This is Part 2 of a 4 part series covering the Complex World of Scholarships featuring Meredith Ritchie, a Business Support Consultant at Wells Fargo and mother to college-age triplets. See part 1 here.
A qualified scholarship is one that you are qualified for because of something that is specific to you. The creator of each Scholarship went to great lengths to define its own eligibility criteria, including: grades, community involvement, where you live, and where you will attend school, etc. While many scholarships are need-based, which may disqualify you, others are super-specific in other ways. I have ranked the 8 Action Steps below based on my perception of return on effort (i.e., where I feel you will get the most bang for your buck).
Before you start working through the 8 Action Steps listed below, spend some time thinking about what makes you “you,” and make a list of characteristics.
Start off by defining what makes you unique. Ask yourself questions, such as:
- Where do my ancestors come from?
- Am I disabled?
- What religion am I?
- Am I left-handed?
- What ethnicity am I?
- Am I part of a minority group?
- Am I the first member of my family to attend college?
- Am I a passionate environmentalist, an athlete, an honor student?
You get the point!
Right or wrong, the entities that offer these scholarship programs can and do exercise their right to be very specific about the characteristics of the recipients of their award dollars. The good news for you is that such limiting criteria makes the candidate pool smaller, meaning that, if you qualify, your chances of winning go up a lot!
Action Step 1: Check out your high school website
Some high school counselors go to great efforts to research and list local scholarship opportunities. Typically, scholarship link information is posted on the counselors’ page of the school website. Many of these lists include scholarships that any high school student in your city can apply for, so seek out resources from other schools in your city/region.
Tip: Don’t forget the private high school websites.
Action Step 2: Identify scholarships by state
Most state education agencies have at least one grant or scholarship available to residents. Click on the interactive map on the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators website to see what is available to you.
Action Step 3: Investigate tuition exchange and/or reciprocity agreements
Some states have programs that allow students to attend university in another state, and pay in-state equivalency or close to it. Click HERE for details on programs in New England, the Southern Region, the Midwestern Region, and the Western Region to check out what is available.
Action Step 4: Identify Membership Organizations
Do you belong to a minority affinity group, a credit union, a church, any social/service/academic clubs or an honor society? If so, be sure to check their respective web sites to see if they offer an academic scholarship program for members.
Action Step 5: Track down what scholarship opportunities are available at your college
Details on these scholarships can be found on college/university websites and these funds are only available to current or future students.
Action Step 6: Explore which local businesses have scholarships
Many local businesses give back to the community through academic scholarships. Visit the websites of your parents’ and grandparents’ employers to see if you qualify as the family member of an employee or retiree. Also check out your local Better Business Bureau’s website for programs that they advertise for their business members.
Action Step 7: Conduct an Old-Fashioned Google search
Use Google to search for scholarships that fit your profile. Your best odds will always play out when applying for local scholarships, so be sure to add your city and state to your search keyword strings, but also remove those location-specific keywords for a second, more national-level search.
Tip: Character String Formula: < City,State> + <”Scholarship”> +
Action Step 8: Explore Scholarship Search Engines
As mentioned last week, these sites can be overwhelming and require you to share personal information. Be prepared for A LOT of unsolicited emails. These sites include: scholarships.com, cappex.com, fastweb.com, scholarshipowl.com, and collegegreenlight.com.
Final Words of Wisdom
NEVER EVER pay to apply for a scholarship. Be prepared to work hard. Conduct a thorough search. Be organized. Note deadlines. Don’t take rejection personally.
For more information on searching for scholarships or anything else related to the college application process, feel free to reach out at kathy@fineeducationalsolutions.com.
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