Who doesn’t want free money for college tuition, textbooks, and living expenses? That’s exactly what you get when you are offered, or awarded, an academic scholarship or grant. Scholarships are typically awarded based on merit; if you’ve excelled in academics, athletics, or positively contributed to your community, you have the potential to earn free scholarship money. Most scholarships are accessible to all high school students no matter their financial status. Grants, on the other hand, are awarded based on financial need, often to students who have submitted the FAFSA form.
Local scholarships are available from community organizations, non-profits, and community colleges while national scholarships are distributed by corporations, the federal government, and universities. With hundreds, sometimes even thousands of applicants, national scholarships are often more competitive than local ones. Some students have relied on scholarship money alone to support them through college and graduate without any student debt! There’s no better time to apply for scholarships than the beginning of senior year.
The biggest challenge when applying for scholarships is the amount of time it takes to find those you qualify for. Juggling AP, IB, or dual enrollment classes and applying for college is a lot to take on. Add the stress of finding the right scholarship and it’s easy to check out, leaving you unaware of the scholarships out there and how to apply.
There’s good news! Select websites and apps can ease your scholarship search by matching the search criteria you provide with potential scholarships. When matched with scholarships, it’s important to research each opportunity and weed out any scams. Here are our top scholarship website and app picks.
Myscholly.com
After signing up for Scholly you can create a profile, check your scholly score (based on your profile), then use scholly editor to edit your scholarship essays. It’s as easy as one, two, three and saves you hours of time!
Visit the website here: https://myscholly.com
And view the app here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scholly/id1048625540?mt=8
Fastweb.com
Fastweb recommends targeted scholarships according to the profile you create. Beyond scholarships, you can find thousands of part-time job and internship opportunities as well as resources for your college search.
Join for free here: https://www.fastweb.com/
And view the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fastweb.scholarships
StudentScholarships.org
StudentScholarships offers a free searchable scholarship database. After creating an account, you can receive information on new scholarships as they become available. The site also provides valuable information on choosing a major and career.
Visit the website here: https://studentscholarships.org/