Researching Scholarships and Educational Grants

Introduction

The hope, of course, is that your education will ultimately lead to a fulfilling career and a reasonably good-paying job, through which you can pay off any educational loans you might take out.

In the meantime, scholarships and grants offer opportunities to reduce your debt load. Some awards are large enough to cover all tuition and fees, or substantial portions, and some even include a stipend for living expenses. While such generous awards are less common, and competition for them can be fierce, they are out there. It is also true that even small awards can make a big difference in a given semester.

Best wishes in your search as you consult the suggestions and award resources below!

Beginning Your Research

You will need to develop your own methods for researching awards, organizing what you learn, and managing the application process, but the ideas below can give you some ideas for how to begin.

• It is perhaps more common for students to receive smaller awards of a few hundred or a couple of thousand dollars than to receive a "full ride." Still, every little bit helps. Students who cast a wide net by applying to a dozen or more scholarships can sometimes cobble together thousands of dollars worth of free aid comprised of a number of small awards.
• Obviously the process of researching and applying for multiple awards requires a considerable investment of time and effort, but take heart: once you have written and assembled a set of application materials for one scholarship (letters of recommendation, essay responses, résumé, and so on) you will be able to reuse much of this material for other award applications.
• You might organize your time so that you can devote and hour or two each week to researching and applying for awards. Building this process into your weekly schedule can make it less stressful and more fruitful.
• Don't be deadline-driven! Make note of application deadlines and turn in all application materials early—several weeks early, if possible—just in case you encounter a complication that takes some time to resolve.
• A word of caution to keep in mind as you research scholarships and grants: there are some excellent web resources out there that will save you a lot of time and garner useful results (many are listed below), but there are also some websites that are really just marketing ploys. Use caution when providing personal information to websites.
• You might consider opening a free email account through Google, Yahoo, or another provider (separate from your IU account and from other personal accounts you might have), and using it when you request information or register for the various award search engines and search sites. Keeping such emails separate from your other accounts can not only increase your privacy, but can simply make your Inboxes easier to manage.
• In addition to keeping your award research emails separate from your other messages, keep hard copy folders of any awards that require submission of hard copy materials (as distinguished from materials submitted electronically).
• Some awards require letters of recommendation.
  • If you find yourself having to gather hardcopy letters, ask each letter writer to put his or her return address on the envelope, seal it, and sign his or her name across the flap.
  • You might also ask that they avoid mentioning the name of any given award to which you are applying so that you can more easily use the same letter for multiple award applications.
  • Give your recommenders as much time as possible to write the letter—eight or more weeks before you will turn in the application if you can manage it. (Some recommenders certainly won't need that much leeway, but it's best to give it anyway whenever possible.)
• Note that members of certain populations—e.g., women entering a science or healthcare field, African Americans, first generation college students, and so on—are sometimes eligible for special scholarships. You can keep an eye out for such awards as you do your research.
• Similarly, many scholarships are awarded to students pursuing certain degrees; for instance, awards for nursing students or for law students.
  

Some Scholarship and Educational Grant Resources

• The first place you should look for free money and other aid is the schools and programs to which you think you may apply. Look on the web first, and then contact them if you feel you need more information. Phoning is often the most efficient method, and email is sometimes less efficient, but some sources may have a preference for one over the other.
• www.finaid.org/ includes information about different types of financial aid. Also, behind the homepage links, you will find links to specific awards and financial aid search engines. (At the same site, don't miss the Scholarships link.)
• The Indiana University Office of Scholarships page lists some scholarships offered through IUB (click the Scholarships link at the top of the page). Be sure to look over the opportunities on their Additional Scholarship Opportunities page.
• Thoroughly utilize the scholarship search engines at IUB's Office of Student Financial Assistance page. Some engines may yield results only for undergraduate money, but some do include post-undergraduate awards. (Also refer to the tabs at the top of the main scholarships page, especially with regard to aid during your IUB undergraduate degree.)
• You can find information about numerous financial aid opportunities for a wide variety of educational and career paths at Students.gov, which includes links to scholarship search engines and career tools.
• The IU library site lists some resources for researching scholarships.
• Look into the National Health Service Corp Scholarship if you intend to become a physician assistant, dentist, nurse practitioner, physician, or certified nurse-midwife. (Be sure to read the paragraph regarding the service commitment successful applications must fulfill with this particular scholarship.)
• The School of Nursing scholarships page includes information about both nursing and prenursing funding.
• Premed students should use the resources listed on the American Association of Medical Colleges "Financing Your Medical Education" page.
• Prelaw students should refer to the financial aid information linked toward the bottom of the HPPLC Law homepage contents menu.