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Gideon
Student
Decatur, Illinois
2
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What is the best place to find scholarships or alternative ways to help make college affordable? #Fall25
I am currently a senior in high school and I want to pursue a career as physician assistant in pediatrics.
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1 answer
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
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Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
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Karin’s Answer
Hi Gideon,
You can reduce the cost of your college education by starting out at a Community College before transferring to a 4-year school. Tuition at Community Colleges is usually much less than at 4-year universities. If you have already taken some dual enrollment courses for college credit, that would further reduce the cost. When you pick a university, stay in-state for lower tuition and/or look for schools that are known to give generous aid. If your stats are good, you might be able to get significant merit aid, especially if your stats are way above the average for the school.
Your first stop looking for financial aid should be the FAFSA. FAFSA gives you access to federal and state financial aid. Many colleges also use it to determine your need as well. Talk to the Financial Office at the college you want to attend too. There might be scholarships you qualify for.
For promising scholarships, look what your state and your hometown offer. Some employers also have scholarship programs for children of employees or for their own employees. Check out scholarships from professional organizations, e.g. nursing scholarships for aspiring nurses. Research companies that would hire people with the degree you want to get, e.g. big tech companies if you are going into computer science. Check if your local Chamber of Commerce or any businesses have any programs. Search for scholarships that are for certain demographics, e.g. minorities, women in STEM, tall people, twins and multiples etc.
Some useful websites for your search:
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search
https://scholarships360.org/
https://www.niche.com/colleges/scholarships/
https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Training/find-scholarships.aspx
Specifically for healthcare students, check out these opportunities:
https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/life-stages-populations/rural-underserved-populations/allied-health-care-professional-scholarship-program.html
https://www.illinoispa.org/for-students
https://chicagofinancialaid.northwestern.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships-grants/outside/scholarships-for-physician-assistant-students.html
https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarship-directory/academic-major/physician-assistant
https://www.isac.org/e-library/applying-for-financial-aid/other-state-sponsored-programs.html
https://siu.academicworks.com/opportunities/38422
I would recommend to be strategic about it. Don't wear yourself out by applying to anything and everything. Consider the requirements and your fit for each scholarship.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
You can reduce the cost of your college education by starting out at a Community College before transferring to a 4-year school. Tuition at Community Colleges is usually much less than at 4-year universities. If you have already taken some dual enrollment courses for college credit, that would further reduce the cost. When you pick a university, stay in-state for lower tuition and/or look for schools that are known to give generous aid. If your stats are good, you might be able to get significant merit aid, especially if your stats are way above the average for the school.
Your first stop looking for financial aid should be the FAFSA. FAFSA gives you access to federal and state financial aid. Many colleges also use it to determine your need as well. Talk to the Financial Office at the college you want to attend too. There might be scholarships you qualify for.
For promising scholarships, look what your state and your hometown offer. Some employers also have scholarship programs for children of employees or for their own employees. Check out scholarships from professional organizations, e.g. nursing scholarships for aspiring nurses. Research companies that would hire people with the degree you want to get, e.g. big tech companies if you are going into computer science. Check if your local Chamber of Commerce or any businesses have any programs. Search for scholarships that are for certain demographics, e.g. minorities, women in STEM, tall people, twins and multiples etc.
Some useful websites for your search:
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search
https://scholarships360.org/
https://www.niche.com/colleges/scholarships/
https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Training/find-scholarships.aspx
Specifically for healthcare students, check out these opportunities:
https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/life-stages-populations/rural-underserved-populations/allied-health-care-professional-scholarship-program.html
https://www.illinoispa.org/for-students
https://chicagofinancialaid.northwestern.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships-grants/outside/scholarships-for-physician-assistant-students.html
https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarship-directory/academic-major/physician-assistant
https://www.isac.org/e-library/applying-for-financial-aid/other-state-sponsored-programs.html
https://siu.academicworks.com/opportunities/38422
I would recommend to be strategic about it. Don't wear yourself out by applying to anything and everything. Consider the requirements and your fit for each scholarship.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP