Though this blog focuses mostly on finding and getting into the right college, I also want to take some time to talk about paying for school, that is, scholarships and financial aid. There are a myriad of options for paying for school, but perhaps the most desirable are scholarships. Scholarships are simply money that you are given based on merit, to use to pay for school. There are literally thousands of scholarships available, with rewards ranging from the $100 to full ride tuition, room, and board at any school you can get into. There is a lot of money out there, the real trick is getting it.
Why are scholarships so hard to get? Because the well known, high paying ones have a lot of competition. If you’re looking at all the popular scholarship search sites (which are useful, don’t get me wrong), remember that others will have just as easy of a time as you did finding the same scholarships and applying for them. You will have to beat many others in your quest to win.
Don’t let this discourage you, though. You should still try for as many scholarships as you possibly can. However, your efforts will be better served by focusing on “niche scholarships.”
What is a niche scholarship, you ask? A niche scholarship applies only to a small group of people. A common example of this is scholarships for certain minorities. However, this same concept applies by field. If you want to be a photographer, check out special, photography only scholarships. If you’re an engineer, check out engineering scholarships. You might be very surprised how much lower the competition is for these niche scholarships. By applying for these, you not only have a much better chance of actually winning the money, but a industry specific scholarship can also look good on a resume, and may even provide contacts of its own.
To illustrate how to find these sorts of scholarships, I have created this basic outline. For this example, I will assume you want to major in mechanical engineering (the same principles will apply to any field, though).
1. Starting out: Search Google
Simply do a Google search for “mechanical engineering scholarships. Now this may seem a little obvious, but this is a good first step, and you’ll note that you’re already getting some good leads. Check these out, right them down, take note of them for later
2. Drilling Deeper: Professional Societies
Ok, time to get a little more creative. Professional societies in an industry will very often offer scholarships to students in the field. Doing a simple Google search for “mechanical engineering society” gets me a list of several organizations (i.e. ASME) that might well offer scholarships. Be sure to dig deep through the results, and take note of what you find. Remember, the harder it is for your to find, the harder it is for competing students to find as well.
3. Stepping Away from the Computer
As a final step, you should step back from the computer for a bit, pick up the phone, and start calling the financial aid offices of prospective colleges, and ask them directly what scholarships are available for people in your major. They will often have a list handy that will give you scholarships that are almost impossible to find online. This is perhaps one of the most important tactics of all, since you are now learning about scholarships that very few others will be applying for.
Overall, applying for scholarships is one of the most valuable things you can do with your time. A simple application that takes several hours (with an essay) to complete, could be worth $20,000 or more by the time you graduate. How does making $10,000 an hour sound to you? This is exactly what you’re getting when you pursue niche scholarships. Follow these steps, and I guarantee you you will find some good, low competition scholarships to try for. Just make sure you’re taking action.
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