How to Find College Scholarships and Grants

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The cost of college tuition is rising faster than inflation and few people can afford to pay the high price out of pocket. Many students have to resort to taking out student loans, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in debt that will follow them for decades.

If you are facing the reality of paying for college tuition, you can apply for scholarships and grants to help alleviate the burden. Unlike loans, you don’t have to pay this money back.

College Scholarships in Your Community

First, look around your community for financial aid. Many times the local government, churches or businesses will offer scholarships or grants to students from the area. Your school guidance counselor’s office is another place to find scholarship resources for you to look through.

Scholarships From National Chains and Brands

Several nationally recognized chains and brands also offer scholarships. You can visit your local store, in the case of a franchise, or the company's website for more information and an application.

Scholarships From Your College

Visit or call the financial aid office at the university you will be attending. They will have many available scholarships on file and advice for how to fill out the applications.

You can also apply for scholarships and grants offered by the college itself. Most scholarships offered by universities are either academic or need based. However, you may also qualify for a tuition break if your parents attended the university or someone from your family works there.

Unusual College Scholarships

Flashcard Scholarship
Get a $500 scholarship for destroying your old fashioned paper flashcards. Use a tool like Cram to replace your paper flashcards.
KLI Academic Award: The Kor Memorial Scholarship
The purpose of the Kor Memorial Scholarship is to recognize and encourage scholarship in fields of language study. Familiarity with Klingon or other constructed languages is not required, however creative and innovative applicants are preferred.
Stuck at Prom Duck brand duct tape college scholarship contest
Learn more about the Stuck at Prom Duck Brand Duck Tape Scholarship Contest where students make duct tape ensembles as prom attire.
FBI High School Scholarship
If you are fascinated by the FBI, you could win a scholarship by sharing what you know in a quiz. Two winners will get $250 each year.
Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year
Awarded to an individual who can demonstrate excellence in athletics, academics, community service or leadership; all while wearing a milk mustache.
Tall Club International Student Scholarships
Tall Clubs International Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to men 6'2" or taller and women 5'10" or taller. The prize is $1000.

Online College Scholarship Databases

Online college scholarship databases, such as Fastweb and Scholarships.com, list thousands of scholarships of all different types. Some scholarship databases charge you a membership fee to search their site, but there are enough free ones that you should be able to find plenty of scholarships to apply for without paying anything.

When you search these scholarship databases, you can use specific search criteria to find scholarships that you qualify for. Look for scholarships that reflect your interests, talents and background to give you the best chance of winning. You can set up your profile so that you will be notified when a new scholarship becomes available that fits your search criteria.

Scholarships That Are Not Based on Academics or Need

Don’t worry if you are not a straight A student; there are plenty of scholarships out there for people who have other talents and interests like art, writing, community involvement and athletics.

Even Small Scholarships Add Up

Don’t brush off scholarships that are only worth a small amount. Even a $500 scholarship can pay for part of your books and supplies, and that’s $500 more dollars that you don’t have to pay out of pocket.