Applying for College Scholarships

Tiny students sitting near books getting university degree

Applying for College Scholarships: Timelines, Tips, To-Do Lists

An 80’s one-hit wonder may have summed it up best with their song, “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades”. With a wide range of resources and opportunities available when applying for college scholarships, your future can be bright indeed. If you’re wondering about when and where to start, continue reading for a quick tutorial on applying for college scholarships.

When to Begin Applying for College Scholarships

Junior year is an ideal time to start research and considerations on applying for college scholarships. This allows ample runway for identifying targets and marking your calendar with deadlines. Most scholarships repeat annually, making a year long cycle the most complete vantage point. Top scholars and athletes fit the criteria for many typical scholarship awards. If your talents don’t fully align with either of these categories, there’s still a broad range of other qualifiers that might be a match. From geographic background to cultural, religious or ethnic affiliations, as well as music, hobbies and more, many unique scholarship opportunities are out there. Plus, nothing says you have to limit applying for college scholarships to just a single scholarship. Obtaining multiple small dollar amount scholarships can combine for a total significant award amount, effectively reducing expenses and student loan debt.

Where to Begin Researching College Scholarships

Local, State, Federal and Private scholarship funds and foundations are all places you’ll want to check for opportunities that may be a good fit. Keep reading for more information about scholarship resources and opportunities.

Planning and Search Resources

BigFuture™ is a free online tool that helps students explore resources, career pathways and calculate college costs. Plus, registering and completing all the college planning steps on their platform automatically qualifies students for a chance to win scholarships! Get started by taking the Career Quiz, College Quiz or access the Scholarships Search
Scholarships.com provides a free search engine that helps students find scholarships they can qualify to receive.
Fastweb.com is a database platform where students can create a profile then get personalized recommendations for scholarships.
Unigo.com is another platform that matches scholarships directly to the details students input when they create a profile.
US Department of Labor offers a huge database of scholarships that can be searched according to deadline, location, award type and other search criteria

Home Means Nevada – – and Scholarship Opportunities

Scholarships specific to the high school you attend, school district or state all represent types of localized opportunities that can prove less competitive than national scholarship competitions. In the State of Nevada, The PEF administers over 1,000 scholarships per school year for students residing in state. The Rogers Foundation is another organization helping Nevada high school students with awards of $100,000 in scholarships annually. For students with a parent employed with a large Casino Resort such as Wynn Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Resorts World and Boyd Gaming, college scholarships programs are available for employees’ children/dependents. Many of these awards focus on hospitality-related fields and have GPA/financial needs requirements. Specific programs for Hospitality and Trade Union members are also available. Aside from the state’s vast hospitality industry, other local businesses or organizations with operations in Nevada may offer scholarship. Include inquiries into potential opportunities from these local sources when researching scholarship possibilities.

Important applications to be completed beginning Oct 1st of Senior Year High School

Complete a FAFSA – This is required for all federal student aid (grants and loans)
Create a CSS Profile – This is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid.

National Merit Scholarship

These scholarships are for high achieving students. To participate in this opportunity, students must take the PSAT/NMSQT in their Junior year. Only scores obtained in this time period can qualify for National Merit Scholarship consideration in their High School graduation class cohort. Students achieving semi-finalist status should also be aware that this status then requires an application and essay submission according to specified deadlines in order to qualify for consideration in the final round.

Private Scholarships

Taco Bell Foundation awards scholarships of up to $25,000 for students age 16 to 26 attending two and four year universities or vocational, technical and trade schools. No GPA, test scores or essay required! Submit a 2-minute video from your smart-phone or tablet. Deadline for these scholarships is typically some time in the first week of January each year. Refer to current year details on the Taco Bell Scholarship Foundation web portal.
Coca-Cola Foundation offers an achievement based award for students in their final year of high school, recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship.Application deadline typically September of Senior year. Refer to current year details on the Coca-Cola Foundation website.
The Gates Foundation provides a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding high school seniors from low-income households. Exceptional student leaders can achieve their maximum potential with this opportunity. Review details and deadlines on the Gates Foundation website.

Other large corporations such as KFC, Burger King and Dell also offer scholarships.

Final Points to Keep in Mind

Stay away from scams such as scholarship databases that require registration or processing fees. Other red flags: companies that claim they’ll do all the work for you and random notifications that you’ve won a scholarship for which you didn’t apply
Read and understand all the rules and requirements for every scholarship application before submitting
Stay positive, consistent and creative throughout your scholarship journey. You will find the right scholarship for YOU!
Don’t feel that you must go it alone. Reach for support resources such as Excel Academy’s college counselors. They can provide valuable assistance with your research and applications process.