For many people, a college degree is a necessary step in their career path — but pursuing higher education isn’t always the most affordable. Luckily, almost all colleges and universities offer scholarships to ease the financial sting.
Scholarships may cover a portion of your college costs or even pay for your entire learning experience, so you might not need to take out student loans or make difficult financial sacrifices.
These scholarships are awarded by a variety of factors: grades, athletics, financial status, community service, special talents and more. Chances are, you have something in your life that qualifies you for a potential scholarship. All you have to do is find the right college scholarship for your academic and extracurricular background.
What Exactly is a College Scholarship?
A college scholarship is a financial award designed to help students pay for university. It can cover costs like tuition, books, lodging and other aspects of university life. The scholarship can be awarded for all kinds of reasons, including academic standing, leadership skills, athletic abilities, financial status and more.
Scholarships are a standard part of financial aid packages, but they differ from student loans because they never have to be repaid. And while scholarships are often bestowed from the actual academic institutions, they also come from organizations, nonprofits, foundations and even the government.
What Kind of College Scholarships Are There?
You might assume scholarships are based solely on sports prowess or extraordinary grades. Those certainly exist, and the majority of scholarships do require some kind of exceptional ability, factoring in merit, financial need or a combination of the two.
However, there are all kinds of college scholarships available. If you have a specific passion, like a love for writing or a talent for acting, you’ll likely find an opportunity for financial aid. Other scholarships reward people who have demonstrated an interest in community service or routinely demonstrate leadership skills. Others are given to applicants from specific cultural backgrounds. You’ll want to do some exploring to find the right scholarship fit for you before applying.
What Are Some Examples of Unique College Scholarships?
During your search for a college scholarship opportunity, you might uncover some truly unusual options.
“There are some really fun and interesting scholarships out there, too, like the Make Me Laugh Scholarship, left-handed scholarships, twins scholarships and Superpower Scholarship,” said Dan Phan, the academic program manager for USC Bovard Scholars, which helps high-achieving students with financial need gain admission to top universities.
And those are just some of the unique opportunities for financial aid. Phan also highlighted the Stuck at Prom Scholarship, which is sponsored by Duck Tape and awards the student with the best prom outfit made out of Duck Tape; the Doodle for Google Scholarship, which gifts college money to those who draw the most creative Google Doodles in certain categories; and the Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship, which goes to the person with the best end-of-the-world survival strategy.
How Do I Find College Scholarships?
The downside of having so many scholarship choices? It can be hard to narrow them down to the best options.
Phan advises applicants to start the scholarship hunt early, so that they have enough time to look over all the information before deadlines loom.
Begin your research by looking at the options directly offered by the universities you want to apply to. Definitely reach out to the financial aid office for more information if you need — that’s what they’re there for.
Once you’ve considered the possibilities at your dream colleges, expand the hunt to online scholarship databases.
“I recommend looking into scholarship-matching websites like Cappex, Fastweb, Unigo and Big Future,” Phan explained. “Students can filter by deadline, award amount, grade level, gender, major or career interests and geography, among other criteria. There are so many different categories students can choose from.”
There are also several “big-ticket scholarship” options, as Phan puts it, for those who demonstrate financial need. For example, some of these scholarships are offered through large organizations like QuestBridge, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Edison International and The Coca-Cola Company.
Students who are undocumented can also find incredible scholarship opportunities. The Immigrants Rising website offers a host of opportunities that don’t require proof of citizenship.
And while most scholarships require you to seek them out to apply, you can come by others in a much simpler way.
“Take advantage of scholarships that are built into what you’re already doing in school; for example, the PSAT in junior year can qualify students for the National Merit Scholarship,” Phan said. “[There are also] scholarships built into the college application when students apply, which requires no additional work beyond submitting the application by a specific deadline for scholarship consideration or checking applicable boxes.”
Of course, students should read all the eligibility requirements and details.
“The last thing students want to do is apply for scholarships they don’t qualify for,” Phan cautioned. Applying for college is consuming enough without wasting your time like that!
How Do I Apply for College Scholarships?
Every step of the college application process can seem complicated, but applying for scholarships doesn’t have to be difficult. Follow these steps to get a jumpstart on your applications:
- Research your scholarship opportunities. Look into the various kinds of scholarships and select the ones you think make the most sense for you.
- Check that you meet the criteria. You won’t be eligible for every scholarship. Look into the requirements — which may include family income, minimum GPAs, specific SAT scores and so on before you begin the process.
- Gather your materials for the application. Applications for scholarships usually want more than just a simple form. Many will require you to send your transcripts and letters of recommendations and write an essay. Reach out to trusted advisors so you get thoughtful feedback on these materials. You may even need to do an interview, so make sure you’re prepared for that step, too, if it’s noted in the application process.
Here’s a tip from Phan when it comes to essays: “Reuse your scholarship essays to showcase your best accomplishments, life stories and personality so you’re not having to write new sets of essays for each scholarship you apply to. Quality over quantity is the way to go.”
- Fill out the application. Once you have all the information you need, complete the form! Make sure the application is as detailed and accurate as possible.
- Submit — and get ready for the results. When you’re done, send it in. You may hear back in just a few days or have to wait several months to be notified.
If you get the scholarship, congratulations! Keep in mind you don’t need to accept it, though, if it conflicts with other offers or isn’t applicable for the school you want to attend. It’s just a useful option — that’s all.
Also remember that some scholarships need to be renewed each year. Take note of how long your scholarship will last and any steps you need to take to maintain your financial aid. That may include simply filling out forms again, maintaining a certain GPA or participating in certain activities.
The Bottom Line
When it comes down to it, scholarships are free money. With an endeavor as pricey as college, you’ll likely want to try to get at least one to boost your financial aid package.
Make sure you do your research to find the perfect option for you: Contact your dream school’s financial aid office, search scholarship databases and check out national organizations that can help support your dream of higher education. There are so many opportunities for college scholarships out there if you take the time to look.
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