The Ultra-Specific Scholarship World (And the Tools to Find It)<\/h2>\n
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Forget the scholarships for straight-A students or star athletes\u2014those are highly competitive. The real treasure is in the hyper-specific, low-applicant-volume scholarships that most people don’t qualify for or don’t even know exist – these kinds of scholarships are one of the hidden funding sources to pay for college.<\/p>\n
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<\/h3>\nYour Hobby, Your Money<\/h3>\n
Scholarships exist for almost every unique interest imaginable. Are you a left-handed student? Do you have an interest in bee-keeping? Have you ever thought of submitting a design for a greeting card? There are awards for all of these! The small size of the applicant pool dramatically increases your odds of winning.<\/p>\n
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<\/h3>\nUnique Family Ties<\/h3>\n
Look into your or your parents’ union memberships, professional associations, or military service (beyond the GI Bill). Organizations like the American Welding Society or local credit unions often offer exclusive scholarships to members and their families.<\/p>\n
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<\/h3>\nThe “Weird” Essay Contest<\/h3>\n
You can find scholarships that award money for writing a short essay on subjects like the zombie apocalypse or what your<\/i> superpower would be. They are often less work than you think and, again, face less competition.<\/p>\n
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<\/h3>\nAccess the ScholarshipOwl Platform to Conquer the Specialized Search<\/h3>\n
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Stop Googling for scholarships<\/a>, which could literally be a full-time job. And why spend all that time when ScholarshipOwl<\/a> can do all of that searching for you??<\/p>\n Instead of receiving endless pages of search results that require you to click and click and click just to see if you are a match, with ScholarshipOwl, all you’ll need to do is create your profile. The platform’s AI-powered smart system then sifts through its database of thousands of scholarships and gives you a curated match list that aligns with your profile.<\/p>\n This centralized approach helps you to find scholarships that help comprise the hidden funding sources to pay for college:<\/p>\n Not yet a member of ScholarshipOwl<\/a>? Just start a free 7-day trial<\/a> to try it out for yourself!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n School counselors always recommend that students focus on local scholarships. Why? Because when you apply for local scholarships, you’re competing against a smaller pool of applicants. This is because local scholarships are offered by local organizations and businesses that want to award their funds to students in their local community. Since only local applicants are eligible, you’ll have a better chance of winning!<\/p>\n The challenge with local scholarships is knowing how to find them – and that is why they are part of the hidden funding sources to pay for college. Most small businesses and nonprofit organizations don’t have the resources to promote their scholarships, so the funds are often available, but they don’t attract applicants simply because students don’t know the scholarships are being offered. So how can you find these local scholarships? You’ll need to do a bit of detective work of your own!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Your school counselor. college-advising office or college financial aid office will maintain a dedicated, non-public<\/i> list of scholarships that are available to their students. Ask for this list, and also inquire about any specific scholarships that your counselor or financial aid officer feels you are particularly qualified for.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Your town’s Rotary Club, Kiwanis, Elks Lodge, or community foundation gives out money every year. The applications usually require a short essay or a local reference, but the applicant pool can be tiny\u2014sometimes only a handful of students apply! So checkout their websites or call these organizations to ask about their scholarship opportunities.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don’t forget about organizations you were a member of or volunteered for in the past, such as local sports leagues, 4-H clubs, volunteer centers, scout troops, school clubs, and more. These groups often have dedicated scholarship funds for former participants that receive very few applications simply because no one knows about them!<\/p>\n So think back and write down ALL of these kinds of organizations that you have been involved with, and then reach out to each one to ask if they offer scholarships.<\/p>\n Contact your place of worship. Many religious organizations have dedicated educational funds for their youth and members who are pursuing higher education.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n When you think of university scholarships, you probably think of the big ones from the Admissions Office. However, another large pool of money comes from individual departments, so these kinds of scholarships are another example of hidden funding sources to pay for college.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once you have been accepted to a university and know that you plan to attend that institution, reach out to your major department (e.g., the Chemistry Department, the History Department, the School of Music, etc.) These departments often have their own grants and scholarships specifically for students pursuing that field of study. Since the applicant pool is limited to students in your major, your chances are much higher of receiving these scholarships.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don’t forget to apply for scholarships throughout your entire time in college. Many students only look for university scholarships when they are an incoming college freshman. But significant scholarships are often reserved for sophomores, juniors, and seniors to reward them for maintaining their grades in a specific major, and to keep costs down for students continuing in their degree program. So keep applying for scholarships throughout your entire college career!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Did you know that there are many colleges that openly participate in programs that enable you to access reduced tuition or even FREE tuition?? It’s true!! These programs often fly under the radar because students don’t know they even exist, so how would they know which colleges offer them??<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Many top colleges offer free tuition for students based on household income – here is a partial list:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Many states offer free tuition to in-state public universities for residents based on income. Here is a partial list:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n All community colleges are low-cost, and are a great option for students! You can earn an associate degree or certificate at a community college and then look for immediate employment in your field, or you can transfer to a university to complete your bachelor’s degree.<\/p>\n But in addition to being generally l0w-cost, did you know that 35 states offer free tuition to in-state residents who attend a community college?? It’s true! So we’ve got another example of hidden funding sources to pay for college! Some of these programs do have specific eligibility requirements, so be sure to check out the details as you investigate the community colleges in your state.<\/p>\n The following states have free tuition to in-state residents who meet their eligibility requirements:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are a handful of unique colleges that offer a no-tuition model. Students work an on-campus job (in the library, dining hall, or farm) in exchange for free or significantly reduced tuition. Checkout this list of colleges:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Did you know that you can often attend an out-of-state public university without paying the full cost of non-resident tuition?? You can!!<\/p>\n Many public universities participate in a tuition reciprocity program with nearby states. This means that if you live in one state but would like to go to college in a state near the one you live in, you may be able to do so at a cost that is less than their typical sticker price for non-residents.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Participating states include:<\/p>\n Note that there are some states that do not participate in a regional compact for undergraduate students. Those states are Iowa, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.\u00a0Note though that some of these states may offer other opportunities to qualify for a reduction in out of state tuition costs, so if you are interested in attending a school in one of these states, you should contact the school directly to ask about options.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you are working, ask your human resources representative about education benefits available to employees. Numerous companies offer these kinds of benefits – but they might not take steps to promote them, so it’s your job to inquire and learn about all of the benefits you are eligible for! Examples of education benefits offered include:<\/p>\n\n
Local Scholarships in Your Community<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nAsk Your School Counselor or Financial Aid Officer<\/h3>\n
Local Businesses & Foundations<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nPast Participation Pays<\/h3>\n
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Places of Worship<\/h3>\n
College-Specific Departmental Awards<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nAcademic Department Awards<\/h3>\n
Upperclassman Scholarships<\/h3>\n
Income-Eligible Students Can Receive Free Tuition at Many Institutions<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nColleges that Offer Free Tuition to Qualifying Students Based on Household Income<\/h3>\n
Private Colleges and Universities<\/h3>\n
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Public Four-Year Colleges and Universities<\/h3>\n
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Public Community Colleges<\/h3>\n
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Private Colleges that Enable You to Work in Exchange for Tuition<\/h3>\n
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Access Reduced Tuition at Public Institutions Outside Your Home State<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nHere’s How Tuition Reciprocity Works<\/h3>\n
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Does Your State Participate?<\/h3>\n
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Access Education Benefits Offered By Your Employer<\/h2>\n
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