Searching for National Scholarship
When beginning your scholarship search, your best opportunities will be close to home. A thorough check of local resources can uncover the majority of scholarship possibilities. If you have already selected a career field, contact professional organizations in that field for potential scholarship opportunities. Many scholarships are based on select criteria such as:
- Grades
- Financial need
- Organization affiliation
- Chosen college
- Athletic ability
- Gender
- Chosen major
- Religious affiliation
- Military background
- Race
- Leadership ability
- Parents’ place of work
It is important to remember scholarships are one source of financial aid with grants, employment, and loans being additional sources of financial aid. All students are encouraged to apply for federal and state financial aid, whether or not you think that you may be eligible. More information on how to apply for financial aid.
National Scholarship Searches
The scholarships listed below are offered by various entities outside of the university. If you are interested in applying or learning more information, click on the links below, and you will be able to visit the specific websites from there.
- American Indian College Fund
- Fast Aid
- Fast Web
- FinAid
- Gates Millennium Scholars
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund
- Latino College Dollars
- OCA (Asian Pacific American)
- The Princeton Review
- The SallieMae Fund
- Federal Student Aid
- UNCF (African American)
- Migrant Scholarships
- Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
- African American Scholarships
- Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund
- Scholarship Experts
Avoid Promises of Easy Money
Students and families are often motivated by claims of "millions of dollars in scholarships going unclaimed each year." Scholarship search companies that want to sell their services usually make this statement. The following are scholarship scam warning signs:
- You have to pay a fee or they offer a money back guarantee. Never pay money to get free money. Don’t pay any money to a company searching for scholarships or assisting you with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Requires credit card or bank account information. Never give out your credit card number or bank account number over the phone.
- Offers exclusive information. Don’t be fooled by someone claiming you are a "finalist" in a contest that you have never entered.