Lots of students skip because they assume you need a 4.0 and a list of trophies to win one. Not true. A scholarship is money for school you don't repay, and there are scholarships for nearly every kind of person: your hometown, your heritage, your hobby, your major, even your part-time job. The trick is applying for the ones you can win.

Go small and local

Everyone chases the giant national scholarships, which means thousands of people apply for each one. Smaller local awards from a community group, a local business, your church, or your school district get far fewer applicants. A $500 local scholarship you win beats a $20,000 one you don't.

Tip
Start with your school counselor and your school's financial aid office. They often keep a list of local scholarships that never get posted online, and far fewer students hear about them.

Look in the right places

  • Your high school or college counseling and financial aid offices.
  • Free scholarship search sites (never ones that charge a fee). Our own Scholarship Finder is a hand-verified list you can filter by where you are in school.
  • Local groups: rotary clubs, unions, community foundations, places of worship.
  • Your parents' employers, and your own employer if you work.
  • Groups tied to your background, interests, or planned major.

Stay organized

Most scholarships are lost to missed deadlines, not weak applications. Keep a simple list, in a spreadsheet or even a notebook, with each scholarship, what it needs, and when it's due. Write one strong personal essay you can adjust for several applications instead of starting from scratch each time.

Watch for scams

One rule protects you from most of the bad actors: a real scholarship never asks you to pay to apply. If a site charges a fee, guarantees you'll win, or asks for your bank account to 'hold' your award, walk away. Real scholarship money flows to you, never from you. How to Spot a Scam covers the warning signs in more detail.

Applying for scholarships is one of the best-paying things you can do with your time. A few hours on a small local award can be worth more per hour than almost any job, and the money is yours to keep.

Every scholarship you win shrinks what you might have to borrow. Once the offers come in, the next job is reading your aid letter and seeing how it all fits together.