Future psychology students may be eligible for general academic achievement scholarships. In addition, there are many psychology scholarships designed specifically for students in this field. Psychology scholarships may be offered by a university or college. The awards may be available to incoming students, or later in college, after a student officially enters a psychology program.

Psychology scholarships aren't the only awards available. Student may also be eligible for specific grants or fellowships. These may be for general school study or certain research projects.

It is easy to confuse psychiatrists with psychologists. Psychiatry is an area of medicine that involves helping patients with their mental health via therapy or prescription drug treatment.

Psychology, however, deals with mental perceptions and behavior. Psychologists study humans and animals, observing how they think and how they deal with situations. They study relationships, perception, cognition, emotion and interaction.

Psychology students will spend plenty of time in the lab. This is, after all, the place where Pavlov's research made his dogs famous. College allows psychology students the opportunity to form and then test in the lab their own ideas. Students can also be expected to aid in the research of professors and fellow students. Work in the lab may provide students with an opportunity to earn extra credit in the classroom or even cash to supplement their scholarships. Psychologists conduct research in various settings, but students can expect to observe the behavior and thinking patterns of animals and people.

The American Psychology Association offers psychology scholarships to incoming students. The group's Web site says the APA, based in Washington, D.C., is the world's largest association of psychologists with 148,000 members. The APA's site has good information for potential psychology students, or anyone wanting to learn more about the field. They have lots of reading material on accredited college programs, careers, recommended books, a student forum and even help finding jobs. Each year, the group hosts a convention.

Psychology students have other scholarship options besides the APA awards. Psychology students may enroll in Psi Chi, the national honor society. They give psychology scholarships and research grants to students across the country.