Getting Scholarships & Grants

Scholarships are a great option for anyone looking for finance her college career. Unlike student loans, they do not need to be paid back.

This guide will walk you through everything from finding the right scholarship for you to writing a strong application to maximizing your funds once you receive them.

Writing a Strong Application - How to Find Scholarships - College Grants - Transfer Students - What Committees Look For - Maximizing Your Money

10 Tips for Writing a Strong Scholarship Application

Scholarships are one of the best ways to finance a college education. Not only do these funds not need to be repaid, but they can enhance your resume upon graduation.

A strong scholarship application makes all the difference between approval and being turned down. Here are 10 tips for writing a strong scholarship application:

1. Make sure that you have the entire scholarship packet and read the materials carefully. Since specific instructions vary amongst scholarship applications, it's vital to understand the instructions before getting to work.
2. You should be sure you are qualified for a particular scholarship before applying. An application can be eloquent and thorough, but if you are not qualified, it will still be denied.
3. Though it is important to list all relevant activities and honors, it is equally important not to overload the application with too many of these. You should consider leaving out minor activities and honors in favor of more significant ones. Reading the application instructions carefully will help you decide which activities and honors are most relevant. All should reflect talents and passions outside as well as inside the classroom.
4. Personal statements are a crucial part of any scholarship application. Statements should be strongly and clearly worded, as well as written in a professional and concise manner. They should reflect a singular message that you wish to convey to the scholarship committee, and should be carefully proofread and edited before sending.
5. Letters of recommendation are also key parts of a scholarship application. It is important for you to select recommenders who are familiar with your leadership skills and talents, and are willing and able to convey this in a well-written letter. Recommenders should represent a wide range of your professional associations; for example, it is wise to select one academic reference, one professional reference, and one extracurricular reference if possible.
6. Cover letters should be written professionally in standard business format and addressed to the appropriate recipient. Like personal statements, cover letters should be rigorously proofread and edited.
7. Scholarship application forms are meant to introduce candidates to the judges. Each question should be answered in a complete and concise manner. Questions that are not relevant to the applicant should still be answered. For example, if a question asks about overseas living experience and you have none, it should be answered: "I have never lived overseas" rather than left blank.
8. Small details count. You should make sure to spell all relevant information correctly, including names of specific recipients and the scholarship fund's name. Believe it or not, errors such as these have cost applicants funding.
9. After assembling the scholarship packet, you should make sure that nothing is missing. An incomplete package will result in a denial of the scholarship request.
10. All deadlines should be met. It is sometimes preferable to send packages with the U.S. mail return-receipt option, which will provide proof that the package was received by the application deadline.

Article Resources

The University of New Mexico
Scholarship Help

How to Find Scholarships

Scholarships provide you with a chance to receive money to fund your education without having to pay it back and while you know that scholarships are out there, it can sometimes be difficult to locate the right ones for you. Here a a few ways to help focus your search:

1. Figure out what makes you unique.

Before you even start looking for scholarships, decide what it is about you that makes you stand out from the crowd. Scholarship programs want to give money to gifted individuals who can bring something new to a community. This could be anything from an organization you are involved in and a sport you play, to the fact that you are left handed, intend to study computer engineering, and have a fantastic grade point average. If you are able to pinpoint specific things about you that may qualify you for a scholarship, it is easier to search for scholarships that are applicable to you.

2. Look for scholarships locally.

The first place to start when looking for scholarships is right where in your hometown. Scholarships are often offered by places of employment, local organizations, and religious communities. Check with your job or your parents' jobs to find out if they have any available scholarships. If you do belong to a religious group or local organization, you may be eligible for a scholarship just for being a member. Local businesses are much more likely to give somebody money from the community in which they conduct business, so check with the companies in your area. Look on their web pages and talk to people you may know who work there.

3. Look into Company Sponsored Scholarships

In addition to checking out online scholarship search sites and institutions of higher learning, you can also apply for scholarships offered by companies and other entities. Finding these types of computer science scholarships will require a bit more digging on your part, but they can be more than worth the effort. Here are a few companies and entities that offer computer science scholarships: Microsoft, Google, Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, and IEEE Scholarships and Awards.

4. Surf the Internet.

The Internet has made searching for national scholarships a bit more overwhelming because there are so many sites and databases that list different scholarships available. Despite this, it is a resource that cannot be ignored in your scholarship search. Free websites like FastWeb.com , FinAid.org and Scholarships.com allow you to search for scholarships based on entered criteria. They will even send you scholarships that match your profile so that you won't miss out on one you may be perfect for you. For a full list of online scholarship search sites, go to www.scholarshiphelp.org.

5. Talk to the schools.

Most likely, the schools you apply to will have scholarships available for students. Be sure to check with the admission's office or financial aid specialists at the school so you do not overlook a potential scholarship in the long process of looking. Also, be sure to check with the guidance counselors and librarians at your current school. These individuals are trained to help you in your scholarship school and probably know a lot more about the process than you do.

6. Watch out for scams.

On your search for appropriate scholarships, it is possible to run across those that are not legitimate. These are most easily spotted by organizations asking you to pay money to apply. Read up on how to protect yourself from scholarships scams at FinAid.org.

7. Watch for deadlines.

If you have found a scholarship to apply to, remember to apply by the stated deadline. If you do not do this, it does not matter if you are the most qualified individual on the planet for this particular scholarship. The committees deciding do not wish to give a large amount of money to somebody who cannot meet a due date. Be responsible. Keep a planner, write it on your hand, have your mom remind you, but get it in on time. There is simply no excuse for lateness.

Article Resources

College Board
http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/pay/scholarships-aid/21403.html
http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/pay/scholarships-aid/21400.html

Scholarships.com
http://www.scholarships.com/finding-scholarships.aspx

CNN: Money
http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/06/pf/college_scholarships/index.htm?postversion=2009040610

Scholarship Help
http://www.scholarshiphelp.org/helpful_links.htm

College Grants

With the cost of post secondary education reaching unprecedented highs, many students who are pursuing a bachelor's degree find themselves wondering how they are possibly going to pay for college. While many resort to student loans, college grants and scholarships are by far the better options. Unlike loans, grants and scholarships do not need to be paid back. Certain requirements must be met for both (such as a certain GPA), but as a whole, once you receive a grant or scholarship, you are well on your way to a quality, stress free education.

This is not to say that a grant and a scholarship are exactly the same thing. While both have a reputation of "free money," scholarships require you to maintain a certain GPA, while grants tend to be much harder to obtain (as there are fewer available) and usually boast stronger competition. Still, if you can obtain a grant, the benefits are fantastic. Here some types of college grants to help your search:

Government Grants Based on Merit

There are a number of grants awarded by the federal government whose eligibility requirements are based on financial need, but a few are awarded based on merit and academic or personal achievement. The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program grants money for college based on academic honors achieved during high school. The National Science Scholars program grants money to exceptional high school science students. The Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (known as LEAP) is a college grant funded by both state and federal governments for high school academic achievers. For those that have a high GPA, these grants are certainly worth looking into.

Federal Pell Grants

Federal Pell Grants are the most commonly awarded federal college grant. They are awarded based on the financial need of the applying student. Federal Pell Grants do not require their recipients to maintain any kind of academic standards to continue receiving the college grant.

Students who apply for Federal Pell Grants must be US citizens with a high school diploma or GED. Males who apply must register for the draft with the Selective Service. Applicants for this college grant must be pursuing their first degree, and can only receive one Pell Grant each year.

The amount of money awarded by Federal Pell Grants varies based on the need of each individual applicant and the range scheduled by the Federal Government each year. It also depends on whether the applicant is attending school full or part time. In the past, Federal Pell Grants have ranged from $400 to $4,050. To apply for this college grant, students must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (known as FAFSA), which will determine the applicant's eligibility and need for all federal financial aid, including college grants. For more information on FAFSA, visit: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

Federal Supplemental Education Grants

Another type of federal college grant is the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (known as FSEOG), a college grant awarded to students who are found to have the greatest financial need. Students who have been awarded Federal Pell Grants are given priority in choosing which students receive FSEOG, but being awarded a Federal Pell Grant does not give any guarantee of a FSEOG. FSEOGs range in size from $100 to $4,000, depending on the financial need of the student and the tuition costs at their chosen institution. Students seeking college grants from a FSEOG must fill out the FAFSA form. For more information about FAFSA, visit: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

State Grants

State grants are given to students who have great financial need, or as an incentive to encourage students from under represented backgrounds in the higher education realm to pursue a college degree. If you feel that you could qualify for a state grant, the website for your state commission on higher education should have more information on the grants available and how to apply.

Private Grants

There are a huge variety of college grants available from private institutions and organizations that can help students pay for college. Just like a federal grant, private college grants are gifts of free money to a student. Private grants are often based on factors other than need, such as outstanding athletic or artistic ability. There are many web sites that list many of the college grants available to students, including: www.findtuition.com.

Article Resources:

Student Finance Domain

How to Find Scholarships & Aid as a Transfer Student

Financing a college education as a transfer student is becoming increasingly difficult these days, making competition for grants, loans, work-study opportunities, scholarships, and financial aid more intense than ever. Planning and devising a clear strategy can increase your chances of receiving student aid while creating additional time for finding other ways to save money for college.

Financial aid for transfer students refers to the wide range of programs that help transfer students and their families pay for college. Financial aid is available in grants and scholarships (which do not have to be repaid), loans (which must be repaid), and work-study (which provides financial aid in exchange for work, usually in the form of campus-based employment). Almost all aid provided by the government is awarded based on your ability to pay for college, but not all aid is need-based. Millions of dollars a year in scholarship money is awarded to transfer and international students who demonstrate exceptional academic potential.

Locating financial aid and scholarships for transfer students can be a daunting prospect. Where should you look? What types of aid programs are available to you? How do you apply for them? The main types of financial aid for transfer students include:

Loans for International Students

Loans are still the best way to secure financing for international students, though one requirement that makes them difficult to attain is that many international student loan programs require an American cosigner. If you do have a U.S. cosigner, aid can be obtained quickly and can cover the cost of your tuition and expenses. For more information about loans for international students, please visit the following websites:

http://www.StudyAbroadLoans.com
http://www.InternationalStudentLoan.com

Scholarships for Transfer and International Students

Scholarships are another great source of financing for many transfer and international students. The first place to look for scholarships are at the institutions you hope to attend. To find out what schools offer scholarships and financial assistance to transfer students, go to:

http://www.internationalstudent.com/schools_awarding_aid/

Most colleges will provide scholarships to international and transfer students, but this aid will rarely cover the full cost of education – you will have to supplement this with either a loan or an additional scholarship.

Aid for transfer and international students is sometimes difficult to come by, so doing your homework is imperative. The majority of international students in the U.S. must rely exclusively on themselves and their families for funding. If you are seeking financial aid or an international student scholarship to afford an American college education, the best place to look is your home country. There may be scholarships and loans available for study abroad programs from your government, local businesses, organizations, and foundations.

Other places to look for international scholarships, loans, and other forms of student aid include the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the League of Red Cross Societies, and the World Council of Churches. Some of these may have restricted financial aid, such as only being available to graduate students, students from a specific ethnic background, or students who have chosen a particular course of study. Scholarships and financial aid from these organizations are very competitive, so be sure to start your search early.

There are also many universities in the US that provide aid to transfer and international students. However, this aid is limited and often more readily available to graduate students than undergraduate students. Competition for student scholarships is fierce, and colleges tend to only help out the most deserving students. Good grades and exam scores are very important. Find out whether any of the schools you're applying to have grants, loans, or scholarships available. If they don't, you may have to consider other schools that will help.

What Scholarship Committees Want

There are thousands of different scholarship opportunities. With ever-increasing tuition and fees, a scholarship can be a fantastic and effective way to help pay for higher education. Although every scholarship and committee is different, most will look at a few major factors in a student's academic and extracurricular life to determine whether or not they are awarded the scholarship.

There are two types of scholarships available to students – need-based scholarships and merit-based scholarships. Need-based scholarships are awarded based on the student's financial needs, while merit-based scholarships are awarded to students who are exceptional at a particular academic or extracurricular pursuit. Since there isn't much a student can do to quality for a need-based scholarship, we'll take a look at the major factors that merit-based scholarship committees look for:

Leadership

Scholarship committees look for students with strong leadership skills. Leadership is the ability to motivate, excite, and engage others to complete projects and tasks. This skill can manifest in a range of activities, from student clubs and class government to the athletic field. Scholarship committees also look for students who can work with a wide range of people of different age, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Academic Performance

Nearly every scholarship committee will look at a student's academic performance when determining his or her eligibility for a scholarship. Scholarship committees want to make sure that any student who earns a scholarship will be prepared for the rigorous and demanding academic world of college. To evaluate a student's academic potential, scholarship committees usually look at a student's GPA, SAT scores, and the student's course load. Certain committees may want to see past papers the student has written, or talk with teachers and get their opinion on the student's performance.

Creativity and Artistic Ability

Many scholarships are offered to students who have exceptional talent with arts, music, or writing. Scholarship committees will sometimes request a portfolio or sample of the student's work to consider. Many times, these types of scholarships are awarded through contests. This can obviously be a very stressful and high pressure situation, so it is important that students start early on you project, and really think about the topic.

Athletic Ability

Although athletic scholarships are given out at most big schools, they are incredibly hard to get. Schools recruit players from both around the country and overseas. To get a purely athletic scholarship you must be an outstanding player. Most colleges and universities recruit students in their senior year of high school, so performance in this final year is very important. If you are not quite talented enough to get picked up by a larger school, many smaller, private institutions offer scholarships and financial aid as well, and these institutions tend to be slightly less competitive for sporting recruitment.

Service

Scholarship committees look very highly upon students who have clearly made an effort to give back to their community. Whether this is through work at a local food bank, time spent in a nursing home, or participating in disaster relief with a church group, students who have dedicated a significant amount of their time to a certain non-profit organization will certainly have a leg-up in the application process.

Many individuals, especially high school students, tend to pad their resumes with as much community service as they can in order to impress colleges and scholarship committees. Be careful not to fall into this trap. Committees see through this. The best thing you can do is stick with one organization long term. It is this kind of dedication and care for a cause that scholarship committees like to see.

Determination and Courage

Along with all the other factors, scholarship committees often honor students who have overcome difficult odds and situations to achieve success. It is always beneficial to show a scholarship committee what obstacles you've faced and how you overcame them, as well as what you learned from it.

Minority

Those with minority genders, sexual orientations, and ethnicities can often apply for scholarships targeted specifically for them. Due to the fact that these individuals are often underrepresented in colleges and universities, scholarship committees are eager to help individuals get their feet in the door through monetary help.

Conclusion

Although few scholarships take all of these factors in to account, most scholarship committees will look at them to help them decide who to pick. Make sure that your application shows who you are and the scholarship committee will reward it.

Article Resources

Classes and Careers
Financial Aid Tips
Financial Aid Finder
Debt-Free Scholar

10 Tips to Maximize Scholarship Money

With college costs rising and student loans becoming harder to obtain, there is an increasing amount of competition among top students for scholarships, a fact that is hardly surprising. Scholarships are essentially free money that students can use to pay for whatever education-related expenses they see fit, without ever having to pay it back. Thus, they are the ideal type of financial aid.

Of course, only a select group of students receive enough in scholarship aid each year to pay for their entire education. In order to maximize your scholarship fund to pay for all of your higher education, follow these easy steps:

1. Utilize Your Resources —If you are lucky enough to have a financial aid office, go use it. Making an appointment with the financial aid officer at your university and asking which scholarships he or she thinks you'd be a good candidate for is one of the easiest ways to find scholarships aimed at candidates with your background and skill set. Remember: the people working at the financial aid office are experts at finding scholarships. Any advice they give you is bound to help.

2. Think Local —It makes sense that scholarships available only to students in your area would likely have less competition than national scholarships, which is why it is best to focus your attention on these when figuring out which to apply for.

3. Ask Your Parents —Most parents work for companies and belong to clubs, which means they have access to potential scholarships you may not have even heard of. Ask your mom and dad to find out whether their church, club, or boss offers any college scholarships to employees' kids and you may be surprised what you find.

4. Research Online —There are thousands of websites and scholarship search engines online devoted to finding students free money. Sure, many of these scholarships may have thousands of students applying, but what's the harm in trying some out?

5. Don't Discount Smaller Scholarships —Don't wait around counting on winning a full-ride scholarship when there are dozens of smaller scholarships you could be applying for. Smaller awards can add up quickly, and they're oftentimes easier to obtain since less people are likely to be applying.

6. Start Applications Early —Do not wait until the night before a scholarship deadline to start writing the dreaded essay. Do it early. Not only will you get it out of the way, but you'll free up more time later for applying for other scholarships as well.

7. Just Write the Essay —Speaking of the dreaded scholarship essay, don't be afraid to write it. Scholarships that require an essay component typically have far fewer applicants, which means you have a much higher chance of snagging one if you're willing to put in the effort.

8. Follow Instructions —Did the application say to submit one reference or two? To provide a list of extracurricular or personal interests? One of the first ways scholarship committees weed out applicants is by looking at who failed to follow the instructions, so read closely before submitting your application.

9. Stay Positive —Maybe you were the worst player on the basketball team. That doesn't mean you can't mention that you played in a scholarship essay. Instead of minimizing your accomplishments, focus on the positive to put a better spin on your personal statement or essay.

10. Believe in Yourself —Just because you don't have a perfect GPA or a list of sports accomplishments doesn't mean you can't get a scholarship. No matter what you interests or skills, there is a scholarship out there perfect for you. Now it's your job to go out there and get it.

Article Resources

National Association for Student Financial Aid and Administrators
U.S. News
Truman.gov
Fast Web