Getting Started on Scholarship Research
By: Emily Cho
Decades of rising tuition costs have made college education largely unaffordable for most families without financial aid and merit scholarships. However, for many families, even financial aid and merit scholarships may not be enough. For those that do not qualify for any financial aid, many are left with a smaller set of schools to consider that is affordable. Scholarships are a great way to help reduce the cost of school, and every student should consider applying as there are thousands of scholarships in every category that students can apply for.
From religion to ethnicity to athletics to the arts, there are plenty of scholarships for every niche and community that students may be involved or affiliated with. These scholarships can range from a local to a nationwide, meaning that the competition for scholarships can vary greatly. With this in mind, students should think about how much time they are willing to put into their application for these scholarships, as preparation can be very time consuming. Many ask for portfolios, essays, and recommendation letters. It is recommended, however, to apply for multiple scholarships rather than having a student's time and effort put into one scholarship.
The number of scholarships available can be quite overwhelming. We have compiled a quick guide on where to find the right scholarship for a particular student and what to keep in mind when applying for them. The following examples are given to show a glimpse of the many scholarships available. However, given a student’s background and affiliations, they should go into depth and search for scholarships that specifically fit them.
Types of Scholarships Available
Whether a student is an athlete, musician, scientist, or artist, there are hundreds of specialized scholarships that students can apply for. These scholarships are meant to reward students with particular skills, background and/or interests, which greatly narrow the competition. Since these scholarships aren’t meant for everyone, it’s important for students to read the eligibility requirements thoroughly before applying.
Below are the main categories of scholarships that students can apply for and examples of specific ones to get started on.
1. Academic Achievement
These are merit based scholarships, typically for students who show excellent academic achievement. Each scholarship will have its own specific requirement. They will all require a high GPA, and good PSAT/SAT/ACT score. Additionally, applications may require written essays, a list of extracurriculars or recommendation letters.
This is a national scholarship program that all students can participate in if they take the PSAT (typically in their junior year). Finalists are awarded $2,500 and students who don’t make it as finalists but show outstanding performances can be awarded special scholarships.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship
This scholarship awards $5,000 over 4 years of school. The scholarship is based on merit for high school seniors and also looks at their commitment to the community around them.
This scholarship is for students who demonstrate an active participation in their community, excel in a wide variety of extracurricular activities, and are able to maintain a high GPA. Students with the ability to showcase these qualities and have a minimum of a 3.7 out of 4.0 GPA are eligible for this $20,000- $50,000 scholarship.
2. Background
These scholarships can range from one’s religion to one’s ethnicity. Many nationwide and more local organizations fund these scholarships for students who reside in the same community. These scholarships can ask for anything, from essays to videos, and therefore students need to search for the scholarship opportunity they believe they can have a shot at.
a. First Generation
These scholarships are specifically for students who come from first generation families and are the first in their family to go to college. These scholarships often require a minimum GPA.
This scholarship is for students who are the first to go to college in their family with interest in going abroad. This scholarship awards up to $2,500 which would go towards helping cover the costs of travel. Students are asked to submit a 500 word essay and a resume.
Red Thread Foundation for Women
This scholarship is aimed at international and first generation women. While there is no GPA requirement, students are asked to answer a series of short questions, provide an essay, two recommendation letters and go through a phone interview.
The P. Doug Laughlin Family Scholarship
This scholarship awards $10,000 to students who are the first in their family to attend college. To be eligible, students must be in the top 50% of their graduating class and submit an application that is available on their website.
b. Minorities/Underrepresented Groups
These scholarships are designed to help minority students further advance their education. These scholarships will ask for an essay and have other specific requirements.
This scholarship aims to provide up to $30,000 in awards for minority students who show financial need and leadership potential. Eligibility includes showing a dedication to community service and a minimum score of 1,000 on the SAT or 21 on the ACT. This requires students to submit four essays and a recommendation letter.
Recipients are awarded $500 - $5,00 based on relative need. Students are required to have a 3.0 GPA minimum and have filled out the FAFSA form.
This fund holds multiple scholarships for high school seniors who are going to college that identify as Asian or of Pacific Islander descent. Each scholarship has different requirements and awards vary from $1,000 - $5,000.
Live Out Loud Educational Scholarship
This $10,000 scholarship is offered to graduating high school seniors who identify within the LGBTQ+ community. Students will need to demonstrate experience with past leadership, community involvement and academic achievements through a personal essay and recommendation letters.
c. Scholarships for Women
These are scholarships that specifically benefit women. These scholarships can be for specific fields of work or just based on academic or other achievements. Students are typically asked to submit essays and letters of recommendation.
Hyundai Women in STEM Scholarship
This scholarship is for female students who wish to pursue a STEM related field of study. Students are asked to provide a short 500 word essay as to why they wish to pursue a STEM field in the future.
This scholarship is a $2,500 award for female seniors in high school who exhibit leadership and academic success. Applicants are required to have at least a 3.0 out of 4.0 GPA and are asked to submit a 1 page essay, 2 recommendation letters, and an unofficial transcript.
d. Religious Affiliation
These scholarships are for students who identify with religious communities. Scholarships are offered by almost all religious groups and are meant to give students the chance to celebrate their religious affiliations and further their education.
This scholarship program is to provide financial support of $3,000 to $10,000 for Muslim students who are majoring in film, media and politics. The goal of this scholarship is to help students who want to increase Muslim American Representation in media and politics. Application requires a resume, video introduction, essays, and two letters of recommendation.
This scholarship is an essay contest for students who identify with the Jewish community. There are two scholarships available (grade 7-9 and grade 10-12). First place winners receive a prize of $1,800 and runner ups receive $500. Students are asked to write an essay no more than 1,500 words on a topic that is given by the foundation.
Young Christian Leadership Scholarship
This scholarship awards high school seniors and college students $1,000 every month who are part of the Christian community. Award recipients are students who possess character, commitment to service, and financial need.
3. Interests/skills
These scholarships aim to reward students on their skills and interests that they hope to pursue in their college career. These talents can range anywhere from the arts to advocacy to engineering. Students may be asked for essays, portfolios, videos, and/or recommendation letters to show their passion and dedication to their niche.
a. The Arts
These scholarships are a chance for students to display their creative and artistic side for an opportunity to win awards to help continue their passions. This is a wide category ranging from music to photography to dance. Students will be asked to provide a portfolio to send either physically or digitally. While the Scholastic Arts Competition is the most well known in this category, there are many others to consider.
This scholarship invites students who are interested in the arts to compete for a scholarship up to $10,000 and other awards. There are various categories to compete in, including, dance, theater, writing, and photography.
National Costumers Association Creative Event Scholarship
Students can show off their creative skills as they submit an original costume design for this scholarship. Awards can range from $500 to $1,500. This scholarship requires a minimum 2.7 GPA.
This scholarship gives up to $6,000 for minority students who demonstrate financial need and plan on studying fine arts, graphic design, illustration, or photography.
b. Music
Students can apply to these scholarships to showcase their musical talents and passion for scholarships that will help fund their interests in music. National organizations often hold scholarships for students to continue musical education and students may be asked to display their talents through videos, essays, or recommendation letters.
Students who can demonstrate noteworthy achievement through the creation of a significant piece of work that aims to improve lives in specific subject areas, including music, can apply for this scholarship. Students are asked to provide an exemplary performance and/or demonstrate extraordinary achievements in another way. Students who are selected receive an award in the amounts of $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000.
This scholarship is for high school seniors who plan to continue pursuing music in the future. Students are asked to submit audition CDs or tapes to be selected as finalists to compete in Clarina, Iowa. From there, 3 instrumentalists and 3 vocalists will be chosen to perform at the Glenn Miller Festival and winners will receive up to $4,500.
c. Sports (outside of college recruitment)
These scholarships are for those who are involved in the sports community. This differs from athletic scholarships given by colleges as athletic scholarships for recruiting students into their own sports teams. The scholarships below are non-commitment scholarships from outside organizations.
For this scholarship, eligible applicants are those who play baseball or volunteers who are currently affiliated with a baseball league. Award recipients are based on the student’s grade, demonstration for financial need, and experience.
This scholarship awards $1,000 to student athletes who apply. Students are required to submit an essay that answers the prompt that is given by Sports Unlimited.
d. STEM
Students with strong interests in the STEM field can apply for scholarships such as the ones listed below. While there are the big science competitions such as the Siemens Competition and Regeneron Science Talent Search, there are many other scholarships that do not require that students do original research or other unique projects.
BMW / SAE Engineering Scholarship
This annual scholarship is for students with a specific interest in an engineering or related science degree. Winners are rewarded with $1,500 a year for three additional years (total award $6,000). Eligible students must have a gpa of at least 3.75 on a 4.0 scale and be in the 75th percentile for the SAT.
This scholarship gives students with strong interests in STEM $5,000 towards their studies . Students who apply are asked to upload a minute long video that introduces who they are and a STEM related innovation that they have created.
e. Advocacy
These scholarships are for students who have an interest in speaking out about public issues. These scholarships often ask students to provide an essay and may ask for school transcripts or recommendation letters.
Any student who is accepted into a college in the United States can apply for this scholarship, provided that they fill out an application form and submit a 300 to 500 word essay answering a provided prompt. Students who are picked are rewarded with a $1,000 prize.
f. Business
Students who are interested in pursuing a business career or major are eligible to apply for these scholarships. These scholarships typically require students to be in good academic standing and ask for essays that demonstrate the students’ leadership and innovation.
Women in Public Finance Award & Scholarship
Female students with an interest in business careers are encouraged to apply for this scholarship. Students will be asked to prepare several essays that showcase their leadership and interest in the field. 3.0 GPA is required.
The Dell Scholars Program awards 50 students $20,000 who show excellent academic performance and leadership. Students are required to have at least a 2.4 GPA and interest in a business or technology major. Students are asked to provide their transcripts, SAT scores, and a recommendation letter.
g. Media/Journalism/Writing
These scholarships are for any student with an interest in media, journalism and writing. These scholarships may ask students to provide samples of writings or essays that answer a specific prompt. Students interested in these scholarships should take the opportunity to showcase writing skills and a passion for media.
Richard G. Zimmerman Journalism Scholarship
This scholarship is directed towards students who wish to pursue a journalism career. This scholarship awards $5,000 and asks for 3 work samples and 3 recommendation letters.
National Press Club Scholarship
This scholarship is for students who aim to bring more diversity into journalism. Students are asked to submit up to 5 work samples, a 500 word essay, and 3 recommendation letters. This scholarship awards students $2,000 which can be renewed up to 3 times and an additional $500 book stipend.
h. Community Service
These scholarships are for students who give back to their communities. Students will have to show their commitment to community service through essays, recommendation letters, or other criteria.
Great Value Colleges Community Service Scholarship
This scholarship awards $1,500 to students who have enhanced the value of education through community service. Students are required to have at least a 3.0 GPA, a cover letter, resume, two recommendation letters, and 40 hours of service must be completed.
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
These awards are for students who have participated in community service within the last year. National winners receive a $5,000 award, while state winners receive a $1,000 award. This scholarship also awards non-monetary awards - even if your student does not receive the scholarship, the recognition is helpful for college applications).
Ronald McDonald House Charities US Scholarships
Students who have shown their academic achievement, leadership, and experience in community service are eligible for this scholarship. The Ronald McDonald House awards many scholarships with varying amounts and is designed specifically for students who can show financial needs.
4. Other Affiliations
Scholarships - The National Eagle Scout Association
There are three scholarships that male students who are Eagle Scouts can apply for: academic, merit, and field study. The scholarship amount differs greatly on which scholarship the students apply to and can be found on the website. Multiple students can be picked, as rewards are given to students in each region of the United States.
Where to Look for Scholarships
High School
A student’s high school guidance counselor is one of the most forgotten but valuable sources. Chances are they have a list of scholarships available for students to apply for and are more than happy to help students out during the application process.
The school PTA often gives out scholarships to students and will most likely post on school websites or send out flyers and emails about it, so students should keep their eyes open for those. These are less competitive than national scholarships, but more likely to be known to all of the students at the school.
Students’ high school is a great community to ask other students, parents, and alumni for suggestions of any past scholarships they may have applied for. This is a great way of finding scholarships and a great source of advice when students are applying.
Local Businesses
Students don’t have to look very far to find scholarships. Oftentimes, local businesses and newspapers will give out scholarships to students. Compared to national organizations, there is a lot less competition and therefore, a higher chance of getting the award. More often than not, students aren’t aware of many of the scholarship opportunities. They should keep their eyes open for any advertising and ask around.
Affiliations
Outside of high school, there may be organizations that students are part of that can offer help with scholarship searches. Coaches, outside music/art teachers, or other outside community organizations are a great source of information that students have access to. Not only can they help students find scholarships to apply for, but they can provide helpful tips and suggestions to help increase a student’s chances for winning the scholarship.
Online
The internet has thousands of scholarships waiting for students from big name companies to smaller organizations who want to financially help students with their education. Having thousands of scholarships to look through is overwhelming, so we have compiled below a few websites that can help students with their online search.
These websites are the best known sites with thousands of scholarships to apply for. Additionally, these websites have helpful tools that help direct students to specific types of scholarship, making the search a lot easier for them. It is to be noted that a lot of these scholarships are nationwide, and online scholarships can be more competitive than local scholarships.
There is a common misunderstanding that outside scholarships can deduct from financial aid received from colleges. Although some colleges may ask students to report any outside financial help a student has received, not all schools do. Additionally, if a school was to take those scholarships into consideration, the scholarships would only replace the amount that a student would receive. In other words, there is no real consequence for them to receive scholarships. Therefore, students should not feel discouraged to apply for these rewards.
Students should take the time to think about what affiliations they have that’s rather unique to them. What skills or interests do they have? What communities are they involved with? When applying, it is important to keep in mind the requirements for each scholarship, how much time each application will take, and especially the deadline.
With a little research, students can find scholarships that are just right for them. It is up to the students to find the scholarship that caters to particular demographics and niches that they belong to. Although local scholarships are highly recommended because they have a smaller competition pool, students should not shy away from national scholarships without reading the fine print. Some national scholarships, such as the Coca Cola Scholarship or Ronald McDonald Scholarship, offer a certain amount of scholarships to each state or city. This allows more opportunity for students to win scholarships across the nation. Students should take the time to do their research, so that they don’t miss out on the opportunity to win scholarships.
For additional insights, read our blog posts:
Guide to the Common Application
Which Teachers Should Students Choose to Write Letters of Recommendations?
When Should Students Consider Applying Early Action/Early Decision?
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About Emily Cho:
Emily is a current undergraduate student studying Media, Cultures and Communication at New York University and a contributing writer for Versed. With her experience helping high school students prepare for the SAT and their college applications, as well as her own experience going through the process, Emily understands the many challenges students face when it comes to applying to colleges. Although it can be tricky to navigate the college admissions process, she is excited to help other families and students with their journey to college.
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