Scholarship Databases
Fastweb.com is the nation’s leading scholarship search database. The best part about using their web-based scholarship service is that it is FREE! Sign-up is easy and searching their scholarship database is even simpler. The only downside is that a good number of people are looking for the same scholarship dollars that you are seeking. So, you will want to sign up sooner than later for Fastweb and apply for all of the scholarship programs that you qualify for because the early bird truly does get the worm when it comes to most of these scholarship programs.
AidScholar.com helps you find the specific scholarships that fit your needs and qualification. They aggregate and organize scholarships from different sources, to provide you an updated and applicable index of scholarships available to the public today. AidScholar uses unique tools to find scholarships from the World Wide Web and simultaneously indexes them to fit common search needs. When you search for scholarships on AidScholar, they give you the most relevant results immediately and allow you to easily customize your searches instantly.
College Board’s Scholarship Search is an online tool to help you locate scholarships, internships, grants, and loans that match your education level, talents, and background. Complete the brief questionnaire and Scholarship Search will find potential opportunities from their database of more than 2,300 sources of college funding, totaling nearly $3 Billion in available aid!
The Scholarship Wizard will perform a search based upon the personal information that you provide during set-up of your account. In addition, once you have your account in place, you can also use many of the other free features provided by the Department of Education (ie: apply to colleges online, track your favorite schools, research career options, import your profile info to the FAFSA)
The Basic Scholarship Search Engine provided by the Department of Education allows you to search for scholarships by using keywords. No account is required but it does limit your chances of finding an applicable scholarship. I found this scholarship database to work best when you put in your state as a keyword or the college(s) that you are planning on attending. Another approach is to put in your major concentration of study.
As I find other reputable scholarship search databases, I will be sure to add them here.(so bookmark this page!)
Local Scholarship Programs
Another great resource for additional scholarship dollars lies within your community. You just have to go out and find it. Easier said than done though… You will want to check with local not-for-profit groups and clubs to see if they have any scholarship monies available. Most of the students/families I have talked with have had great success with Kiwanis, Lion’s Club, Rotary Club, Private Foundation’s, etc… Chances are that most of these scholarship opportunities will be one shot deals (meaning that you receive the scholarship for your first semester or first year of college), however, some of these scholarship programs may be renewable and you need to inquire about the requirements for getting the funds for subsequent years/semesters. The competition for these local dollars are usually not as overwhelming as you will find on the national scholarship programs, so any effort you put in locating these scholarship programs are sure to provide benefit to you in paying for college.
Talk To Your Financial Aid Office
If you already know which College or University you will be attending, you will want to make friends with the Financial Aid Office before you even hit campus. Universities and Colleges receive money from donors for the purpose of awarding scholarships to attending students. However, sometimes these donors put restrictions on who can receive the funds. Usually the restrictions are limited to a certain area of study, someone graduating from a particular high school, or someone that has a specific extra-curricular interest. It may take a little research but if you find that you match one of these donor’s requirements, you may be able to score extra scholarship dollars.
Subscribe to CheapScholar.org
I receive notification on a regular basis from different organizations providing scholarship opportunities for students. I instantly weed through the gimmicky ones and try to locate the scholarship programs that come from reliable sources and have a track record of providing consistent funding for students. If they meet this criteria, I will post information about them on CheapScholar.org. If you would like to hear about scholarship opportunities (along with other helpful information), you should subscribe to receive our updates via email.
