Scholarships!

Free money!  Gift aid! Because scholarships do not have to be repaid, they are a coveted way to help finance the expenses of college. The challenge is being awarded a scholarship!

There are many different types of scholarships and places that offer scholarships.  Students can earn scholarships for good grades, doing well in athletics, being a leader, or having an interest in a particular career or major.  Besides scholarships offered by colleges, big and small companies, organizations, government entities and local businesses also give out scholarships for college tuition or other expenses.

Most scholarships require an application while some also require an essay, a letter of recommendation, a copy of transcripts and your test scores.  You should never have to pay a fee to apply for a scholarship or pay to find scholarships.  

Merit Scholarships

Some colleges (many private schools) offer Academic Merit scholarships based on some combination of your GPA, rank and/or SAT/ACT scores. Some colleges actually list the merit awards so you can see what level of academic merit you might qualify for based on your credentials. Usually you are automatically considered for the Merit Scholarships when you submit your application.  Most colleges will accept new scores and GPAs until a certain deadline for the merit scholarships even after you have submitted your application. Be sure to check with your colleges.

Non-Merit College Scholarships

Many colleges offer scholarships in a particular major, through a department in the college, for a specific club or organization or through athletics.  Many of these scholarships require a separate scholarship application. You can find information about scholarships on the college websites under Financial Aid, Finances, Scholarships, etc.  Or email or call your designated admissions counselor or the admissions office to get more specifics on the types of scholarships they offer and how to apply. Most schools are happy to help you figure out how to finance your attendance.

Outside Scholarships

Who else offers scholarships? Many national and local businesses offer scholarships.  In addition, organizations, churches and clubs also offer scholarships. Maybe you have family in the military or your culture or religion might make you eligible for some scholarships.  There are even scholarships based on your intended major, your career interests, or your extracurricular activities.  

There are so many scholarships available but the tough part is finding them.  Does your school use Naviance? Then log in and check out the scholarship search option.  Do your own Google search for scholarships. Think local and check out the websites for local businesses to see how they support the community. 

Scholarship Search Websites

There are many, many scholarship search websites online. Here are 5 different websites to check out. Each one is set up a little bit different.

SCHOLARSHIPS.COM has a scholarship directory and you can search for scholarships by choosing a category. The categories include academic (GPA, ACT and SAT score), abilities (athletic and artistic), demographics, military and student organization and more.  You can also create a profile and be matched to scholarships. https://www.scholarships.com

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS is another website that has multiple ways to search for scholarships. You can search by demographics, special groups, area of interest, military, athletic or by company.  http://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/?fbclid=IwAR05ct6lhgJTITwLfBj69LaMT5ypFG4QfIydC9kNuyuY2JcKm6CEoRZfyhE

NICHE SCHOLARSHIP search is good as well.  It allows you to search by majors, by state or by ease of application.  You can also fill out a profile and Niche will share a list of scholarships matches.  https://www.niche.com/colleges/scholarships/

COLLEGEBOARD has a scholarship database. Since you are already using CollegeBoard for college searches, you can also use it for scholarship searches.  You fill out a profile and get matched with scholarships based on your information. In addition, CollegeBoard now offers Opportunity Scholarships. You have a chance to be rewarded for building college lists, practicing for the SAT and improving your SAT score all on the CollegeBoard website.  https://pages.collegeboard.org/scholarship-opportunities-from-collegeboard

SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA is a website that is easy to use.  And you can search by state. https://scholarshipamerica.org/?fbclid=IwAR35VuFt2NTO_qUQnpMYkS2aYy6w-otNmL0TerUkrmlk8CliIl0Zhm4-ThQ

Deadlines for scholarships range from as early as October to as late at May or June.  Some require just an application while others require an essay, transcript, recommendation letters or test scores. Do your research early to find the scholarships that you want to apply to. Then create a file to store all the information for each scholarship including due date, requirements, and notification dates.  

Scholarship searching takes time. Applying also takes time. In reality it could be a full time job. But armed with this knowledge and a plan to search and apply for scholarships on time, you could be awarded gift aid to help pay for your college journey.  Every dollar helps.

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