A very important part of the college financial aid planning process is the search for scholarships. Although college-bound students should apply for financial aid by filing the FAFSA and working with the college’s financial aid office, students should also be proactive in seeking additional scholarships from sources outside of colleges. This article is dedicated to discussing the external scholarship search process.
Look beyond what colleges and universities may have in terms of available scholarships. Students should take a proactive approach to obtaining outside scholarships and spend some time searching for additional scholarship sources.
There are a variety of different sources of outside scholarship money available to students and these scholarship sources may be closer to you than you think! Below is a summary of potential scholarship providers to look for in your search for college funding.
Local Scholarships – At most high schools, your guidance counselor will have information and applications for local scholarships available for graduating seniors. A high school guidance department office will have information and applications available to students throughout the school year, so it is very important that students visit their guidance office to look for scholarship opportunities that are administered at the high school level. . The student should be sure to listen to announcements from the guidance department, read the guidance bulletin, check the guidance website, and stop by the guidance office for available scholarship resources. Some local scholarships must be applied for directly and others are awarded by the guidance department or special committee in the city. There are usually a number of local scholarships available, so checking with the guidance department is a MUST DO for the high school senior.
Check with your guidance office in your senior year for information on the local scholarship application process, application deadlines, and related requirements.
Community, Business, and Civic Organizations: Many community organizations, clubs, and groups provide scholarships to students going to college. Check with any community organization you’re involved with and ask about available scholarship programs. Examples of community organizations include your local Rotary club, chambers of commerce, better business bureau, moose club (or similar type of membership organizations), or other community clubs and membership organizations.
Religious affiliations: If you have a particular religious affiliation, you can check to see if scholarships are available to participating members. For example, students or family members who have a connection to a specific church or temple or who have another religious or spiritual connection should inquire about available support for the college.
Employers: Many employers, especially those with large numbers of employees, offer scholarship programs for dependent children of employees. It is important to contact your Human Resources Department and ask if they have scholarship programs and what are the respective deadlines and application procedures to apply.
Military: Every branch of the military services offers scholarship programs of some kind. These program offerings can change frequently and definitely have specific qualification requirements, procedures, guidelines, and commitment details. The US Armed Forces offer a number of scholarship programs, so if you think you may qualify and are interested in what they have to offer, check with a military recruiter and the following website:
Scholarship Search Databases: The final option for acquiring money for college that I will mention is a scholarship search through an accredited database. Before I tell you where to go for this, I want to mention that you should NOT pay any company to search for scholarships for you, as students can search for scholarship opportunities for free from various sources. Reportedly, there are SCAMS out there that will charge families to do a scholarship search and won’t give you any information you can’t get yourself for FREE. PLEASE beware of scams and do not pay a company (or individual) to do a search for you.
Free scholarship databases are dynamic search engines and give students the opportunity to create a profile, share demographic information, and enter specific academic interests and talents into the search engine. In turn, students are provided with a list of potential scholarship opportunities that match the criteria they entered into the database. After reviewing the results, students can decide which opportunities they should realistically pursue. Each scholarship opportunity will require a separate application and has a set of requirements associated with the application. YES, the external scholarship search process is time consuming, however it should not be overlooked. At a minimum, create a profile in one of the search databases and get an idea of the various options available, and then decide if you want to apply for the selected opportunities.
Students should also check college financial aid websites for information on outside scholarships. Many colleges provide information related to outside scholarships, and some provide helpful information about scholarships their students have previously received. Students should also think outside the box and research companies that work in the student’s proposed area of interest. For example, photography students should check out Nikon and Minolta, computer science students should check out HP and Apple, and journalism students should check out media and publishing companies… you get it! Be creative and think of all the options!
Use a trusted source ~ a reputable scholarship search tool like http://www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov/scholarship