How To Find and Apply For Scholarships: A Step-by-Step Guide:
With college and university tuition growing year after year, it may appear that the cost of furthering your education is spiralling out of control. In reality, between 1988 and 2017, the cost of attending a public university climbed by 213%, while the cost of a private institution increased by 129%.
Students can expect to pay approximately $9,970 per year for a public institution and $34,740 for a private university. Scholarships are one of the best ways to alleviate the financial burden of college tuition. Learning how to apply for scholarships can help you save a lot of money on tuition and boost your confidence as you begin your college career.
When it comes to paying for education, scholarships are a great alternative.
The good news is that almost every possible scholarship is available. Scholarship chances abound, from being left-handed to demonstrating your athletic abilities on the football field to creating a prom costume out of duct tape. When you receive a scholarship, the money is applied directly to your college tuition (and sometimes books and room and board). You never have to worry about repaying your scholarship award.
How to Find Scholarships to Apply for.
The internet has provided us with several search engines and online resources that allow you to find and apply for hundreds of scholarships in minutes. We’re laying down the most common methods you (and your parents!) can use to identify scholarships to apply for.
Scholarship websites are frequently recommended as the first place to search. These websites are easily accessible and provide hundreds of thousands of scholarships. Scholarship websites have improved significantly in recent years, offering quick sign-up options, filter options (such as college major, gender, race, and school year), and search results tailored to students’ particular profiles.
The negative of scholarship websites is the intense competition. Many of these websites provide links to external, national scholarships, which are often awarded through a lottery system. Some sites will continue to list scholarship programs that no longer exist since they are not updated frequently or quality-checked.
One final word of warning concerning these websites: beware of scammers. Some scholarship applications may demand a cost to apply. You should not have to pay for any scholarship applications. That is a huge red flag. Our “No Essay” scholarship post contains recommendations for avoiding scholarship scammers.
App:
Mobile apps and mobile-friendly scholarship websites make looking for scholarships more convenient. The flexibility to apply on-the-go and stay up to speed on scholarships is quite beneficial. Most apps allow you to personalise your search options.
Using Going Merry’s mobile-friendly scholarship application, you can narrow your scholarship search for local scholarships, make a list of your favourite scholarships and universities, and see which scholarships you are eligible to apply for. We will also release mobile apps (for Android and iOS) in early 2020.
Scholarship Providers
Scholarship providers, like scholarship search tools, vary in organisational structure, accessibility, convenience, and competition. Scholarships are primarily provided by the government, private organisations, and schools. We will break it down in the diagram below.
Government:
Government scholarships are available on a national, state, and local level. Typically, national and state government scholarships are applied for via FAFSA. National scholarships have a crowded competition since standards are more flexible. For example, most national scholarships are not limited by major, school year, or location.
State and local government scholarships are location-specific. Local scholarships become quite specific about which kids are eligible. However, the credentials are usually based on demographic constraints rather than academic constraints.
Private:
Private scholarships are offered by both for-profit companies like Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper, and non-profit organisations like the LEAP Foundation. Both methods have fairly flexible prerequisites because the firm or organisation can create their own rules for the scholarship they are financing.
For-profit scholarships face slightly more competition because they are typically offered by well-known companies. Non-profit scholarships vary widely. Both private scholarship alternatives typically include a subject on the scholarship application, such as a college major, a passion, your background, or a cause that the organisation may support.
