How to Find Scholarships for College
While there are scholarships available for practically any special talent, extraordinary intelligence, or volunteer service, finding them may prove to be more difficult than applying or winning them. The key is to be very thorough in your research, leaving no stone unturned, and to apply for a scholarship even if you think there is only a very small chance that you will receive it.
Financial Aid Office
Start your search with the financial aid office at your school. They will have the inside information on any academic or departmental scholarships offered by your college and will often have the application and eligibility requirements right there in the office—a true one-stop shop.
College Departments
It never hurts to contact the department for your field of study to see if they know of any outside scholarships for which you may qualify. They might be able to put you in touch with a corporation or non-profit organization looking to assist students with college tuition.
Community
Many businesses, organizations, and associations within your own community have set up scholarship funds to help give back to a community that has supported them. Start with religious organizations, civic clubs, and other non-profit associations.
Companies and Corporations
Many companies are willing to invest in the education of future colleagues. By helping a student in a particular field of expertise succeed, they are investing in the future of their business. Some may even keep you on their radar as a hopeful new hire.
Scholarships Databases
The internet is a great resource for finding scholarships. For example, if you are good at swimming, do a search on “swimming + scholarships.” There are even databases that provide a comprehensive list of available scholarships based on some initial information that it gathers from you. When using an online database, just be careful to avoid financial aid scams. A rule of thumb is that you should never have to pay to find scholarships. Any site that says it will find more scholarships if you pay to have them search for you is probably not legitimate.
