How to Find Scholarships

Time for a money hunt: how to find scholarships

Getting scholarships is a great way to lower your tuition bill—and keep your student debt in check.

But to be successful in finding scholarships, you need a strategy—and not one of the “oh, I’ll just apply for all of them” kind. You may have a 4.0 GPA, but if the scholarship has a financial need component and you have no need (based upon family income), there is no point in applying.

Instead, do some self-assessment, determine what you have to offer, and search for scholarships that fit your profile.

Go local to find scholarships

Rather than starting by going on a national quest to find scholarships, hoping to get the big bucks from one place, look locally.

Try contacting your high school to ask for a list of scholarships available to graduating seniors. Contact the sponsoring organizations of those scholarships and find out if you might be eligible even though you’re already in college.

Community service clubs and philanthropic organizations always want to help students. Making a personal inquiry may result in an invitation to apply, which is a step in the right direction.

Customize your essay to match the scholarship

Behind every scholarship is a donor or group of donors—people who want to help students like you succeed. Your essay is just as important as fitting the demographic and academic particulars.

Align your story with the story of the donor or the organization—but make sure that what you’re writing is genuine. Fundamentally, donors want to observe appreciation and genuineness for the scholarships they provide, so if you can get personal with your story it could prove to be more important than a high GPA.

How to maximize your application time

Create a single, well-crafted one- to two-page essay with introductory and concluding sections that can be swapped out. This is no different than the “unique” cover letter required with the hundreds of resumes you will send out when graduation nears.

Essentially, a scholarship search is like applying for a job. It is time-intensive and you will most likely fail more times than you succeed. Just remember that one or two victories will make it all worthwhile.

Beware of scholarship scams

During your search you may come across an advertisement claiming, “$100 Million in Unclaimed Scholarships!” and all you have to do is pay $50 to get a piece of the money.

Never pay somebody to help you apply for a scholarship. Chances are, if you’re paying to apply for a scholarship, it will lead to a dead end.

That’s why all IU Financial Aid Offices provide information on “free” scholarship searches. Contact your campus’s office to get started on your search.

Indiana University scholarships

If you came here looking for tips on how to get IU scholarships, we don’t have much to offer.

The vast majority of university merit scholarships are awarded to new students upon entry as part of the student recruitment process.

Still, it doesn’t hurt to check within your major or department. A quick glance at your department’s website will give you a clue as to whether or not there’s something for you. Talk to an advisor within your major and find out how many awards are available and ask directly what your chances are. Good luck.