Scholarships – Show Me the Money
Scholarships Awarded by Colleges
Academic or Merit Based Scholarships
When applying to colleges, consider those who give academic or merit based scholarships, awards based on merit (good grades) rather than need. Information is found on the college website or by contacting their Office of Financial Aid. Be aware of deadlines in order to be eligible for merit scholarship consideration.
There are a number of resources available to guide you to colleges offering academic/merit aid. Not all colleges offer academic/merit aid.
https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/academic-scholarships-and-merit-scholarships/
U.S. News publishes an annual list of colleges that award the highest percentage of Merit Aid. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/most-merit-aid.
Scholarship Search Quick Links – PDF
Academic vs. Need Based Aid
While merit scholarships look at your academic achievements, need-based scholarships look at your financial ability to pay for college. There are many colleges that do not award merit scholarships (such as Ivy League colleges) and only award need-based scholarships.
Use the same resources used to search merit scholarships to look for need-based scholarships.
Private Scholarships
Millions of dollars go unawarded each year, but where do you find these scholarships? With a little time and effort, you may be able to find scholarships that fit your personal profile and eligibility. Always remember a scholarship is FREE, never pay a fee.
Private scholarships from community foundations, service and fraternal organizations, corporations, independent foundations, research institutes, associations and national membership organizations, community organizations and local donors.
Local and community scholarships are listed on Naviance under the “Colleges” tab. The list is found under “Scholarships and Money” then click on “Scholarship List”. Seniors should check this list often as new scholarships are added frequently. Questions should be directed to the Scholarship Coordinator Julie McGinis.
Scholarships may also be found in many different books published by organizations and businesses such as Kaplan, College Board, Peterson’s and individual authors. These books resemble “telephone books” and contain a wealth of information on scholarships offered across the nation. In these directories you may find scholarships for unique interest or characteristics such as milk drinkers, dart throwers, asthmatics, tall people and cultural backgrounds. Grab a pad of post-it flags and start perusing all these directories have to offer. These directories have similar information. Check them out at your local bookstore.
Here are a few examples (make sure you always purchase the most recent edition):
There are several online website that can assist you in finding scholarships:
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org
https://www.scholarshipexperts.com
http://www.goodcall.com/scholarships/search
https://myscholly.com/#scholly
http://college-scholarships.com/scholarship-information/free-scholarship-searches/