Resources for College Funding

Most student aid comes from federal education loans and grants for college through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid program. (Make sure you apply for this if you qualify.) Spend some time searching for scholarships — it’s totally and completely free!

It’s important to have an organized system to find, apply and win scholarship money. The best place to start is your high school school counselor’s office.   Next, do a little searching on the Internet. When you are searching, be sure to keep some things in mind:

• What organizations/extracurricular activities am I currently affiliated with?
• What organizations or employers are my parents affiliated with?
• What is my ethnic background?
• What offices did I hold in school clubs?
• What do I enjoy doing most? What do I want to accomplish? How can I make a difference?

Keep a list of all the scholarships you're applying for. This is a good time to get a little practice with an Excel spreadsheet. Make notes on deadlines, requirements, and materials to include so you can keep track of your progress.

Here are some websites that can help you in your search:

FindTuition.com/Scholarships – Scholarship database

ScholarshipAmerica.org – Scholarship database

gmsp.org – Gates Millennium Scholars

CollegeNet.com – Scholarship database

salliemae.com/scholarships -Scholarship database

uncf.org – United Negro College Fund

Scholarships.com – Scholarship database