The Art of Getting Scholarships for College
Understanding the Scholarship Game
It's important to be aware of the three main types of merit-based scholarships available. The first is based upon a student's performance on a specified task, such as writing, artwork or a science project. This type of scholarship is never awarded on the basis of grades or test scores. The ThinkQuest Internet Challenge, for instance, doles out scholarships to student teams that develop and submit cool, educational websites.
A second type of scholarship is awarded on the basis of past achievement in particular areas, such as extracurricular activities, community service or academics. In the Discover Card Tribute Awards, which was my introduction into scholarships, judges evaluate special talents, leadership, community service and other areas. Students are required to have a minimum 2.75 GPA, but anything above this is irrelevant.
The final type is a hybrid of the other two and evaluates applicants according to specified tasks and past achievement. To win an Arts Recognition and Talent Search scholarship, for instance, students perform live for a panel of judges, as well as submit samples, portfolios or videotapes.
Although a number of individual colleges award merit-based scholarships, those that come from nonprofit organizations, corporations, associations and community groups offer a clear advantage: they are often portable. You can use the money at the school of your choice.
It's also important to note that your scholarship quest should not stop when you graduate from high school. A wide range of scholarships exists for students already in college: general programs like the Target All-Around Scholarship or specific ones for particular areas of study, such as the Hearst Journalism Awards Program. On the flip side, even students who have not yet entered high school can win money for college. The ExploraVision Award, for instance, is for students in Grades K through 12.
Find Awards Through the Web
Scoping out possibilities
Here are some great free wes sites to get you started on your quest:
1. FastWeb
www.fastweb.com
The Web's most popular scholarship database: with 4 million users, it conducts personalized searches for money
2. CASHE
www.cashe.com
College Aid Sources for Higher Education: a search service provided by Sallie Mae, continually updated with current information
3. Mach 25
www.collegenet.com/mach25
A Web version of a database often used for print directories
4. SRN Express
www.srnexpress.com
Abreviated version of a database system used in some highschools
5. MOLIS
http://content.sciencewise.com/newscholarship/scholarships3.cfm
Database geared for minority students and science majors
6. WinScholarships.com
www.winscholarships.com
Site features updated links to more than a dozen search databases
7. Scholarships.com
www.scholarships.com
Lists more than 600,000 scholarships matched to each student's background
