How to Find Scholarships Online
Higher education is the key to a more successful and rewarding future. As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2007 those with a bachelor's or master's degree made an average of $987-$1165 per week compared to someone with a high school diploma or less who averaged $425-$604 per week. This can add up to as much as $38,000 per year. In a lifetime, according to The College Board, the difference can exceed $800,000.
However, higher education is getting more and more expensive each and every year. The National Center for Educational statistics estimated that in 1985, a student paid an average of $4,885 for room, board, and tuition and college fees. In 2005, just 20 years later, this cost had skyrocketed to $14,629 annually.
Looking into the various types and methods of attaining a scholarship can be your path to decreasing the costs involved with higher education. Scholarships are a way to be rewarded for your educational success and help pay for a brighter educational future. According to The College Board, there are over 2,300 sources of college funding in the United States which total nearly $3 billion yearly in available scholarship aid.
Scholarships in Your CommunityBefore you begin applying for college scholarships, you need to ask yourself what exactly you are looking for. There are several scholarship competitions for those who want to put their talents to the test. Furthermore, scholarship opportunities depend on what interests you have, what career you plan to pursue and what area of study you are enrolled in.
Companies vary from large national businesses such as Coca-Cola, National Merit and Gates Millennium to smaller community services such as the RSL, fast food chains, department stores and super markets. Also, be sure to check with your parent's work places as they may offer scholarships to children of employees.
Next, look to your State Department of Higher Education, especially if you plan to attend college in the same state you live. Their website will have information to point you towards scholarships.
Another great place to find scholarships is with your intended higher education institute. Most colleges and universities offer their students scholarships based on merit, financial need, ethnicity, interests, program of study and several other criteria. Check your school's website or their catalogue for more information.
Online ResourcesAfter you have looked into the community, local and institutional websites, you should perform a basic online search for scholarships. Keep in mind that you should never have to pay for a scholarship search.
The Internet can be a little overwhelming when it comes to applying for scholarships and sometimes it is hard to decipher between a scholarship scam and a legitimate scholarship fund. That is why it is best to turn to government-sponsored websites and reliable resources as listed below.
The first website to visit is www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), is the form to fill out for all student aid coming from the Federal Government. Not every school participates in every federal student aid program but most do. The Federal programs available to students are:
- Pell Grants
- Academic Competitiveness Grants
- National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grants
- Federal Stafford Loans
- Federal PLUS Loans
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
- Federal Work-Study
- Federal Perkins Loans
Students.gov is another great resource from the federal government. They list several free online services for those looking into applying for higher education scholarships at the federal, state and community levels. They also list places to look for financial aid and scholarships depending on your intended area of study and your background.
Check out the US Department of Education or the US Department of Health and Human Services; both offer fast and free scholarship search engines.
The College Board is another useful website to navigate through when beginning your quest for scholarships. They offer a simple search engine based on your personal information, your background history and your intended area of study to find the best possible scholarship matches for your higher education.
Two other free and helpful websites are Fast Web and College Answer. You need to register to these websites but both provide exceptional scholarship searches based on your particular situation and future educational goals.
Searching for scholarships can be a daunting experience. However, by knowing what you want and where to look, you will be able to save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on your higher education costs. There is no better way to begin your educational journey than on the right financial path.
Article ResourcesStudents.gov
http://www.students.gov
US Department of Education
http://studentaid2.ed.gov/
US Department of Health and Human Services
http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/index.htm
College Board Scholarship Search
http://apps.collegeboard.com
Fast Web Scholarship Search
http://www.fastweb.com
College Answer
http://www.collegeanswer.com
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