Find Scholarships
Key to know: we meant it when we said that scholarships are everywhere! Of course, fill out the FAFSA and check directly with colleges and universities you’d like to go to. Then, pursue the following additional sources to find scholarships you can apply for — and might win. And if you're looking for financial assistance or aid other than scholarships, go to Go Free Government Money.
Seek Out Local scholarships: While lots of students compete for the big national scholarships, there are local chapters of service organizations that have a much smaller pool of applicants. Their awards are smaller too (generally about $500-1000) but they are easier to win and can definitely add up. Check the community pages of your local newspaper, take a look at bulletin boards in the library, and do an internet search for scholarships specific to the town where you live. Contact the local Chamber of Commerce to see if they offer scholarships; they may also be able to tell you if any of their member companies do as well. And you should always check with your local school guidance counselors .
Take Advantage of Volunteer Work: Have you been active in any sort of community service (for a nonprofit, your place of worship, a hospital or nursing home, a school, etc.)? If so, you could improve your probability of a scholarship award from a college or university. More and more of them are available each year—check out our Service-Oriented Scholarships page.
Non-profits and charitable trusts: Many non-profits have created scholarships for prospective students with varying types of eligibility requirements. Take a look at the web sites of these organizations to find potential scholarship offerings.
Consider Contests: There are lots of competitions that target exceptional students in writing and the arts, but there are also others based solely on luck! An article in Good Housekeeping Magazine reported “The American Fire Sprinkler Association holds a drawing for ten $2,000 scholarships for students who ace a 10-question, open-book, multiple-choice test. Several companies and banks — such as Tylenol, Calgon, and Wells Fargo — give from $1,000 to $5,000 to lucky winners. So do a number of college-related companies: Next Step magazine (up to $20,000) and ECampusTours.com ($1,000).” For samples of and links to some current contests, check out our page Enter to Win: Scholarship Contests.
Labor/Trade unions: If you or someone in your family belongs to a labor or trade union, see if they offer any scholarshiops. Many of the larger unions offer them to their membership and their members’ dependent children.
Houses of Worship: Local churches, synagogues, temples etc. may have scholarships for their members. In addition, the religious organization's headquarters may offer additional scholarships. Some of the scholarships may be limited to theology but there are also others that include other areas like music.
Disabilities: If you have a disability you may be able to find an award intended for you, either generally or specifically. A web search is the fastest way to locate such scholarships.
Professional Associations These groups typically create scholarships to encourage students who intend to major in their particular field. If you have already declared your major in a relevant field of study, you will have a better chance of winning one of these awards. Check out a listing of scholarships from many professional associations at FastWeb.com.
Rotary Clubs Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. They have an extensive scholarship program you can read more about on our Rotary International page.
