Outside Scholarships

What to do and when to do it:

You should start your search for scholarship opportunities every year between December and February.  It is important to remember that the early bird gets the worm and deadlines are important.

Start your search for scholarships using any of the resources provided on this page.

Tips:

Searching for private scholarships is a lot like a sales job, the more doors you knock on the greater your chance of success.  It pays to be organized and persistent.

Register with one or more of the scholarship search sites provided on this page.  Be prepared to submit applications as the deadlines approach.

Essays are required for many scholarships.  Generally you can choose from 2 to 3 topics.  Outline several essays and save them so that you will have essays ready to go as soon as you learn of a scholarship opportunity.  Recycle essays from one application to another.

Contact 5 to 10 of your instructors, and ask if they would be willing to write letters of recommendation.  If you maintain a list of faculty members willing to write recommendations, you can avoid asking the same instructors each time you complete an application.  When you do ask for a recommendation, be sure to provide some background info about yourself that would be useful for the application.