents graduating from an Alabama high school (homeschool accepted) with at least a C+ average who plan to attend an in-state Alabama college.

2026–27 application open now; due Jan 15, 2027, 11:59 p.m. CT. A new community college transfer scholarship opens January 2027.
AL
109 days left

Jimmy Rane Foundation Scholarship

$500 to $6,000 per year · Jimmy Rane Foundation · High school senior

High school seniors no older than 20 on Aug 1, 2027, living in AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NE, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV or DC; financial need is a major factor.

Application opens Dec 1, 2026; application and materials due Feb 5, 2027 (recommendations by Feb 10). No late applications.
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119 days left

CollegeCounts Scholarship (Alabama)

$4,000 (four-year college) or $2,000 (two-year college) · Office of the Alabama State Treasurer (CollegeCounts 529) · High school senior / first-year college student

Alabama residents and U.S. citizens who are high school seniors or first-time college freshmen with financial need, at least a 2.75 GPA and an ACT of 29 or below (no ACT needed for two-year schools), enrolling at an eligible Alabama institution.

Application period opens Dec 1, 2026 and closes Feb 15, 2027 (the FAQ lists Feb 28; plan for Feb 15).
AL

Full Alabama guide → · All community foundations

Frequently asked questions

Are there local scholarships in Birmingham?

We haven’t confirmed one that’s open right now, but the IRS lists 1 community foundations in the area’s principal cities, and most run local scholarships.

How do community foundation scholarships work?

Donors set up funds with rules such as a specific high school, county, major or need. The foundation advertises them together, usually with one online application each winter or spring, and matches applicants to every fund they qualify for.

What state aid can Birmingham students get?

Alabama Student Assistance Program (ASAP). Most require the FAFSA.