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Where can I find schoolarships ?
My parents don't have enough money for me to go to college. I'm planning to work while in college and I know it will be tough to do since I have to study, get enough sleep, go to classes, and WORK. I don't know what type or how to apply to any of them
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4 answers
Paul Goetzinger MPA
Academic and Career Consultant and Freelance Writer, TRIO Program Administrator
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Paul’s Answer
I would consider looking for potential scholarships at the University College Foundation because this is an area that many people may not know about.
Much of successful scholarship attainment, has to do with where you look for the scholarships. They can come from two primary sources, either private or public. One area people might not know about is the College Foundation option, at local colleges and universities.
College Foundations, manage the college endowment, but they also supervise private scholarship donations, and connect many of their scholarships to specific subjects, activities, majors, ethnicities and classifications. These are normally scholarships, that are supported by private individuals or businesses.
You might find scholarships for students who are first generation college students (neither parent has a college degree), students who are focusing their major on teaching, science subjects, engineering, social sciences, humanities, STEM subjects, or students who might be of a certain ethnicity.
Most of the time potential applicants can find nearly anything that fits into a classification or subject that defines them or their future goals.
All colleges and universities have foundations that offer scholarships. I would log into the website (of the college you are attending or wishing to attend), and research the ones which apply to you and your particular interests.
Much of successful scholarship attainment, has to do with where you look for the scholarships. They can come from two primary sources, either private or public. One area people might not know about is the College Foundation option, at local colleges and universities.
College Foundations, manage the college endowment, but they also supervise private scholarship donations, and connect many of their scholarships to specific subjects, activities, majors, ethnicities and classifications. These are normally scholarships, that are supported by private individuals or businesses.
You might find scholarships for students who are first generation college students (neither parent has a college degree), students who are focusing their major on teaching, science subjects, engineering, social sciences, humanities, STEM subjects, or students who might be of a certain ethnicity.
Most of the time potential applicants can find nearly anything that fits into a classification or subject that defines them or their future goals.
All colleges and universities have foundations that offer scholarships. I would log into the website (of the college you are attending or wishing to attend), and research the ones which apply to you and your particular interests.
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Jesus,
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. Sign up for work-study to get a job on campus, possibly even in your department.
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 California:
https://www.csac.ca.gov/cal-grant
https://www.csac.ca.gov/middle-class-scholarship
https://dream.csac.ca.gov/
https://risefirst.org/resources/resource-directory?location=California&category=Scholarship
https://www.scholarmatch.org/
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. Sign up for work-study to get a job on campus, possibly even in your department.
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 California:
https://www.csac.ca.gov/cal-grant
https://www.csac.ca.gov/middle-class-scholarship
https://dream.csac.ca.gov/
https://risefirst.org/resources/resource-directory?location=California&category=Scholarship
https://www.scholarmatch.org/
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
Updated
Lindsey’s Answer
This is a great question! A good place to start is to ask your guidance counselor. They have a lot of great resources and connections you can utilize! They also can help you apply for scholarships and walk you through the process. Make sure also to fill out FAFSA to see if you qualify for any financial aid. There are also websites like Scholarship Owl that you can look at as well. Depending on what college you are going to, a lot of them also have places where you can look up different scholarships and apply for them.
Updated
TRAVIS’s Answer
Look at work study options for student aid or even military service. Once you are off of your parents taxes you can usually qualify for grants too. Consider offsetting the cost of college by taking clep tests for college credits or dual credits while in high school. Those options will save you many hours and many dollars.