Finding Scholarships 101
Edited by Kortney Nash
What’s the one thing everyone loves? Free money. No matter your age, finding a twenty dollar bill on the ground is certain to brighten your day exponentially. And for incoming college students, free money, or rather scholarships, can be a make or break part of receiving your education. While the search and application processes can wear on your patience, rest assured that there is plenty of free money out there that you can use towards books, tuition, or anything else you find yourself needing once you arrive on campus. If you’re in a rut with your scholarship and grant search, use these tips to get you back in motion:
There are scholarships for just about everything.
You do not have to be THE top performer in academics or athletics to win a scholarship for school, you don’t even have to be an incoming freshman. There are thousands of donors out there with many different qualifications and ways to win. Not to mention, the more programs you apply to, the more likely you are to become a winner. Make sure to consider the following criteria as you begin your scholarship search:
Major/area of study
GPA
Personal essays
Competitions
Ethnicity and religion
Search locally.
Sometimes the prospect of applying for a nationwide scholarship can be daunting, if this is the case for you, rest assured that scholarships may be closer than you realize. There may be local organizations and businesses in your area that offer free money for school! Reach out to non-profit organizations, fraternities and sororities, churches and more that are located near you, and you may be surprised by the amount of opportunities you encounter. Even your high school may have scholarships available for graduating seniors. Make sure to check with your school’s guidance counselor and/or college center for help.
Be cautious when searching online.
When searching for free money, it is imperative to be on the lookout for scams; we’re trying to make money not lose it. You should not have to pay or provide bank or card information before/while applying. Here are some tried and true websites to use while searching for scholarships so you can avoid any and all scams:
FastWeb
Scholarships.com
CareerOneStop (sponsored by U.S. Department of Labor)
Every dollar counts.
Repeat after me: Every. Dollar. Counts. Don’t underestimate any “small” scholarship. Whether it’s $100 or $1,000, they both mean less money needed to borrow in student loans or pay out of pocket. $100 could also be the difference between registering for that one 11 a.m. class you want versus getting stuck with the 8 a.m. class. All of the free money adds up no matter the amount, and your future, college graduate self will thank you later.
Don’t just think about year one.
It’s a great accomplishment to know that your extensive research and applications for scholarships for your first year paid off, literally. Don’t cease your efforts after you cover freshman year. If any of those scholarships aren’t renewable, then you will have to figure out how to fill the gap for future school years. Just know—You got this! It may take some time but through patience and consistency you’re destined to bag some wonderful scholarships.
Happy searching and applying!