How to Get a Scholarship for College: 8 Simple Tips

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When exploring how to pay for college, many students believe that financial aid and student loans are the only options available. While filing your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for need-based financial aid is a must for every student, prioritizing applications for merit-based scholarships can help make college even more affordable.

No matter where you are in your studies – undergrad, graduate school, or senior year of high school – there are scholarships available to help you reduce the cost of higher education. Here 8 pro tips to make the application process easier, and boost your odds of winning a scholarship.

1. Start your scholarship applications early

Just as your college application starts long before you send in your transcripts (you can’t retroactively get better grades, after all), your chances of getting scholarships will be greater if you start thinking about what would make you a good applicant before senior year of high school — whether that’s in the spring of your junior year or throughout your undergraduate studies.

Different scholarships will take into account a variety of factors, but you’ll generally set yourself up for success by getting good grades, participating in extracurricular activities, and building relationships with teachers, professors, and other people who can speak favorably on your behalf.

In addition, many scholarships will require a written submission — so don’t shirk your writing classes. Your ability to write quickly and efficiently will be useful when completing multiple essays both for your school applications as well as the scholarships.

2. Explore college scholarships and grants

When most people think of scholarship programs, they think of the ones that come from private organizations, like the Exxon Mobile scholarship on this list. But these aren’t the types of scholarships that make up the majority available.

Instead, most scholarship money is distributed by individual colleges. Known as institutional scholarships and grants, these funds accounted for 53% of grant aid for all undergraduate and graduate students in the 2022-23 academic year, according to College Board.

While federal grant money has decreased in the last 10 years, this type of grant money has increased by 33% to a total of over $75 billion.

Unfortunately, just because institutional scholarships have grown overall, it doesn’t mean that the school you’re going to will have a lot of them available. It all depends on the institution you attend.

For example, University of California (UC) Berkeley, a public school that’s part of the UC system in California, offer scholarships to undergraduate students who meet certain GPA criteria.

This is a need-based scholarship, however, which means the amount awarded will depend on your financial need as determined by your FAFSA. Since financial need will be largely based on you and your parents’ income, the only variable you can affect in this case is your grades.

On the other hand, a school like Santa Clara University offers a number of different merit-based scholarships, with predetermined award amounts that will not vary based on financial need.

Most university scholarships will be awarded based on your application to the college and your FAFSA, both of which you’ll need to submit to attend that school in the first place.

What’s great about this is it won’t require extra work on your end to put yourself in the running for this free money. On the flipside, it means that you won’t be able to do extra work to set yourself apart from other applicants, like you can with private scholarships.

3. Look locally for private scholarships

If you don’t get all the aid you need from the institution you’re attending, you’ll need to apply to private scholarships. When you start this process, start small. Look around in your community for organizations offering smaller scholarships and apply.

You’ll have two major advantages when you apply for local scholarships as opposed to bigger regional or national ones.

First, you’re dealing with less competition. National scholarships might get tens of thousands of applicants, but it’s not uncommon for local ones to have between 10-50.

Second, you already have an attachment to your surrounding community. The odds that someone on the scholarship board knows who you are and what you’ve accomplished in the community are far greater. And that can give you an edge.

Here are some other benefits of starting locally:

• Community Support: Local scholarships are typically funded by community organizations, businesses, and individuals who are invested in the success of local students. Winning such a scholarship can connect you with local mentors and networks that might offer support, advice, and opportunities beyond financial assistance.

• Recognition: Receiving a local scholarship can bring recognition from your community. This can be rewarding personally and can also enhance your resume or college applications, showcasing your achievements and community endorsement, and even making it more likely you win other scholarships and grants later on.

• Ease of Application: Local scholarships may have a simpler application process, and you might find it easier to meet the requirements compared to more competitive scholarships. Plus, being familiar with the local context can help you tailor your application more effectively.

For high school students, start the search at your school. Many high schools will list local scholarships on the college section of their website, and school counselors are likely to have some pointers as well.

For both undergraduate and graduate students, make sure to check your college’s website as they will also be likely to list scholarships that local organizations and alumni have made available to students of the college. If you prefer in-person help, schedule a time to go into your school’s financial aid office to talk through the options.

4. Use scholarship search engines to expand your search

If you’ve exhausted your local scholarship options, don’t panic – there are plenty more out there.

In fact, there are almost too many, which can make the whole process so overwhelming that it paralyzes you into cutting your search short. Don’t let it.

Scholarship search engines handle the heavy lifting of identifying scholarships you’re eligible for. That way, you can spend less time searching for them, and more time increasing your odds of winning by applying to more, and spending more time carefully crafting your applications.

5. Prioritize the scholarships you’re seeking

Once you’ve identified scholarships you’re eligible for, make a priority list based on factors like the award amount and how much effort the application will require.

To start, you want to prioritize high-award, low-effort scholarships. These may have more competition, but you’ll be able to get them out of the way fairly quickly. And winning just one of them could mean shaving a big chunk off your college bill.

Then, turn your attention to smaller scholarships that you have a higher chance of winning. These may take you more time, and the award may be lower, but they’ll be less competitive overall. These could be local scholarships in your community, or scholarships that are for a specific population that you’re a part of (like children of single-parent households, for example).

If you complete applications for all the easy scholarships and local scholarships available to you, use these parameters to continue expanding your search.

For example, if you’ve already applied to all the scholarships in your town, look for ones in your county, state, or region that you’re eligible for. Prioritize the easy ones with high awards first, then turn your attention to ones with smaller awards and more relevance to you.

How many scholarships you apply for is entirely dependent on you. You can use this process to apply to dozens if you want to. Just make sure you balance applying with other aspects of your life, like studying, participating in extracurriculars, and maintaining good mental health.

6. Identify what makes you stand out

One of the most crucial aspects of a successful scholarship application is showcasing what makes you stand out among all the other qualified applicants. But that’s not always easy to figure out. What will give you a unique edge when your application lands on the desk of a scholarship committee? Here are some ways to find out:

1. Identify your strengths: Start by reflecting on your strengths, skills, and experiences. Think about what sets you apart from other applicants. Are you an exceptional writer, a leader in your community, or a talented musician? Identify the unique qualities that make you who you are, and highlight them in your scholarship application.

2. Take stock of your challenges: Along with your strengths, consider the challenges you’ve had to overcome. Adversity can shape who you are and highlight your strengths, resilience, and perseverance. Sharing your personal stories of overcoming obstacles can help highlight what makes you unique and resonate with scholarship committees.

3. Outline your achievements: Make a list of your achievements, both big and small. These can include academic awards and accomplishments, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, leadership roles, and other notable accomplishments. Showcase how your achievements demonstrate your unique qualities and set you apart from other applicants.

4. Consider your passions: Think about your passions and how they shape your character. What are you passionate about, and how does it motivate you to achieve your goals? Sharing your passions and how they relate to your academic aspirations can help shed light on your uniqueness and commitment to your goals.

5. Get feedback: Consult with trusted friends, family members, or mentors who know you well. Seek their feedback on what makes you unique and what they believe makes you stand out from others. Their perspectives and insights can help you identify strengths and qualities you may not have considered before.

Remember, be authentic and honest in your statements, and ensure that they align with the scholarship criteria and requirements. By highlighting what makes you unique, you increase your chances of securing the scholarship.

7. Reuse scholarship materials

The more of your application you can reuse, the more time you have to find and apply to scholarships. As long as you follow the rules of the scholarship, reusing materials is a smart and efficient way to manage the often time-consuming process of applying for multiple scholarships. Here are some ways to do so while ensuring each application is tailored to its specific requirements:

Craft a versatile personal statement

Write a strong, comprehensive personal statement that highlights your achievements, goals, and experiences. You can then tweak this to fit different scholarship prompts. Focus on making it adaptable, so you only need to make minor adjustments based on the scholarship’s unique criteria.

Develop a resume or CV template

Create a detailed resume or CV that outlines your educational background, work experience, extracurricular activities, awards, and any other relevant accomplishments. You can then customize this document for different applications by emphasizing the most relevant experiences and achievements.

Compile a list of experience and achievements

Maintain a running list of all your extracurricular activities, volunteer experiences, leadership roles, awards, and any other notable achievements. This makes it easier to select and match the experiences you highlight in each application to align with the scholarship’s goals or values.

Gather and adapt recommendation letters

If scholarships require letters of recommendation, ask your recommenders if they can provide a generic letter that you can slightly modify for different applications (with their permission). Either that, or you could inform them about the scholarships you’re applying for so they can adjust their letters accordingly.

Reuse scholarship essays with caution

Many scholarship essays ask for similar information about your goals, experiences, or how you plan to use the scholarship. You can often reuse parts of an essay for different applications.

However, be sure to carefully tailor each essay to the specific prompt and organization’s values. Never submit the exact same essay without making necessary adjustments.

Remember, while reusing materials can save time, the key to success is ensuring that each application is thoughtfully tailored to demonstrate why you are the ideal candidate for that specific scholarship.

Before submitting an application, thoroughly review and revise your application to ensure it meets the specific criteria for the scholarship. Tailoring your application shows the scholarship committee that you’ve put in the effort to align your application with their expectations and values.

8. Continue applying to scholarships throughout college

The search for extra money to pay for your schooling doesn’t have to end freshman year. Many scholarships are available to college students of any age, so make a point to schedule some time to search and apply for new scholarships each year.

Even if you performed a comprehensive search last year, new scholarships are constantly being created and added online. It’s worth seeing what’s new since the last time you looked.

Seize scholarship opportunities and supplement with loans when needed

Don’t just start looking for scholarships early; Start building up your resume and experiences early too, so when the time comes to apply, you’ll be a desirable applicant.

Search strategically and prioritize so that you’re not overwhelmed by the number of applications. Lastly, keep searching each year to maximize the total awards you receive.

And if you can’t cover the entire cost of college with scholarships, or federal financial aid, private lenders like Earnest are here to help¹.

We offer some of the lowest rates, flexible terms, no origination fees, and up to a 9-month grace period² (3 months longer than average). Want to see what you may be eligible for? Try our rate calculator. It’s fast, free, and won’t affect your credit score.

This blog post provides personal finance educational information, and it is not intended to provide legal, financial, or tax advice.

1 Before applying for private student loans, it’s best to maximize your other sources of financial aid first. It’s recommended to use a 3-step approach to assembling the funds you need: 1) Look for funds you don’t have to pay back, like scholarships, grant, and work-study opportunities. 2) Next, fill out a FAFSA(R) form to apply for federal student loans. Federal Direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans, excluding PLUS Loan for Parents and PLUS Loan for Graduate and Professional Students which require a credit check and a credit worthy endorser if the parent or graduate or professional student has adverse credit, do not require a credit check or cosigner, and offer various protections if your struggling with your payments. 3) Finally, consider a private student loan to cover any difference between your total cost of attendance and the amount not covered in steps 1 and 2. For more information, visit the Department of Education website at https://studentaid.ed.gov.

2 Nine-month grace period is not available for borrowers who choose our Principal and Interest Repayment plan while in school.