A college scholarship is a form of financial support given to students entering higher education. Typically, they’re awarded on the basis of academic merit or particularly high achievement in another area such as athletic performance. They’re designed to present young people with a wider scope of academic opportunities and secure a spot at schools that may otherwise have been unattainable. Scholarships can cover anything from 1% to 100% of a student’s total tuition fees, and the money could also be used to support with living expenses like food and rent. However, scholarships are extremely competitive, and are reserved for a select few of the college population. In fact, only 7% of college students in the United States receive a scholarship, equating to around 1.7 million annual awards in total.

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Why are scholarships important?

For prospective students, the overriding benefit to scholarships is they can provide access to better opportunities for higher education. By securing a college scholarship, students will be more likely to apply to certain schools they may otherwise have been deterred from due to the financial commitments involved. And with the most prestigious schools typically having higher tuition fees, scholarships can unlock the doors to these elite institutions. What’s more, being granted access to the best schools in the country will set students up for a more prosperous career after graduation. The benefits of scholarships extend beyond the college application process. Once you’ve been accepted and have started your studies, having the financial backing that a scholarship brings can allow you to focus more on your studies. It’s common for students to get a part-time job during their college years, but having the security of a scholarship could give you more options around whether or not you need to work, and could free up more of your time to commit fully to your academic tasks. It isn’t just the recipients who stand to benefit from scholarships; both colleges and the wider community could also profit. Firstly, diversity and inclusion are important topics in academic and professional circles, with research highlighting clear benefits to a more diverse workforce. Scholarships have the potential to make colleges more accessible to a wider range of students from all different backgrounds, helping to make both campuses and workplaces of the future more inclusive.

How to get a scholarship for college

Earning a scholarship of any description is no mean feat. Even if you’ve achieved well academically or in another area, there’s no guarantee that you’ll have access to full financial support to see you through college. On extremely rare occasions, colleges will hand out a scholarship to a prospective student based solely on their application to attend the school. However, in most cases, an application for a scholarship will be a separate thing entirely. To give yourself the best possible chance at securing financial aid, you’ll need to develop a thorough understanding of what’s involved in the application process, as well as how you can prepare most effectively to boost your chances of receiving a positive response.

Preparing your scholarship application

Each scholarship will have its own unique application process, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the procedure for whichever one you’re applying for. However, there is often a lot of crossover between them, as well as general advice that can be useful no matter which you’re looking at. Here are four things to keep in mind when preparing your application:
  • Understand what you’re eligible for and find out the deadlines. First and foremost, the process starts by finding out which scholarships might be available to you. This can be done by doing a little research into the eligibility criteria, as well as potentially reaching out to your teachers. However much effort has been put into your application, it’ll all be for nothing if you’re not eligible for the scholarship. At this stage, you shouldn’t discount any programs that may be offering less than you were hoping for; every little helps when it comes to your finances at college.
Once you have a shortlist of which ones you might be eligible for, make sure you note the deadlines for each. Scholarships have strict deadlines each year for colleges to receive applications. Finding out when these are and keeping them at the forefront of your mind is one of the most important things you can do.
  • Start your application early. Once you understand the available avenues of support and the deadlines, it’s important to start gathering any useful information as soon as possible. This will give you the best chance of putting together an effective application that’ll help you stand out from other candidates. Leaving it to the last minute will mean you’re more likely to miss out important information that will negatively impact your chances of being approved.
  • Collect the right materials. There are so many different resources you can use to help enhance your application. To start with, letters of recommendation and references are vitally important, and judges will expect to see them as part of your application.
These letters will typically come from your high school teachers. When asking for a recommendation, try to give them as much time and information around your application as possible. Chances are, academic staff will be swamped with requests come the end of the year, so get ahead and contact your teachers well in advance of the deadline.
  • Don’t use a generic application. If you’re eligible, you may decide to apply for multiple scholarships. But it’s crucial that you tailor your applications to each different program, and avoid the temptation to simply send out the exact same information. Each scholarship will be different in some way, so to give yourself the best chance of receiving funding, make sure you understand the differences and exactly what they’re asking for.
That’s not to say you can’t recycle materials. In fact, it’s always a good idea to save a copy of your application, so if you are unsuccessful, you can repurpose certain elements; just ensure they’re rewritten with the new scholarship in mind.

Scholarships for U.S. citizens

A 2023 survey found that scholarships and grants cover 29% of college costs for the average American family. This highlights how important it is to apply for financial aid; not only will it help to reduce debt after graduation, but it may also present you with a wider range of colleges to choose from. Starting your search for scholarships locally is generally the best course of action, since these will likely be more attainable than the incredibly competitive national awards. If you already have a particular college in mind, make sure you look into any sources of funding they offer. Signing up to some national scholarship database websites is the easiest way to find out which of the larger awards you might be eligible for. At this stage, it’s also a good idea to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This will give you access to a wider range of financial aid, and lots of colleges will use the information on this form to determine your eligibility for local scholarships.