The Scholarship Search

Now that Liz and Ray have discussed FAFSA and Hathaway opportunities, I'd like to give a few tips for finding scholarship money elsewhere.

Here a few general places to look:
1. Private Organizations
2. Corporations
3. Religious Organizations
4. Unions
5. Military (if your parents are veterans, you're a veteran or if you plan to participate in ROTC)
6. Clubs & Organizations

However, the most obvious place to look for scholarships is at the school to which you are applying. Start broad, looking at school wide scholarships and talking to the Financial Aid department to see which ones for which you qualify. Narrow your search as you become more familiar with the institution. If you have decided what you're going to major in, find out what college within the university that major falls under and look for scholarships there. Next, look to your department. Don't be afraid to e-mail the director or head of the department, as they may not be able to help you personally but will know who to contact concerning scholarships. Once you have exhausted (yes, the scholarship application process can be tiring, but so worth it!) all of those options, look for scholarships from other campus organizations. If you are part of a club, find out if their local or national headquarters offer scholarships. Other organizations on campus, such as student government, political groups, honors associations, etc., often offer scholarships to members so just ask around and you'll be surprised with what you come up with.

If you are still in high school, become a frequent visitor to your counselor's office. He or she, as well as your resident College Advisor, will know of scholarships available from your community and your school . Be persistent and check back early and often, as scholarship deadlines can sneak up fast! If you are in community college, make sure you have found out about aid available to transfer students. Make sure to also check on the status of your Hathaway, if you are receiving one, to make sure everything is ready to transfer smoothly upon changing schools.

Finally, the best piece of advice I can give anyone looking for extra help paying for college is: apply, even if you don't think you fully qualify. Sometimes things come up and you can get a pleasant surprise in the form of cash for college. Also, apply for any scholarships you can, even if the amount seems small. $200 might not look like much but it can end up paying for a portion of your books, cover tuition for six credits, or pay for a few weeks worth of food at the cafeteria. Little scholarships add up fast to equal big financial help!

Three things to remember when searching for scholarships: 

look often, look early and don't forget to apply!

For more scholarship opportunities, check out the following websites:
http://schoolsoup.com/
http://www.scholarships.com/
http://www.studentscholarships.org/
http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/

Happy Wednesday!
Angela