{"id":1635,"date":"2018-01-29T07:00:30","date_gmt":"2018-01-29T07:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.scholarshipowl.com\/?p=1635"},"modified":"2021-03-24T15:53:47","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T15:53:47","slug":"how-do-you-actually-find-scholarships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scholarshipowl.com\/blog\/find-scholarships\/how-do-you-actually-find-scholarships\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Actually Find Scholarships?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by\u00a0Jordan Schanda, Owner and Co-Founder of ScholarPrep.org<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"female<\/p>\n

One of the questions I hear most often is:\u00a0how can we\u00a0<\/b>actually<\/i><\/b>\u00a0find scholarships?<\/b><\/p>\n

So, here\u2019s my best advice and\u00a0top resources<\/b>\u00a0for finding and winning scholarships.<\/p>\n

First, it\u2019s important to know that there are four main sources of scholarships:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The college or university you will attend<\/li>\n
  2. The department that houses your major<\/li>\n
  3. Local organizations and businesses<\/li>\n
  4. Organizations and businesses nationwide<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As I walk you through each of these sources, keep in mind that some of these tips are for seniors who are already applying to college (or have maybe already been accepted \u2013 congrats!). Other tips are applicable to ALL students (junior high, high school or college).<\/p>\n

    The college or university you will attend<\/b><\/h2>\n

    You will likely automatically be considered for these scholarships when you apply; however, check with your school because you may have to submit a separate application.<\/p>\n

    The department that houses your major\/minor<\/b><\/h2>\n

    One of the reasons why it is important to declare your major freshman year is because it makes you eligible for scholarships from your department. Check their website for scholarship opportunities, which will require a separate application (you won\u2019t automatically be entered to win these when you apply for admission).<\/p>\n

    Local organizations and businesses<\/b><\/h2>\n

    I split up local and non-local sources because the way you find these can vary.<\/p>\n

    Finding local scholarship opportunities has become easier in recent years because of the internet. However, you may still have to make phone calls, visit businesses and read your local newspaper to cover all of your bases.<\/p>\n

    The best place to start is with your guidance counselor and even the counselors at other local schools. They are experts on college scholarship opportunities and will be able to point you in the right direction. Find out if they post these online or if they have an email list you can join. For some, you may need to call or stop by periodically to see if there are new scholarship opportunities available.<\/p>\n

    You can also check with the local colleges in your area. Typically, they will have a list of scholarships available to students in the region, regardless of where you actually attend school.<\/p>\n

    Why is searching locally so important?<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n

    Local scholarships have far fewer applicants than national or college specific scholarship opportunities. It\u2019s important to find all of these scholarships, even if they are smaller awards. They are usually less competitive and just a few small scholarships will add up quickly.<\/p>\n

    Sources of local college scholarships include:<\/p>\n