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How to Find and Apply for Scholarships

This activity aims to help students learn how to find and apply for scholarships that are a good match.

Discuss

Scholarships are a great way to pay for college or other postsecondary education. When you receive a scholarship, the money goes directly toward the cost of your education, and you do not have to pay it back.

Did you know that millions of scholarships are awarded to students in the U.S. every year? Scholarships can come from individuals, organizations, companies, schools, or other funders. Each scholarship has its own rules, application process, deadlines, and funding amounts.

Being awarded a scholarship is similar in many ways to entering a contest and winning a prize. Some scholarships are like winning a race (merit-based) and can be based on getting good grades, having a special talent for something such as sports or music, or earning credit for achievements such as Girl Scout or Boy Scout badges and awards. Other scholarships are like winning a raffle (eligibility based) where you were selected by chance because you entered the raffle. A lot of times we mostly think of merit-based scholarships so it’s important we research both kinds of scholarships. There may be some that you didn’t even know were out there!

Thinking about applying for scholarships in this way can help you to decide which scholarships are the best fit for you. It can also help you stay on track and motivated while submitting multiple applications. Remember: you can’t win if you don’t apply!

Resource

Assist students to complete the activities on the My Scholarship Planner worksheet. Work with students to brainstorm answers independently to the questions below. Here are some questions to help with the conversation:

  • What makes you special, different, or unique?
  • Do you have any unusual skills, talents, hobbies, or interests?
  • What are you really good at?
  • Do you belong to any clubs or organizations?
  • Do you volunteer?
  • What communities are you a member of? What is your identity?
  • What career are you most interested in?

Click and Explore

Have students share their answers with a conversation partner or small group. Prepare students by saying “When it is your turn to listen, think about the other person’s answers. Do you know some other great things about them they should add to the list?” Based on this conversation, use the sites below or others that you are aware of to assist students find scholarships that are a good fit for their personal skills and attributes. Students can search for scholarships on each site without needing to create a user account, but they may want to create accounts to save their searches and access additional features.

Resource

Postsecondary Options Budget Worksheet (Part Four) Students have already completed Parts One, Two, and Three in Activity 2 and now have information to complete Part Four.