College Scholarships

Class Location: The Internet

Description: This web site will tell you how to earn scholarships and grants towards funding your education. Scholarships should be the first type of financial aid you seek, even before grants. While grants are typically given to support very specific projects, scholarships are distributed on the basis of criteria established by the scholarships' administrators.

Objective: To earn more money for your education.

Grants and Scholarships

Grants and scholarships are similar in that they are both essentially free money that does not need to be repaid. This makes them the best type of financial aid to seek first, before considering loans. Grants and scholarships have different sources of funding then loans and are awarded on a different basis.

Grants

Grants are given on the basis of a student's financial need, or typically in support of a specific project, which is generally research. Federal funding supplies most grants. To begin the process of applying for grants you must complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you are confused about filling out a FAFSA, see our web page explaining the process.

Scholarships

Scholarships are very different than grants. Typically funded by private organizations or individuals, they may be used to support either very broad or extremely specific goals. Often recipients' financial need does not apply towards scholarships, as many are awarded on the basis of merit. Some scholarships may involve only modest amounts of money, or be available to a limited pool of applicants. Don't let this stop your search, because scholarships exist for almost every type of criteria imaginable. Carefully research all options.

Just a few things to remember about scholarship criteria...

Scholarships' administrators distribute based on a variety of criteria. Typically this includes financial need, academic excellence, civic service, and athletic ability. The sources for scholarships vary and they are often provided by private sources such as non profits, corporations, and colleges. Scholarships exist for every type of criteria imaginable, right down to those for left-handed students. Because of the large number of scholarships out there, it would be most beneficial to your search to engage a scholarship search engine or a comprehensive guide. The reputable guides should be free or be priced at roughly the amount you would expect to pay for a similarly sized book. Avoid any guides that make outrageous guarantees about securing some large total amount of scholarships for your education.

A little information about one of the most common types of scholarships...

Athletic Scholarships

Most NCAA Division I and Division II institutions (the Ivy League schools are the most notable exceptions), and some NAIA and NJCAA institutions offer athletic scholarships in the following sports:

• baseball

• basketball

• cross country

• crew

• golf

• hockey (ice and field)

• lacrosse

• soccer

• softball

• swimming

• track

• volleyball

• wrestling

Some colleges also offer athletic scholarships in other sports as well.

Warning!

Many fee-based organizations exist that assist students in finding and securing various scholarships and grants. Keep in mind that while many of them offer a legitimate and valuable service, there are many scam companies out there. If you decide to use a company, just be careful with your choice.