Between getting an education and pursing their dreams, many celebrities chose the latter. To encourage students to stay in school, a number of stars created scholarships to help fund students' continuing education. Below is a list of the eight greatest.  

1) Alicia Keys’ Open Doors Scholars Program. Students from Jacksonville, New Orleans, Atlanta and New York City’s Harlem will receive $5,000 scholarships from Alicia Keys’ Open Doors Scholar Program. The only catch is that students who win the scholarship must do community service and represent Frum Tha Ground Up, the Jacksonville-based non-profit organization that supports the scholarship.

2) David Letterman’s Telecommunications Scholarship. Telecommunications students at Ball State University can win this scholarship through creative work including audio, video, graphics and film. The winner will win $10,000. The first runner-up will win $5,000 and the second runner-up will win $3,333.

3) Jerry Seinfeld’s Seinfeld Scholarship. New York City public school students are eligible to win this four-year scholarship. Every year, the scholarship will be awarded to students from schools in a specific borough.

4) Bill Gates’ Gates Millennium Scholars Program. This scholarship was designed to provide financial aid for minority students who want to attend college.

5) NBA Phoenix Suns Charity Scholarship. Limited to students in Arizona, awards will be given out to those who demonstrate community service and academic excellence.

6) CosmoGIRL! CG! of the Year Scholarship. In 300 words or less, write an essay about how you made a difference in your community. You can win $20,000 plus a trip to New York City.

7) 50 Cent’s Scholarship through the G-Unity Foundation. This is not a joke. 10 students from the Bayside area of New York City are eligible to win this scholarship. A 2.5 GPA is required as well as a 500-word essay and two letters of recommendation.

8) Magic Johnson’s Taylor Michaels Scholarship through the Magic Johnson Foundation. This scholarship helps promote academic excellence and leadership and professional development by providing internships, computers and a leadership conference. Minority students are eligible to apply.

When applying, it is important to focus on the traits that will set you apart from other applicants. If you have a great life story to tell or a unique talent to share, make sure you showcase that. Scholarship reviewers are constantly looking for diversity among their recipients so be sure to give them something to remember you by! Just don't do it by bending the rules. In fact, your application will go through the shredder if you do so carefully read and follow all the directions. Save your intrepid characteristics for the "Tell Me About Yourself" section.