4 answers
Riley
Student
Nipomo, California
4
Questions
Asked
507 views
How do you find scholarships you qualify for?
I've been doing a lot of research on scholarships, but I am having a really hard time finding ones that I qualify for. Do you have any tips?
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4 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1590
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Riley, did you know there are scholarships for high school students who are vegan or for students who like creating prom dresses out of duct tape. Start with parents heritage, employment, club memberships, etc. these can all lead to scholarship that only you might qualify for.
START CLOSE TO HOME
Scholarships sponsored by organizations in your local area are often the easiest to get because there is less competition and the scholarship judges may already be familiar with you or your family. You qualify simply by living in your hometown. Your high school counselor or your city’s chamber of commerce may be able to help you connect with scholarships in your community. Like I mentioned above start with: your and your parents' Employers; Local Businesses; Community and Service Organizations; Clubs, Foundations, and your library.
CHECK WITH YOUR PROSPECTIVE COLLEGE
Go to their website or call the financial aid office. If you meet the qualifications, find out how to apply. Don't assume that by applying for admission, you're applying for scholarships. It's often a separate process. Be aware that scholarship deadlines can be different from those set for the college admission application. In fact, some schools ask you to submit an application for scholarships prior to your application for admissions. Raising your GPA and test scores in high school will help increase your chances of earning merit aid.
SCHOLARSHIP NOTIFICATIONS
Scholarship search engines and apps abound to help you search for scholarships. My favorite is Scholly because it’s available as an app or on your desktop. However, there are many others as well: Chegg, Scholarship Experts, Cappex, are just a few. These sites send you daily emails with scholarship updates, notifying you of scholarships that have become available. They also send reminder emails regarding the scholarships you have been matched to whose deadlines are approaching. You can even sign up for a daily email from Scholarships360, which emails you a new scholarship every day. When using these search engines try to give as much information about yourself as possible. This will guarantee the best matches and save you time chasing down scholarships that you don’t qualify for. Once you have completed your registration, the site matches you with available scholarships and you can begin adding them to your application schedule.
APPLY APPLY APPLY
In order to win you have to apply. You should apply for every scholarship you’re eligible for and no amount should be too small or too large to deter you from applying.
START CLOSE TO HOME
Scholarships sponsored by organizations in your local area are often the easiest to get because there is less competition and the scholarship judges may already be familiar with you or your family. You qualify simply by living in your hometown. Your high school counselor or your city’s chamber of commerce may be able to help you connect with scholarships in your community. Like I mentioned above start with: your and your parents' Employers; Local Businesses; Community and Service Organizations; Clubs, Foundations, and your library.
CHECK WITH YOUR PROSPECTIVE COLLEGE
Go to their website or call the financial aid office. If you meet the qualifications, find out how to apply. Don't assume that by applying for admission, you're applying for scholarships. It's often a separate process. Be aware that scholarship deadlines can be different from those set for the college admission application. In fact, some schools ask you to submit an application for scholarships prior to your application for admissions. Raising your GPA and test scores in high school will help increase your chances of earning merit aid.
SCHOLARSHIP NOTIFICATIONS
Scholarship search engines and apps abound to help you search for scholarships. My favorite is Scholly because it’s available as an app or on your desktop. However, there are many others as well: Chegg, Scholarship Experts, Cappex, are just a few. These sites send you daily emails with scholarship updates, notifying you of scholarships that have become available. They also send reminder emails regarding the scholarships you have been matched to whose deadlines are approaching. You can even sign up for a daily email from Scholarships360, which emails you a new scholarship every day. When using these search engines try to give as much information about yourself as possible. This will guarantee the best matches and save you time chasing down scholarships that you don’t qualify for. Once you have completed your registration, the site matches you with available scholarships and you can begin adding them to your application schedule.
APPLY APPLY APPLY
In order to win you have to apply. You should apply for every scholarship you’re eligible for and no amount should be too small or too large to deter you from applying.
Thank you so much for the advice.
Riley
Thank You Anja. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
Doc Frick
Thank You Paul. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
Doc Frick
Paul Goetzinger MPA
Academic and Career Consultant and Freelance Writer
745
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Paul’s Answer
I would check the foundation office of the college you are going to attend.
Most colleges and universities have campus foundations, which manage private contributions and endowments for the institution.
Many of these endowments include scholarships. It has been my experience as a member of a scholarship selection committee, that the campus foundations normally have the highest diversity of scholarships.
They can be based on future occupation, major, ethnicity, activities in civic organizations, and other categories. So, the college foundation path might be another option for you.
Most colleges and universities have campus foundations, which manage private contributions and endowments for the institution.
Many of these endowments include scholarships. It has been my experience as a member of a scholarship selection committee, that the campus foundations normally have the highest diversity of scholarships.
They can be based on future occupation, major, ethnicity, activities in civic organizations, and other categories. So, the college foundation path might be another option for you.
Bonnie Garza
Revenue Sales Operations VP
58
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Bonnie’s Answer
Hello Riley, you've asked a fantastic question! It may seem unbelievable, but there's a vast array of scholarships just waiting to be claimed. There's so much opportunity, in fact, that many of these scholarships don't receive enough applications. Whether it's related to your race, ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, or even your hobbies like music, sports, or dance, there's likely a scholarship for it. You just have to dig a little. Don't hesitate to apply for as many as you can - it's essentially free money for your education. Wishing you the best of luck in your search!
Salma Naciri
graduate student
1
Answer
Marrakesh, Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz, Morocco
Updated
Salma’s Answer
Hello Riley, I have a few tips based on my personal experience in getting a scholarship. I would say it depends on your situation, for example are you looking for opportunities to study abroad or local scholarships?
Either way, you can use search engines such as ScholarshipOwl and Studyportal. These engines help use filters to look for the best opportunities that are convenient for your unique background & your study plans.
You said that you can't find ones that you qualify for, this implies of course that you do have qualifications and skills that make you stand out. I suggest you invest in them. For example, let's say you're really good at sports, you should look for sports-related scholarships that aim to target talented individuals. Then, prepare certificates and work on proving your passion as well as your skills in the specific talent to convince the admission board.
Or you can invest in your social background, let's say you're from a specific community, you can find scholarships that target excellent students from that community / society. For instance, there are scholarships for POC or for young women. Just try to prove you have the potential for leadership through extracurricular activities.
Wishing the best of luck.
Either way, you can use search engines such as ScholarshipOwl and Studyportal. These engines help use filters to look for the best opportunities that are convenient for your unique background & your study plans.
You said that you can't find ones that you qualify for, this implies of course that you do have qualifications and skills that make you stand out. I suggest you invest in them. For example, let's say you're really good at sports, you should look for sports-related scholarships that aim to target talented individuals. Then, prepare certificates and work on proving your passion as well as your skills in the specific talent to convince the admission board.
Or you can invest in your social background, let's say you're from a specific community, you can find scholarships that target excellent students from that community / society. For instance, there are scholarships for POC or for young women. Just try to prove you have the potential for leadership through extracurricular activities.
Wishing the best of luck.