As mentioned in a related article, the federal government, universities, and private organizations can provide money to assist students with covering their educational expenses. Financial aid can be received in various forms that do not need to be repaid. They are a gift for you to take some of the financial burden off of attending college.
Typically, scholarships are offered to those who are able to meet certain requirements. For instance, students who have strong academic standing, excel at athletics, or are members of specific ethnic groups may be eligible for scholarships.
To begin the scholarship hunt, let’s explore some key sources for receiving aid:
College and University Scholarships: The majority of scholarships that students receive come directly from the students’ colleges or universities.
Visit a college or university’s website, catalog, and financial aid office for information on their offered scholarships. Awards can be both extended to the entire student body or within a particular college or major.
WFLA-FM Morning Show partners with Prime Meridian Bank to donate to the Working For Limitless Achievement scholarship benefitting the Tallahassee Community College Foundation. They raised almost $8,000 in scholarship money. (Photo courtesy of Scott Brouwer)
Tallahassee Community College offers a handful of scholarships that students can apply for twice a year for the fall and spring semesters. Visit TCC’s scholarhsips page for scholarship info. According to TCC’s website, over 400 students receive scholarships from the TCC Foundation. Alongside the Foundation, you can find scholarships for the S.T.E.M. Program, Workforce Development, Peer Ambassador, and International Student Services.
Follow instructions for applications, mind deadlines, keep your GPA up, and get excellent letters of recommendation. Do this, and you have a great chance at receiving a scholarships from your college or university.
Also, look into to transfer scholarships for those planning to graduate in the upcoming semesters.
Your college may automatically put your name in for its scholarships when you submit financial aid forms. Ask a financial aid officer if this is the case.
Private Scholarships: Private scholarships are given by an organization that is not your college or the federal government. These scholarships will more than likely be smaller in amount, but they can definitely assist you in paying for some of your expenses. There are several forms of private scholarships to be on the look for:
Local Scholarships: If you are graduating for high school, speak to your principal or guidance counselor about local scholarships. Local scholarships are awarded by organization in your own town or city. These scholarships typically appear in the form of sponsors, and may be available to students in college as well. Look online for scholarships in your local area, and search the public libraries for more info as well.
Employment Scholarships: A lot of franchises provide scholarships for students they employ. If you work at a local company, ask around the higher-ups to see if they provide employees with grants to continue their education while being employed by the company.
Also be sure to ask the same of your parents. Some companies provide grants and scholarships to the children of those they employ.
The Florida Lottery presents Tallahassee Community College President Jim Murdaugh (Left) and TCC Bright Futures recipients with a check portraying the amount of scholarship funding TCC has received from the Florida Lottery since 1997. (Photo courtesy of Capitol Soup)
State Scholarships: Almost every state offers some sort of scholarship for its residents for students who plan to attend college somewhere in the state. For example, Florida offers the Bright Futures Scholarships to those who qualify, live, and plan to attend college in the state.
Check out Florida Student Scholarship and Grant Programs to see if you qualify for any programs given by the State. You can also receive some of these grants just by filling out your FAFSA in time. I didn’t apply for any of these grants, but was awarded two just from the information on my financial aid application.
Searching for More Scholarships: To find even more scholarships, you can make use of free resources that provide you various scholarships you can apply for. Remember, you should never have to pay for scholarship information.
Here’s a list of possible scholarship search tools. There are more out there, but these are the ones I have had success with:
College Board’s Scholarship Search: Scholarship Search is designed to collect information on thousands of scholarships, grants, and awards. It matches the criteria you submit along with scholarship guidelines, then displays a list of potential scholarships that you can apply for.
Zinch: Zinch is a basically a student’s one-stop shop for finding scholarships that are easy, creative, and fun to apply for and win. On Zinch, you have to create a username and profile that will assist the site in finding scholarships that you are qualified for. Zinch has many simple and easy to apply for scholarships, such as the weekly Three Sentence Essay Scholarship, in which applicants construct a 280 character essay for a chance to win $1,000.
Fastweb gives great information for every scholarship to cater to your search. (Photo courtesy of Student Tutor)
Fastweb: Fastweb is probably my favorite scholarship search tool. I’ve been using it since I was in high school. Fastweb has an extensive data
base to cater to your scholarship needs, as well as great features to help with your college planning endeavours.
ScholarshipPoints: ScholarshipPoints is a very interesting site. ScholarshipPoints works like a rewards card–like when you go to Chipotle every week and ultimately get a free bowl for your loyalty–where you can earn a scholarship from a points system. Users can earn points just from daily activities, such as viewing blogs, taking quizzes, and even playing games.
Scholarships.com: Yes, the most basic of scholarship sites, but that’s proably why it’s one of the strongest. The site allows you to both find scholarships and transfer universities that are right for you. The site allows you to narrow in on scholarships that are specific to your major, year, and location, increasing your chances of receiving a scholarship and saving you the hassle of searching as well.
Finding scholarships can be a hassle, but if you put in the time and effort, your chances at receiving one are high. Don’t let the application process intimidate you. Do your best, be surprised, and let the money flow your way.
ide money to assist students with covering their educational expenses. Financial aid can be received in various forms that do not need to be repaid. They are a gift for you to take some of the financial burden off of attending college.
