University of Arkansas Parent Guide
Finding College Scholarships and Grants
While the rising costs of a college education may make some feel as if higher education is a luxury, there is still plenty of help available for those who need it through scholarships and grants. College scholarships and grants are readily available to students willing to do the research and pay attention to the rules, requirements and other "details."
Scholarship and grant providers set their own rules about who can and cannot apply, and students should not spend wasted time applying for scholarships and grants in which they do not meet eligibility requirements. Finding college scholarships and grants with eligibility criteria you meet is the key to receiving awards. Don’t waste your time by crossing your fingers hoping the provider won’t notice that you didn’t follow one tiny little rule. The more applications providers receive, the more likely they are to toss aside those of students who don’t match their target profile, no matter how good the essay or project.
Below are some important details students should pay attention to before sending out their applications:
Deadlines: Be sure to check the deadlines of college scholarships and grants before beginning the necessary work. Providers know the deadlines well and it’s tough to fool them. It’s best to apply early in the case that materials get lost or misplaced.
Age: It may not always seem fair, but rules are rules. If your scholarship of interest is restricted to high school seniors who turn 18 by December 1st and your high school senior turns 18 on the 2nd, don’t waste your time. There are many college grants and scholarships are out there, ones that your student would be qualified to receive.
Spelling and Grammar: Proper spelling and grammar usage is the unwritten requirement for all scholarship and grant applications. Depending on the scholarship provider and the targeted group of students, reviewers may be more or less lenient on this issue. Conduct a computer spell check and reread your application a few times. Finally, have someone with a good, critical eye proof-read it.
Everything Else: The above are just examples of things you should look over. Many providers don’t stop there when it comes to eligibility criteria. Some only award college scholarships and grants to students who major in specific subjects, have parents who work for a particular company, attend a particular school, etc. Before taking the time to send out anything, be certain that you qualify. Opportunities made for people with your qualifications are bound to be available. Set your sights on these instead.
Searching for Scholarships
To find scholarships that match your qualifications, you can conduct a free scholarship searches online:
http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
http://www.scholarships.com/scholarship-search.aspx
Once you have finished searching for scholarships, you will want to organize your search results and make sure to keep track of those you are applying for or are interested in applying for.
Searching for College Grants
The process of searching for federal grants has a lot more to do with paying attention that it does with actual searching. For instance, the financial aid seminars and college information meetings held at the high school every once in awhile are extremely helpful and can help students find out valuable information about available financial aid options. This is particularly the case when it comes to grants.
Federal Grants
When the FAFSA is submitted, students are automatically applying for all of the federal grants including the Federal Pell Grant, the FSEOG and even the Federal Work-Study Program. So, regardless of whether or not you think you will qualify for a federal grant, students will be considered for it based on the information provided on the FAFSA.
State Grants
State grants are quite different from federal grants. Even though they are both funded by government resources, state grants are based much more on merit than on need.
Only the students that show the greatest amount of need will be considered for a federal grant. However, a combination of need and grades are used to determine a student’s eligibility for a state grant. Of course, the requirements vary from state to state, so be sure to visit your state’s official website for more information on the specific application guidelines you will need to follow. For state grants, the FAFSA form will still need to be submitted, but then also submit a separate GPA verification form to the state grant commission. This way, the commission has a complete picture of your student, finances and their achievements.
Private Grants
Private grants are a lot less familiar and not talked about as much. However, they can be an excellent source of financial aid for students that need it. These grants are typically funded by companies and corporations. They are very similar to scholarships. In fact, most of these grants are merit-based and require that students meet a certain GPA in order to qualify. It is generally a combination of GPA and financial need that goes into determining whether or not they will receive the grant. Need is determined by a combination of your income and the cost of the college you will be attending that determines your need.
Finding private grants can be a bit trickier than the federal and state grant options. However, you can find them with a little persistence. Try searching online for companies that work in the field you’d like to pursue as a career. Once you’ve located a few, inquire about their scholarships and grant programs, if any. It may take a bit of searching, but the potential money in your pocket is more than worth the effort.
Scholarships and Grants are the best financial aid option out there, so do yourself a favor and start searching! Most grant information is available online.
Sources:
www.scholarships.com/Resources.aspx
www.grants.gov
www.gocollege.com/financial-aid/college-grants/searching-for-grants.html
