Scholarship Tips/College Now

The Top 4 Places to search for Scholarships:

1. Colleges and universities give out the most student scholarships in the country. Check the financial aid webpage of the university where you plan to attend or apply. On their financial aid webpages, they will list all scholarships students can apply for. They may also list external scholarships tailored to their typical student body. Bonus – The major-specific college (ie: College of Nursing) webpage at your university may list scholarships tailored to that major.
2. Local scholarships have fewer applicants; therefore offer a better chance to earn money. Think about organizations to which you belong. These could be professional or academic organizations, religious affiliations or churches, service groups, etc. Where have you worked or volunteered during high school? Where do your parents work? What union are they a member of? Think about where you live; does your local Kiwanis, Junior Women’s League, Chamber of Commerce or city offer scholarships? Visit these local websites to find out. *If your school uses Naviance – there is a local scholarship search available through the site which your Guidance Counselors are updating with countless local scholarships for you. Bonus – The Cleveland Foundation offers a “Common Application” where you can apply for multiple local scholarships using one application! http://www.clevelandfoundation.org
3. There are countless free scholarship databases online. If you’re not sure if a website is legitimate, remember – you should never have to pay to access or apply to any scholarship. All scholarship search sites will ask a number of questions about you to streamline the list of scholarships you see. Each scholarship site will offer some unique features. Choose to use 1-2 sites that you prefer at a time. If you try to use more than this at once, it can get overwhelming. See the “Trusted Scholarship Search Sites” on page 2. Bonus – College Now gives away scholarships for high school students and adult learners. Make sure to apply on our website! http://collegenowgc.org/money4school
4. Think about what makes you unique. National scholarships are great, but with 88,000 applicants they can feel like playing the lottery. Instead, seek out scholarships that are tailored to your future professional interests, hobbies, ethnicity, religion and family circumstances. Do you bowl? Do you have a medical condition? Is your family member a cancer survivor? Are you a woman or minority pursuing a STEM major? These are all circumstances for which you can find scholarship money. Add your unique circumstances to a Google search with the word “scholarships” and start applying! Bonus – Professional organizations frequently sponsor scholarships. Find professional organizations by visiting www.careeronestop.org and clicking on “Toolkit”. They offer a scholarship search in their toolkit too!

For more information, please download the document.