WHAT SHOULD I HAVE READY WHEN I APPLY?
- Do your research.听Check out free scholarship websites to find scholarships that match your profile. The more you apply, the better your chances or receiving one.
- Start writing essays now.听Common themes include: future plans, career goals and heroes that have been an influence in your life.
- Learn from previous winners.听Review past winning applications, essays and other materials.
- Organize scholarships by deadline date.听An organized list of awards will help you plan which awards to apply for first.
- Create activity profile.听Keep a list of activities that you can refer to; include the responsibilities you had while involved.
WHAT KINDS OF SCHOLARSHIPS MIGHT I BE ELIGIBLE FOR?
- State agencies听鈥� Look for opportunities through the higher education agency in your state or for your chosen degree program such as the Illinois Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Department of Public Health.
- Ethnic background听鈥� Awards are given to students of certain ethnic or minority groups. You may be able to receive an award even if your ethnicity is only partial.
- Disability听鈥� You may be eligible for additional aid if you are physically challenged, have a learning disability or suffer from a long-term illness.
- Professional associations听鈥� Many professional associations offer scholarships to encourage students in their field.
- The religious community听鈥� Churches and other places of worship often sponsor scholarships. You may not have to be a member to qualify.
- Your parents鈥� employers听鈥� Check with your parents鈥� employers or labor unions to see if they offer awards to children of their employees.
- Community service听鈥� Some providers offer awards based on the amount of community service you have performed.
SHOULD I BE AWARE OF SCHOLARSHIPS SCAMS?
Yes鈥攊f you have to pay money to get money, it鈥檚 probably a scam. Every year, several hundred thousand students and parents are defrauded by scholarship scams. The victims of these scams lose more than $100 million annually. Scam operations often imitate legitimate government agencies, grant-giving foundations, education lenders and scholarship matching services, using official-sounding names containing words like 鈥淣ational,鈥� 鈥淔ederal,鈥� 鈥淔oundation,鈥� or 鈥淎dministration.鈥� In general, be wary of scholarships with an application fee, scholarship matching services who guarantee success, advance-fee loan scams and sales pitches disguised as “financial aid seminars.鈥�
