When you are finding the types of scholarships you want to go for, you may find yourself running into so many options. The whole process can be a little overwhelming. With the rising cost of college tuition fees, a lot of students are turning to scholarships for assistance in funding their degree programmes. According to statistics, about 87% of undergraduate students get financial aid in the form of a scholarship within their first year of school. One of the advantages of scholarships is that you don’t have to repay them, as they are awards based on merit, whether academically or sport-related. When you are finding the types of scholarships you want to go for, you may find yourself running into so many options. The whole process can be a little overwhelming. In this guide, we will navigate through the different types of scholarships, and you will also learn how scholarships work.
Types of Scholarships
When you are looking for scholarship options, it is best to keep an open mind through the whole process. Though scholarships are usually awarded based on merit and performance, that doesn’t mean all scholarships require you to have top-notch performance before you are qualified for one. There are some easy-to-qualify scholarships that you can take advantage of. We have outlined the different categories of scholarships, let’s look at each one.
- Academic Scholarships: To qualify for this type of scholarship, you will need a strong academic record. This scholarship is one of the most common and very competitive. For the academic scholarship, you will need a Grade Point Average (GPA) of around 4.0, years of community service as well as other extracurricular activities. A great score on standardised tests like ACT® test and SAT may also make you qualify for the scholarship.
- Athletic Scholarships: Scholarships under this category are mostly offered to student athletes, especially those with good performance in their chosen field of sports. Though it primarily requires good athletic performance for the student to be qualified, it also considers the academic performance of the student. The athletic scholarship covers all types of sports, from popular sports like football to cheerleading, and with the scholarship, you get to play your favourite sport in college while your tuition and everything is being covered.
- Community Service or Involvement Scholarship: This scholarship is for students who enjoy engaging in community services or are committed to a particular cause in their community. If you are a student who enjoys volunteering or being involved in civic engagement around your community, then you are eligible for this scholarship. It is a reward for dedication to any issues around the community, issues like racism, diversity and inclusion, or the environment.
- Military Scholarship: If you have participated in any of the armed forces like the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, or Coast Guard, then you are eligible for this scholarship. This scholarship covers both veterans and their families.
- Financial Need: For students having difficulties financially, there are many scholarships tailored to help students with financial needs. The scholarships are mainly based on merits and are usually awarded to students with good academic performance. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds like foster systems or homelessness are also eligible for this scholarship.
- Female Scholarship: This particular scholarship is specifically for women, especially those pursuing specific degrees. Women going into STEM fields are usually eligible for these types of scholarships.
- First in Family Scholarships: Another category of scholarship is the first in family scholarship, usually a way of school encouraging students to attend college, even when their family has no one that has previously attended college. The scholarship covers the full tuition fees, including room and board, of the student who is the first person in their family to attend college.
- Professional Interest: There are scholarships available depending on your field or career. You can actually use this to your advantage when you are applying for a scholarship. Just search for a scholarship that is related to the area or field you want to major in, and you will be sure to find a good number available for you to try.
How to Find Scholarships
When you are looking for a scholarship for you, you are sure to so many options and types of scholarships for you to choose from. With this many options, you may find it a little difficult to figure out which scholarship is the best fit for you. If you are in high school and you run into this difficulty, it is best that you meet your guidance counsellor for assistance. They can help you research and identify the scholarships that match your skills and interests, get you in contact with the right people, and save you a lot of trouble.
If you are already in college, a good place to start will be meeting your course or student advisor, admissions office, or the financial aid office of your school. With their assistance, you can smoothly get started on your search for the types of scholarships for you. There are other sources that you can utilize when looking for scholarships. One of them is your employer or a family member’s employer. There are some employers that offer scholarships to their employees, and the scholarships tend to extend to the employee’s family members. Companies like Coca-Cola, Verizon, Microsoft, and Apple are some of the many employers that offer scholarships to their employees and their family members.
Foundations like religious groups and organizations are another source you should check out when looking for scholarships. There are some who help students who are their members and have shown dedication to the foundation work or with outstanding performance by awarding them with money or scholarships. There are also scholarship databases that you can utilize trying to find the types of scholarships for you. A good place to begin your search will be Google. Through Google, you can find a lot of good scholarship sources that you can apply for. However, while there are many good, reputable scholarship sources online, there are also many fake ones out to scam you, you will have to be careful when doing your research and watch out for scams.