If you are currently enrolled in college, there should be some resources through your school’s website that will help you find scholarships. You should also search for scholarships within your institution that are designed for continuing students. There are scholarship-specific search engines that you can use to find potential scholarships. Some of these include Fastweb, Scholarships. com and College Board. You can find a list of state grant agencies here.
If you’re from a disadvantaged background, you may also be eligible to participate in TRIO, a US government program designed to help low-income families, first-generation college students, and people with disabilities get into college. TRIO offers guidance counseling and scholarship opportunities. [2] X Research source
Check the Federal Student Aid website, here, for information on scholarships for students from military families. If you’re a current or former foster care child, you may be eligible to participate in the Educational and Training Vouchers program through the federal government. Find more information here. Consider also checking websites from your church or religious organization, community organizations, and local businesses. Many offer scholarships for local students.
Make a note of whether the scholarship deadline is when your paperwork needs to be received or if it is a postmarked deadline. If the deadline is when your paperwork needs to be received, you should send in your application at least a week before it is due. This will assure that it’s received on time.
Don’t pay for scholarship information. Most of the time, the information that financial aid “services” provide is already available for free elsewhere. Furthermore, these services may promise to “guarantee” financial aid or lock in a scholarship if you just give them a credit card number. This is a scam. [6] X Research source Be careful of application fees. In most cases, “scholarships” that require an application or processing fee are fraudulent. Reputable scholarships are there to help you out, not milk your money. [7] X Research source Don’t pay someone else to file a FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is used in the US to help the government determine your eligibility for aid. It’s free to file and is very easy. Save your money and don’t hire someone else to pay to file it for you. These companies are never associated with the US government. Be wary of “winning” contests. You may receive notification that you’ve “won” a contest or been “selected” for a scholarship that you never applied for. If it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is. Usually, you will have to pay money in order to claim this “scholarship,” which kind of defeats the point. [8] X Trustworthy Source Federal Trade Commission Website with up-to-date information for consumers from the Federal Trade Commisson Go to source
In general, plan to have these documents on hand when applying for scholarships: transcripts from every high school and college you’ve attended, test scores (SAT, ACT, etc. ), financial aid forms, financial information (tax returns, etc. ), and proof of eligibility (birth certificate, passport, etc. ).
Type up your resume on the computer. Many universities and colleges now use online applications, so you will probably need an electronic copy of your resume. Be specific with details on this resume. Include the name of the organization that you worked with, the dates that you worked or volunteered there, the position you held, and the tasks that you completed. Include scholarships and honors that you’ve received. If you have any special skills, such bilingualism or computer coding knowledge, list those too. If you have a lot of activities or experience, consider making a long version and a short (one-page) version of this resume. Different scholarship organizations may have different preferences.
Handwriting the form is fine if you don’t have access to a typewriter. Be sure to write in blue or black ink and write neatly. If your handwriting is messy, ask someone else to fill out the form for you.
A good place to start is by looking at the mission statement of the college, university, or institution. Every higher education institution should have a mission statement and it should lay out the priorities of the school. Most philanthropic organizations will have mission statements too. Be sure to address its mission statement directly in your essay.
Double check the instructions after you’ve finished writing. This will help make sure you’ve covered what you need to cover in the essay.
For example, tell a story to start out your essay. If you are writing about an influential person in your life, start out by telling the story of when you first met this person. If you are writing about an influential book, talk about the first time you read it. Describe how you couldn’t put the book down, or how you stumbled through it, looking up every second word. [12] X Research source Keep things personal. The scholarship committee is interested in getting to know you, not “modern society” or “humanity. ”
For example, instead of writing, “I helped a homeless single mother by gathering donated school supplies for her children,” you could write, “Sharon, a single mother of two, teared up when I presented her with a backpack full of notebooks and pencils for her children. ” Avoid fluff language that doesn’t say anything. “I’m a people person” or “I’m devoted to learning” are not specific or personal. They communicate nothing about you. Consider how much more descriptive these are: “Since I can remember, I have never met a stranger. Whether it’s at my job bagging groceries or serving as class president, I can easily strike up a conversation with anyone. ” or “Finishing high school with a chronic illness wasn’t easy, but I took distance learning courses and studied on my own because I value learning and am devoted to pursuing it. ”
Don’t choose a relative for this role. Friends usually won’t work either. However, a volunteer coordinator, your pastor, or another figure in your community who knows you could work.
Meet in person to ask about a letter. This is a more personalized approach than an email and it will reflect positively on you. Bring a copy of your resume or the work you did in his or her class to help this person remember your accomplishments. This is especially important if you have not worked with this person in a while. If the person says no, try not to take it personally. It’s better to have someone who can write you a good letter than someone who writes a vague, impersonal letter.
Be sure to give your referees a self-addressed stamped envelope. Many scholarships ask that your referees mail their letters to the organization rather than giving them to you. It’s impolite to expect your referees to pay to send their letters.
Make sure you have all the parts to your application. Missing one part might make you ineligible for the scholarship.
