Private Scholarships
When combined with other sources of Federal student aid, private scholarships can help make college degrees more affordable. As a part-time student, you may be able to find a scholarship that funds you, regardless of your financial status.
Private scholarships encourage different kinds of students to achieve their goals of completing a college degree. Scholarship sponsors use different criteria when selecting award recipients and scholarships are based on a number of criteria. The most frequent sponsors of private scholarships include:
- Charitable foundations
- Employers
- Local governments
- Private citizens
- Social action groups
Unlike some grant and loan programs, which are often need-based or based strictly on merit, private scholarships assist students from all academic and economic backgrounds. A large corporation may offer scholarship programs to the children of employees. Other groups sponsor scholarships to recognize student achievements in sports, politics, academics, or community involvement.
Scholarships come in all sizes, from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. A growing number of Web sites (like FastWeb and FinAid) offer free professional scholarship search help. Local scholarship searches can be fruitful as well. Leaders and mentors in your community might be able to tell you where to find local government and social group scholarships. Look for advice from:
- Managers at local companies
- Law enforcement agencies
- Elected officials
- Leaders of community organizations
- Religious leaders
Colleges and universities often manage a portfolio of alumni and donor scholarships, so make sure to ask your school financial aid office how to apply for any available scholarships.
Many scholarships have their own application requirements. Scholarships administered by colleges, however, often use information from the FAFSA to determine financial need for the scholarships they administer. Many scholarships have student status requirements for funding, so be sure you're prepared to enroll at least part time for the duration of the award.
