Finding Scholarships: Where and How to Begin
When finding scholarships, there is always the question of where to begin and how to begin your search. We all understand how scholarships can help in supporting your education in the form of college fees and other college expenses. According to statistics, more than 60% undergraduates have applied and received one form of scholarship or grant. Though you understand the value of scholarships, a problem you may run into is how to actually find them. However, that doesn’t have to be a challenge, in this guide, we have made a list of some of the best resources you can utilize when finding scholarships that will match your interest and skills.
What Are Scholarships?
Scholarships are a type of financial aid that are offered based on merit, special skills in areas like music or sports, or needs, to a student to support their college education. Scholarship funds don’t require repayment, that is, unless you didn’t meet the conditions of the scholarship award. Now that you have learnt what are scholarships, we will go ahead and look at where you can begin your search for your scholarship.
Websites You Can Use in Finding Scholarships
We have reviewed some of the popular scholarship websites, comparing them based on their ability to sort and filter scholarship listings, how easy it is to use the sites, and the website’s ability to match you with a scholarship that fits your skills. Below is a list of the best websites that you can use when finding scholarships you are eligible for:
Federal Student Aid
You can visit the Federal Student Aid website and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Once you have submitted the application form, the form will be used by the federal government to evaluate your financial need and test the financial aid that you qualify for. Federal awards like this are mostly based on needs rather than merit.
Scholarships.com
On Scholarships.com, you will find different categories of scholarships, each divided for GPA, ethnicity, military affiliation, artistic ability, ACT or SAT score, and residing state. When finding scholarships on the website, you can select the category for the type of scholarship that you are looking for, you may find a list of subcategories with a list of the scholarships that you are eligible for.
College Board
If you have taken college entry exams like the SAT or AP tests, you should be familiar with College Board. They offer admissions advice and test-prep resources to college applicants. College Board also maintains a scholarship search system with more than 2,000 scholarship programs that you can use in finding scholarships for yourself that fit your qualifications and interests. To get started, you have to create an account with them. After creating the account, filter the awards to match your field of study, interests, or any special affiliations. You can also be automatically matched with the scholarships you are eligible for based on the information you submitted when you were creating your profile.
Fastweb
Since 1995, Fastweb has operated a database of scholarships and financial aid for college students, helping college students and applicants find the right scholarship opportunities available for them. You just have to create a profile to get started using the site for your scholarship search. Once your profile is being created and you have completed the sign-up process, you can easily use Fastweb to begin searching for scholarships. If there’s any new scholarship listing that matches your profile description, you will be notified along with the deadlines.
Scholarship America
Scholarship America works to help students easily access the financial aid and scholarships that they need to get the college education that they need and build their careers. Through Scholarship America, about 2.8 million college applicants have received assistance in the form of financial aid and scholarships, reaching $4.5 billion. When finding scholarships, you can visit their website and browse through available scholarships.
CareerOneStop
This scholarship portal is being sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and is aimed at helping people get resources, assessments, as well as advice that will help them find jobs. The website has a database that contains more than 8,000 scholarships. You just have to visit the website and set the filter of awards by keyword. You can also sort them by the amount, deadline, and state. The scholarships are available to undergraduates, graduates, as well as students that want to enrol in a vocational school.
Cappex
This website helps students connect with colleges and search for available financial aid and scholarship opportunities. To get started, you have to first create an account with them, then you will see all the scholarship opportunities available to you depending on your skills and interests. Using their filter system, you sort scholarship awards based on your year in school, amount, ethnicity, gender even the deadline of the award.
Niche
Niche has a scholarship search engine that helps students and college applicants find the scholarships available to them. It also serves as an educational resource, providing students with several tools that will help enhance their higher education. Niche is very easy to navigate through, as the scholarships are organized according to category, and you can easily use its scholarship search to find awards that match your demographic, field of study or interests.
Scholarship Owl
Scholarship Owl is another popular platform you can use when finding scholarships and financial aid opportunities. The website has a large list of scholarship awards organized by scholarship amount, requirement, number of winners and time length. All you have to do is visit their website and create your profile to get started. ScholarshipOwl will help you by automatically resubmitting your application to scholarships that don’t require anything other than your basic information while you focus on the ones that require you to submit essays and recommendation letters. With our list, you can easily begin finding scholarships that align with your skills and interests. However, when you are doing the search, be careful and go for the one that is reliable and trusted.