How to Find Scholarship Opportunities
There are plenty of ways to discover scholarship opportunities. If you're in high school, your guidance counselor can help you find scholarships you qualify for. Both high school and college students should also check with their college's financial aid office for school-specific options. To explore a wider range of scholarships, try using a scholarship search site or careeronestop, sponsored by the US Dept of Labor. Don't forget to explore the lists of scholarships opportunities available on our site, where you can apply for our monthly $1,000 scholarship along with our monthly $2,500 scholarship.
- College-bound students can find scholarships to help pay for school by looking online and at schools, employers, and organizations.
- Carefully review eligibility criteria for each scholarship to ensure you are eligible to apply.
- Use a search engine or database to find local and national scholarship opportunities.
- Consider applying for a lot of scholarships; the more chances you have, the better chance you'll get some money for school.
How to Get a Scholarship
Once you have found scholarships you qualify for, you’ll need to apply in order to be considered. For no-essay scholarships, application may consist of simply signing up for the website sponsoring the scholarship and entering. However, many scholarships will require a bit more work in order to apply.
How to Apply for Scholarships
Let’s talk about what it takes to apply for scholarships. Once you’ve located the scholarships you plan to apply for, you will want to make a list or a spreadsheet with all of the scholarships and note the following:
- Application deadline
- Essay prompt
- Essay minimum and maximum length
- Interview requirements
- GPA requirements
- Transcript requirements
- Community service history
- Decision dates
- Any other information that is needed to complete your application
By recording this information you can prioritize the scholarships with the soonest deadlines and identify similarities in essay prompts (this is a great way to repurpose some or all of your scholarship essay text if the essay prompts are similar). You’ll also know which opportunities may require your transcripts so you can be sure to request those from your school. Finally, you’ll be well-equipped to keep track of which scholarships you have applied for and when you can expect to hear back.
How to Write a Scholarship Essay
When applying for multiple scholarships that require an essay, it can be overwhelming. To alleviate this stress, consider repurposing essay components whenever possible. Look for scholarships with similar prompts, allowing you to reuse parts or even the entire essay. This strategy can save you time and effort during the application process.
For detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to write a scholarship essay check out How to Write a Scholarship Essay Step-by-Step.
Easy Scholarships
Enough about scholarships that require essays. What about easy scholarships? Many easy scholarships are simply scholarship drawings where you complete a basic profile, or provide basic information in order to enter. These scholarships drawings do not take into account an essay or your GPA, and therefore are open to a pretty wide audience of applicants.
Here’s a list of websites where you can find easy scholarships to enter.
Scholarships From Our Partners
Niche $15,000 "No Essay" Scholarship
We believe cost shouldn’t keep anyone from pursuing a higher education, so we connect students with thousands of scholarships to help them afford college.
$25,000 "Be Bold" No Essay Scholarship
Apply to 5 scholarships in 5 minutes by joining Bold.org, including the $25,000 "Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship. 100% free for students.
$2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship
Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship to help pay for school.
$50,000 ScholarshipOwl No Essay Scholarship
Create and complete your ScholarshipOwl account. At least 4 Winners will be selected each month to be awarded $1,000.
How to Find Local Scholarships
Local scholarships are often overlooked as a source of free college money. These scholarships are sponsored by the local government or local organizations. Some may require you or a family member to be a member of a specific organization, while others may only require you to be a local resident or attend a specific high school. To find these opportunities, your guidance counselor is a great place to start.
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