Your Guide to Free Money: College Scholarships

Where to Find Them, How to Win Them

Scholarships are plentiful. Remember that as you begin your search.

Financial aid bang for the buck, you can’t beat the benefits of winning scholarship money. It’s simple: scholarship money is free, usually with few strings attached. Whether you win $10,000 or $200, every little bit counts when it comes to college. That $200 could help pay for textbooks….

Start here, with the scholarship basics.

Types of Scholarships

Truth is there are scholarships designed for almost every type of student. The key: take the time to search for the scholarships that best suit you.

  • Academic scholarships abound and are based on GPA and performance in school. Other scholarships are based on athletics, skills or extra-curricular activities. Even your part-time job can be an opportunity for a scholarship.
  • Many scholarships are designed for minority students and women. These awards offer financial opportunity to students traditionally underprivileged in higher education.
  • You can even find scholarships for very unusual attributes such as scholarships just for left-handed people and scholarships for the best prom dress made out of tinfoil. Don’t take scholarships like these lightly, the cash reward is very real.

Scholarship Providers

Scholarships come from all types of sources, including:

  • Institution specific scholarships, or academic scholarships, come directly from the college to which you are applying and often include both merit and need-based programs.
  • Corporate scholarships may come from philanthropic companies such as Microsoft, McDonalds and Coca-Cola. Scholarships may be designed for minority students or based on field of study or interest, with further income and GPA qualifications. Big-name corporate scholarships are often very competitive.
  • Charitable organizations nationally and locally based. Don’t overlook your hometown organizations, such as the VFW, local garden club, or your church.
  • Professional organizations and member-based groups make it part of their credo to support student endeavors. These often target students studying in a particular field, such as agriculture, technology, nursing and medicine, business or engineering, to name a few.

Scholarships do not preclude you from applying for other financial aid. Always apply for federal student loans, no matter what. And in some cases scholarships require you have filed a FAFSA, especially college- or institution-specific scholarships.

Student loans are often necessary and GoCollege has an entire section devoted to making the most of the money you borrow.

Where to Search for Scholarships

Want to know where to uncover the nearly $3 billion in scholarship money available each year?

One of the hands-down best resources for scholarships is the Internet. Here are some common online sources:

  • Profile-based scholarship matching services.
  • Scholarship search databases and indexes.
  • College and university scholarship search tools.
  • Search engines.

You can find also find scholarships offline. A good resource should be your high school guidance or career counselor, local teen center or community center. There are also many books on the topic of scholarships that offer comprehensive resources with current award listings.

We have some killer search tips when you’re ready to start exploring the web for scholarship money.

The opportunity to apply for free money is literally everywhere. Truth is, it’s up to you to find it, apply for it and win it.

**Never pay money for scholarship information.

Winning Scholarship Strategies

Scholarships can be competitive. But armed with a few key strategies to follow you are ahead of the game. Students that “broadcast” scholarship applications—which means they apply for everything under the sun—are ineffective scholarship competitors.

Scholarship committees focus on applications from students that qualify for the award in every way. The better the fit, the better your chances. Other key strategies include:

Scholarships are not a replacement for federal student loans or grants, but don’t overlook their advantages. Many scholarships simply go unclaimed because students thought they couldn’t win, didn’t make the time, or missed important deadlines and application requirements. Let us help you get your scholarship game.