Applying for Scholarships

You have probably heard that “millions of scholarship dollars go unclaimed each year.” You have probably also heard stories about outstanding students you couldn’t get scholarships. The fact is, there are thousands of scholarships available. Most scholarships, however, have very specific eligibility criteria. A student, for example, might need to go to XZY college, have a 28+ ACT score, and also belong to a particular ethnic group. For another scholarship, a student might need to be a female with a specific major, and be in the upper 10% of her class.

When it comes to academic scholarships, students generally must have an outstanding GPA (3.5 or better), high ACT/SAT scores, and excellent recommendations. For most scholarships, applicants are also expected to be involved in extracurricular and/or community activities. In order to receive an athletic or talent scholarship, a student must be truly outstanding.

Even though it’s not easy to obtain an academic or talent scholarship, students and parents who are willing to invest the time and energy often find that their efforts pay off handsomely.

When looking for scholarships keep the following in mind:

Start early.

Begin looking into scholarship possibilities during your child’s junior year, and encourage your son, or daughter to locate and complete applications in the fall of his/her senior year. Finding and applying for scholarships take a great deal of time and effort!

Start with UDM's scholarship opportunities. 

Groups and organizations offer numerous scholarships.

Most of the large scholarships, however, are awarded by the colleges themselves. Contact the financial aid office of the college(s) you are considering, and ask them for information on the scholarships they offer.

Private colleges are often more generous when awarding scholarships, thus making them competitive in price with public colleges.

Don’t rule out a private college until you’ve seen their aid package.

Apply for local scholarships (Rotary, PTA, Elks, etc.).

These scholarships are generally for smaller amounts ($100 - $1,000), but they are usually easier to get.

Scholarship applications become available throughout a student’s senior year, and some may be due only weeks after being publicized.

Network.

Tell everyone, including the high school counselor that you are looking for scholarships. Check for scholarship opportunities with you place of employment, your church, and with any organizations to which you belong. Also check for scholarship opportunities in your local newspaper(s).

Use your Resources.

The Internet can provide students and parents with a great deal of information on a wide variety of scholarships. Guidance offices and libraries also have books and computer programs that list scholarship opportunities.

Recommendations and Transcripts

Make sure that teachers and counselors are given plenty of time to write recommendations and to prepare transcripts. Be aware of deadlines!

Pursue Other Financial Aid

Remember that most financial aid is not awarded in the form of a scholarship. Pursue all financial aid opportunities.

UDM offers a number of financial aid packages. 

Top 25%

A student will have a much better chance of getting a scholarship at a college where he/she is in the top 25% of the applicants.

Renew where you can

Always check to see if financial aid and scholarship awards are renewable. A one-year scholarship is for one year only; a renewable scholarship can become a four-year scholarship.

Don't Pay for Scholarship Searches

Scholarship searches that charge a fee are very seldom worth the money, and many are scams.