It can be easy to think that college scholarships are out of your reach. Maybe you’re not sure if your grades are good enough, or you think you haven’t done enough extracurricular activities, or you’re unsure whether you’ve started looking earlier enough, for one reason or another. Maybe you’re concerned about the money you’ll have to pay back after you graduate.
But like grants (which are funds distributed based on financial need), scholarships give you money for school that you don’t have to repay. And there are many kinds of scholarships. There are scholarships for community service, for first-generation students, for students with musical or athletic talents, for students from underrepresented backgrounds, for students who want to go into the health professions, for students from particular towns or counties and many, many more opportunities. The odds are good that you’ll be both eligible and competitive for some.
Sallie Mae’s How America Pays for College 2023 study found that more than half of families with someone in college paid for school using scholarships. Typical families covered nearly a third of the cost of college with scholarships and grants. And 65% of those families received a scholarship of about $8,000 from the college or university itself; other scholarships received came from state governments, non-profit organizations and companies.
Here are some tips for applying for college scholarships and setting yourself up for success:
Don’t start with searching for scholarships
Instead (if possible, before your senior year in high school):
Think about your goals for college
Think about what you want to study and what the knowledge you gain will allow you to do after you graduate. Consider the experiences you bring with you to college and the insights they have given you. Do a little bit of dreaming about the opportunities you would like to have in college, including taking on leadership positions in student government or clubs or taking part in community service activities.
Make notes. Writing these aspirations and reflections down will make them easier to remember, whether you need encouragement during your first finals week in college or need inspiration for essay questions on scholarship applications.
“To stand out, I think everyone should understand what their ‘why’ is,” recommends Lau Nasilai Miller, ‘24, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and received a $18,000 scholarship from the Dutra Group. “Have a purpose for everything that you do. If you join a club, what’s your why? If you pursue a degree in your field, what’s your why? Always have an intention and ensure that your actions align with your goals.”
Pursue your interests
Both your academic achievements and extracurricular activities tell scholarship award committees about you and give indications of talents and good habits that will likely bring success in college. Keep track of these experiences—make a list of your achievements and interesting experiences and add to it as time goes on.
“Join activities and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Scholarships often are looking for experience and leadership. List awards and previous scholarships you’ve received if able to. Sometimes the things you think unimportant are the ones that pique a board’s interest,” says Morgan Bates, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and received a $7,500 scholarship from ACEC-California.
Also, remember that your quirkier interests are a good thing. In the long run, you’ll be happier if you study a subject that interests you and do work that you find engaging. Exploring your interests before you get to college shows award committees that you are invested in yourself and finding your place in the world—and hopefully makes high school more fun, too.
Develop connections with people who could write recommendation letters for you
Think about the adults in your life who have watched you work hard and attain goals. This could include teachers, coaches, pastors, school counselors or others. These people are invested in you and your future and will probably be willing to help you.
If you want them to write recommendation letters for you, be sure to ask as early as you can—at least a few weeks before the deadline. Writing recommendation letters takes time. Asking for letters before you need them will give these adults more time to write your letters than if you asked at the last minute, and it will make your letter-writers less stressed.
They might also have suggestions of scholarships you could apply for or other advice about applying for college or things to think about once you get there.
Also, be sure to express your gratitude for the help and guidance you receive.
How to find college scholarships
The most common way to find scholarships is to use a scholarship database like one (or more) of these:
- Fastweb (free account required)
- CSS Profile (free account required)
- U.S. News Scholarship Finder (no account required)
- CareerOneStop (no account required)
- Niche (no account required)
But that’s not the whole story. Here’s the rest:
There are two major categories of college scholarships:
- Scholarships offered through a college or university
Colleges and universities usually offer a range of scholarships to admitted and current students.
Some of these scholarships are based on your application, and if you meet their criteria, you don’t have to do more than apply to the school to acquire them. They are usually renewable, which means you will receive the same amount the next year if you fulfill certain requirements, which usually include maintaining a certain grade point average. (For many other scholarships, you must reapply every year.)
Other scholarships are part of community service or other programs that you have to apply to join. University of the Pacific’s Community Involvement Program (which pays up to $40,000 of tuition and fees per school year for first-generation college students from Stockton) and Powell Scholars Program (which provides an annual $45,000 merit scholarship, up to $5,000 for independent research projects and $2,500 for studying abroad) are examples of this type of scholarship.
Scholarships for current college students: There will probably be other scholarships offered by your school that you won’t be eligible for until you’ve been a student for at least a semester. Like the scholarships that are tied to your application, eligibility for these scholarships is often determined at least in part by your GPA.
- Scholarships offered by other organizations.
Local organizations. Many community organizations offer scholarships for students from their areas. They might also have other requirements, related to your skills, background or your planned major. A sampling of scholarship opportunities for students from Stockton or San Joaquin County are below. If you live elsewhere, it’s worth searching for scholarships in your own area.
- San Joaquin Community Foundation Scholarships
- Amelia Ann Adams Whole Life Center’s Budding Scholars Award
- Junior League of San Joaquin County Scholarship Program
Corporations. Many large companies offer scholarships, which oftentimes include an internship or an offer of future employment. These scholarships are often very competitive. But if you meet their criteria, you won’t lose anything by applying.
National professional societies. These scholarships are usually for students who are members of the organizations providing the scholarship. Student memberships are usually significantly discounted, and sometimes your school or college might cover their costs. Examples of these types of scholarships include:
Federal, state or local governments. These scholarship programs often include internships or summer work experiences and are intended to prepare you for a possible career with the agency sponsoring the program.
When to apply for scholarships
You should start looking for scholarships at least a year before you plan to start college, but you can look earlier if you want.
“Be proactive,” says Bates. “By starting something sooner than later, if you become unsure about something such as phrasing, you are allowed the time to think on it.”
Keeping an eye out for scholarships to apply for in the future while you’re a junior in high school might be wise. The summer between your junior and senior year is a good time to start applying for college scholarships.
Many scholarship deadlines are March 1, but you should always check each scholarship you’re interested in, in case its deadline is earlier.
Tips for applying for scholarships
- Submit your college applications and the FAFSA. You will be considered for academic merit scholarships based on your application alone, and your FAFSA submission will determine your eligibility for grants and other forms of aid.
- Make sure you’re eligible for each scholarship. Unlike grants, which are need-based, scholarships generally aren’t restricted by income. But they may have other qualifications, so be sure that you’re eligible for each scholarship you apply for.
- Become (or stay) organized. “I have a general file folder where I place transcripts, general letters of recommendation, resumes and previous essay question answers. Then I create folders for each scholarship I apply to with their specific documents. It’s a great way to keep track of what you have applied to, especially if you reapply to those scholarships,” Bates suggests.
- Be creative but follow the directions. Many scholarships may require you to submit a short essay or another creative project, and these provide a great opportunity to make your application stand out. But the requirements won’t always be the same, so be sure that your submission for each scholarship follows the rules for that scholarship.
- After you receive a scholarship, figure out how you will receive the funds. Different scholarship-granting organizations handle scholarship money differently: some will send you money directly, and others will send money to your school so that it can apply the funds to your account.
- Tell the financial aid office at the schools you’ve been accepted to when you receive a scholarship, so they can assist you in determining how the funds fit within your financial aid offer or strategize regarding reducing loans.
Pacific resources
Learn more about financial aid
Learn more about scholarships
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