Scholarships are gifts. They don't need to be repaid. There are thousands of them, offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups, and professional and social organizations.
What kinds of scholarships are available?
Some scholarships for college are merit-based. Students earn them by meeting or exceeding certain standards set by the scholarship-giver. Merit scholarships might be awarded based on academic achievement or on a combination of academics and a special talent, trait, or interest. Other scholarships are based on financial need.
Many scholarships are geared toward particular groups of people; for instance, there are scholarships for women or graduate students. And some are available because of where you or your student work, or because your student comes from a certain background (for instance, there are scholarships for military families).
A scholarship might cover the entire cost of your student's tuition, or it might be a one-time award of a few hundred dollars. Either way, it’s worth applying for, because it’ll help reduce the cost of your student's education.
How do I find scholarships?
Your student can learn about scholarships in several ways, including contacting the financial aid office at the school your student plans to attend and checking information in a public library or online. But be careful. Make sure scholarship information and offers your student receives are legitimate; and remember that your student doesn't have to pay to find scholarships or other financial aid. Check out our information on how to avoid scams.
Try these free sources of information about scholarships:
- the financial aid office at a college or career school
- a high school or TRIO counselor
- the U.S. Department of Labor’s FREE scholarship search tool
- federal agencies
- your state grant agency
- your library’s reference section
- foundations, religious or community organizations, local businesses, or civic groups
- organizations (including professional associations) related to your field of interest
- ethnicity-based organizations
- your employer or your students’ employers
When do students apply for scholarships?
That depends on each scholarship’s deadline. Some deadlines are as early as a year before college starts, so if your student is in high school now, they should be researching and applying for scholarships during the summer between junior and senior years. But if they've missed that window, don’t give up! Look at scholarship information to see which ones they can still apply for now.
How do students apply for scholarships?
Each scholarship has its own requirements. The scholarship’s website should give you an idea of who qualifies for the scholarship and how to apply. Make sure your student reads the application carefully, fill it out completely, and meet the application deadline.
How do students get their scholarship money?
That depends on the scholarship. The money might go directly to your student's college, where it will be applied to any tuition, fees, or other amounts you owe, and then any leftover funds given to your student. Or it might be sent directly to you in a check. The scholarship provider should tell your student what to expect when it informs your student that they've been awarded the scholarship. If not, make sure to ask.
How does a scholarship affect other student aid?
A scholarship will affect other student aid because all your student's aid is added together can’t be more than the cost of attendance at your college or career school. So, your student will need to let your school know if they've been awarded a scholarship so that the financial aid office can subtract that amount from the cost of attendance (and from certain other aid, such as loans, that they might have been offered). Then, any amount left can be covered by other financial aid for which they're eligible. Questions? Ask the financial aid office.
