While the FAFSA is your key to federal and institutional aid, scholarships are a powerful way to close the funding gap. Scholarships are "gift aid," meaning you don't have to pay them back. With a strategic approach, you can significantly reduce your college costs.
This guide provides a roadmap to finding scholarships you're eligible for and writing applications that win.
Where to Find Scholarships
The biggest challenge is often just finding the right opportunities. Cast a wide net.
- College-Specific Scholarships: The first place to look is at the colleges you're applying to. Many offer automatic merit scholarships based on your GPA and test scores, while others require separate applications.
- Local and Community Scholarships: These are often the most overlooked and least competitive! Check with local businesses (like Rotary Clubs, Elks Lodges), community foundations, your parents' employers, and your high school counseling office.
- Free Online Scholarship Search Engines: Websites like Fastweb, Scholarship.com, and Going Merry are popular databases. Be prepared to create a detailed profile. Be warned: they can lead to a lot of emails.
- Niche and Identity-Based Scholarships: There are scholarships for everything! Look for awards based on your heritage, intended major, unique hobbies, or specific life experiences.
Keys to a Winning Application
Finding scholarships is only half the battle. You need to convince the scholarship committee that you are the best investment.
- Read the Eligibility Requirements Carefully: Don't waste time applying for scholarships you're not eligible for. Pay close attention to deadlines, required documents, and the mission of the organization.
- Tailor Your Essay to the Provider's Mission: A scholarship essay is not the same as your personal statement. Research the organization providing the funds. What are their values? A scholarship from a community service organization should get an essay about your volunteer work, not your passion for physics.
- Show, Don't Just Tell: Just like in your college essays, use specific examples to demonstrate your qualities. If the prompt asks about leadership, describe a specific time you led a team to solve a problem.
- Get Strong Letters of Recommendation: If required, ask teachers or mentors who know you well and can speak to the specific qualities the scholarship is looking for. Give them your resume and plenty of advance notice.
- Create a Scholarship "Resume": Keep a master list of your activities, awards, and volunteer hours. This will make filling out applications much faster and ensure you don't forget any of your accomplishments.
Staying Organized
- Create a Spreadsheet: Track scholarships you've found, their deadlines, required materials, and application status.
- Set a Weekly Goal: Dedicate a few hours each week to searching for and applying to scholarships. Even applying to one or two per week adds up over time.
Winning scholarships takes effort, but every dollar you earn is a dollar you don't have to borrow. Start your search early and apply strategically!