Scholarship Search Tips

Private scholarships represent a great opportunity to get funding for college costs, especially for a student who has demonstrated financial need, or for one whose entire need is not met by the college.

Students are required to report all funding resources to the Financial Aid Office. This includes any outside scholarships you may be receiving.

In addition, we recommend that you send a copy of all your Outside Scholarship award letters to the Financial Aid Office. You can e-mail, mail, or bring them directly to our office.

The Process

  • Start your search early and search often!
  • Apply for both large and small scholarship amounts.
  • Create a system for tracking application deadlines and requirements. Dedicate a spreadsheet, a paper file system, or an electronic file system.
  • Create a free e-mail account (i.e., Google, Yahoo, etc.) for your scholarship search requests and information
  • Create a folder of reusable materials (i.e., essays, goals, resume, etc.) that you can customize to fit a particular scholarship application.
  • Give it One Last Look (proofread your materials).
  • Be Patient and Persevere
  • Beware of scholarship scams. Visit the Federal Trade Commission website at: ftc.gov for more information.

     Scholarship Search Databases

        • Fastweb
            • Largest, most accurate, and most frequently updated scholarship database.
        • College Board Scholarship Search
            • Scholarship database lists scholarships and other types of financial assistance programs from 3,300 nation, state, public and private sources.
        • SRN Express
            • Free web version of the Scholarship Resource Network database. It focuses on private sector, non-need-based aid, and includes information about awards from more than 1,500 organizations.
        • Sallie Mae Scholarship Search
            • Students get free access to more than 5 million scholarships worth up to $24 billion. They’re matched to scholarships suited to their skills, activities, and interests. Students can sign up to receive updates as new scholarships are posted.
        • International Education Financial Assistance
            • IEFA is the premier resource for international scholarship and grant information for students.

Other Scholarships