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?
How do I find scholarships?
When do I apply for scholarships?
How do I apply for scholarships?
How do I get my scholarship money?
How does a scholarship affect my other student aid?
Many scholarships are geared toward particular groups of people; for instance, there are scholarships for women or high school seniors. And some are available because of where you or your parent work, or because you come from a certain background (for instance, there are scholarships for military families).
A scholarship might cover the entire cost of your 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 education.
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You can learn about scholarships in several ways, including contacting the financial aid office at the school you plan to attend and checking information in a public library or online. But be careful. Make sure scholarship information and offers you receive are legitimate; and remember that you don'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:
That depends on each scholarship's deadline. Some deadlines are as early as a year before college starts, so if you're in high school now, you should be researching and applying for scholarships during the summer between your junior and senior years. But if you've missed that window, don't give up! Look at scholarship information to see which ones you can still apply for now.
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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 you read the application carefully, fill it out completely, and meet the application deadline.
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A scholarship will affect your other student aid because all your student aid added together can't be more than your cost of attendance at your college or career school. So, you'll need to let your school know if you've been awarded a scholarship so that the financial aid office can subtract that amount from your cost of attendance (and from certain other aid, such as loans, that you might have been offered). Then, any amount left can be covered by other financial aid for which you're eligible. Questions? Ask your financial aid office.
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Source: studentaid.ed.gov
Scholarships Available for Foundations and Philanthropies from around the Web.
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Chris Raine, an MBA student and Skoll Scholar at Saïd Business School, Oxford University who fundamentally believes in social entrepreneurship, founded an online community program called Hello Sunday Morning.