Pregnancy
Searching for Scholarships
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Sizing Up Scholarships
Where do you begin finding scholarship money? Without a doubt, the biggest innovation to the scholarship search is the Internet! Over the summer, begin your quest for scholarships by spending time surfing the Web and visiting your local library.
There are four major sources of scholarships:
- The federal government
- Your state government
- Post-secondary institutions themselves (endowments, etc.)
- Private sources (businesses, service clubs, fraternal, and religious organizations)
Keep your eyes and ears open and apply for every scholarship for which you are eligible. Most scholarships fall under one of the two categories:
1. Need-based scholarships are based on family income, savings, assets, and so on. Approximately 90 percent of scholarships are need-based).
2. Non-need or merit-based scholarships are granted based on academics, musical talent, athletic ability, community service, etc. Regardless of family income, only about 10 percent of scholarships are non-need based).
Finding Scholarships
Best Websites
The following websites will give you great information and related links on loans, college searches, and test preparation.
While I can't promise you scholarship money, I can guarantee that if you spend time visiting these sites, you'll be ahead of the game.
FastWeb.com: There are dozens of sites with exhaustive scholarship searches, but this one's the largest, most accurate, and most frequently updated. The site requires that you give some facts and figures; however, the results are usually worth the time and effort. Additionally, you'll receive email announcing new scholarships as they become available.
FinAid.org: In addition to good general information on numerous scholarships, this website features a link to scholarship scams tha tyou should avoid, as well an "ask the aid advisor" link. You can subscribe to a free, online financial-aid newsletter (highly recommended).
CollegeQuest.com: This site is a helpful collaborative effort between Peterson's and the National Association of School Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
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