Using Internet to find scholarships

The internet, if used appropriately, can be your best friend in your search for scholarships. There is no easier way to find the plethora of scholarships available to incoming and current students. The trick, however, to avoid wasting valuable time sifting through zillions of scholarship sites is to search effectively. Below, we will look at how best to do that.

The first thing you need to do is to take a good look at yourself. While many scholarships are academic or athletic-based, you do not have to be a genius or the next Michael Jordan to get a scholarship. I suggest taking a piece of paper and making two columns. In one column write down personal data about yourself, such as your gender, age, ethnicity, parents’ marital status, number of dependents you have (if any), and number of siblings. In the other column write down things you excel at, such as music, math, writing, volunteering, activism, etc. Do not censor yourself in this inventory. Simply write down what you feel you are good at.

Next, go to the internet. Make sure to use a reliable search engine, such as Google™, Yahoo™, or DogPile™. Using the search field, type in an attribute from the list you have compiled and the words “college scholarship”. For instance, if you are a woman, type in “college scholarships for women” and see what is returned by the search engine. Often, using only one attribute in your search will bring back too many hits and some won’t apply to you. To get around this problem, I suggest typing in one or more items from each column of your above list. Doing this will help you find scholarships specific to you.

After you have found a scholarship that looks like a match for you, READ THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS CAREFULLY. Remember, the number one reason applicants don’t get the scholarships they apply for is because they don’t meet all of the eligibility requirements. Don’t waste your time by applying for a scholarship you won’t get. Using your list as outlined above will help you narrow down your search to a reasonable amount of hits, but you still have to READ the requirements.

After you have made sure you are eligible, start applying. You can apply for many scholarships online, although some require you to print out the application and mail it in. Make sure you take your time and spell-check your responses. Nothing turns off a scholarship committee faster than bad grammar and type-os. My suggestion: type all your responses in Word and then cut and paste them into the application.

After you have submitted your scholarship application, send a follow-up email two weeks later to check that your application has been reviewed. Do not be demanding, but do be proactive.

Happy Searching!!