Internet
Forget the time-wasting social networks, and let’s use the Internet for something productive. We recommend that you use as many online scholarship databases as possible as long as they are free. There are enough quality free databases that you should not have to pay for any online search. Here are a
few we recommend:
- SuperCollege (www.supercollege.com)
- Sallie Mae (www.salliemae.com/scholarships)
- BrokeScholar (www.brokescholar.com)
- Careers and Colleges (www.careersandcolleges.com)
- The College Board (www.collegeboard.com)
- Free Scholarship Information (www.freschinfo.com)
- Scholarships.com (www.scholarships.com)
- AdventuresinEducation (www.adventuresineducation.org)
- CollegeNet (www.collegenet.com)
- Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies (www.einaudi.cornell.edu/funding/search.asp)
of dollars in scholarships listed, they represent only a tiny fraction of what is
available. We have personally used nearly every free scholarship database on
the Internet and know from experience that none of them (including our own
at www.supercollege.com) lists every scholarship that you might win. Think
of these databases as starting points, and remember that they are not the only
places to fi nd awards.
Professional associations
There is an association for every profession you can imagine. Whether you
want to be a doctor, teacher or helicopter pilot, there are professional organizations
that exist not only to advance the profession, but also to encourage
students to enter that fi eld by awarding grants and scholarships.
To find these associations, contact people who are already in the profession.
If you think you want to become a computer programmer, ask computer
programmers about the associations to which they belong. Also look at the
trade magazines that exist for the profession since they have advertisements
for various professional organizations.
Another way to fi nd associations is through books like The Encyclopedia of
Associations. This multi-volume set found at most college libraries lists nearly
every professional association in the United States. Once you fi nd these associations,
contact them or visit their websites to see if they offer scholarships.
Professional associations often provide scholarships for upper-level college
students, graduate school or advanced training. But even high school
students who know what they want to do after college can fi nd money from
associations.
Big business
If you’ve never received a personal “thank you” from large companies like
Coca-Cola, Tylenol or Microsoft, here it is. A lot of these have charitable
foundations that award scholarships. Companies give these awards to give
something back to the community (and the positive PR sure doesn’t hurt either).
When you visit company websites, look for links to their foundations,
which often manage the scholarship programs.
Many companies offer similar types of scholarships. What if you’re a student
fi lm maker? Think about all the companies that make money or sell
products to you from cameras to editing software to tripods. Are you into industrial
music? What special equipment or instruments do you use? Consider
the companies that will benefi t from more people using their products and
services. Some companies also offer awards to attract future employees. For
example, Microsoft, the software company, sponsors a scholarship program
for student programmers. Be sure to investigate companies that employ people
in your fi eld of study—especially if it is highly competitive—to see if they
offer scholarships.
Colleges
You may think that checks only travel from your pocket to your college to
pay for tuition. But colleges actually give a lot of money to students. Some
of this money comes from the college itself while other money is from generous
donations of alumni. Every college administers a number of scholarships,
some based on fi nancial need and some based on merit. What many students
don’t know is that often a student’s application for admission is also used by
the college to determine if he or she may win a scholarship. This is one reason
it is worth the submission of any optional essay suggested on a college application.
Even if the essay does not impact your admission, it could be used to
award you some scholarship dollars.
Read More : Scholarship : Searching Beyond Your Backyard
