Free Scholarships
It can sometimes seem difficult to find ways to afford college, but your first step should always be applying for free scholarships. There are many places that you can find potential scholarships, including the school you are looking at or currently attending, any sort of organization or union for the field you are entering, as well as clubs you may already be a part of. Websites dedicated to free scholarships can also be an option. After you have found potential scholarships, your next step is to apply.
Where to Start Finding Free Scholarships?
Looking at your college’s website is a good place to start, as they will frequently keep a list of available scholarships. Keep in mind that you may not be eligible for all of them. For example, you probably won’t be eligible for the Colorado Restaurant Association Education Foundation Scholarship if you are an archeology student in Arizona, even if that scholarship is listed on your college’s webpage. For most schools, there should be an easy way to sort your options listed. Many schools will actually apply you automatically to scholarships you are eligible for based on your application. However, do not ever assume that unless you can verify it. On the university website, you will mostly find scholarships offered by the school itself, although they may also keep a list of scholarships relevant to certain majors or demographics that are awarded by other foundations or organizations.
The profession you are entering can also be a great source of free scholarships. The best way to find this type of scholarship is to search for “(your field) organizations.” By searching for “computer science organizations,” for instance, you would find the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), and find that they offer many two thousand dollar free scholarships each year. Almost every industry has similar organizations that offer scholarships. If you are having trouble, it may be helpful to reach out to a professor at your school for advice. Most colleges have numerous connections with these types of professional organizations, and can put you on the right path to finding a free scholarship.
Additional Scholarships
Another place to ask at is any clubs you may be currently involved in. The International Thespian Society gives out over $25,000 each year to students involved in their high school’s drama program, The Girl Scouts of America provides a list of scholarships available to girls who have earned their gold award and chances are your high school offers scholarships for a wide range of activities as well. Athletes can look towards athletic scholarships, maybe even a full ride for students who are particularly skilled in their sport. The best way to find this kind of scholarship is simply to attend events for your club and ask around. It can be hard to find enough time to be involved in clubs and teams when you start approaching the end of high school and it’s daunting exams and applications, however, if you aren’t at the meetings, you won’t hear about potential ways to finance your education through free scholarships.
A quick way to hear about scholarships is through websites dedicated to them. You should be careful though: while many of these websites can be an invaluable resource, there are some that are a scam and only seek your information and money. A good website should not ask for funds to find you scholarships. The easiest way to find a site like this is to go to a search engine and type in “free scholarships.” These websites will usually ask for certain information, like your age, the major you are entering, your ethnicity, and what state you live in. It will then use that information to narrow its database down to free scholarships that you are most likely to be eligible for. At that point, you should be able to either follow links on the page to the website of the organization offering the scholarship. In some cases, you can actually apply to many scholarships right from the site you are on.
What’s the Next Step?
By now, you should have an extensive list of what free scholarships you’d like to apply for. The next step is to just sit down and apply! Most of the website you’ve found should have an application right there on the webpage, that you can either fill out online, or print and mail in. It can be very tedious to fill in more than a few at a time, so you’ll want to start well before any deadlines. Many scholarship applications will ask for an essay, so be prepared and give yourself enough time to write and edit those as well. After you finish each essay, be sure to save a copy. You never know if another scholarship application will have a similar essay prompt, and there’s no need to do the same work twice. It can also be helpful to write out a page of all the information you’ll need ahead of time, including any reference contact information and information about your high school and college.
Finding and applying for free scholarships can seem like a daunting task, but if you just follow the above steps and start well before any deadlines, it should be a piece of cake. If you get stuck at any point, remember that there are plenty of resources available to help, including guidance counselors at your high school, and admission counselors at your college. Older friends and family members can also offer good advice. Just remember that free scholarships are out there, and that the more you apply to, the more likely you are to receive one!
