Seattle-University

How to Look for Scholarships

How to Look for Scholarships

The price of higher education has caused more and more people to look all around, searching for scholarships. But most people wonder: “how do I find the scholarships that my child is likely to win???”

First of all, the biggest thing to know is that most funding, scholarships and grants, come directly out of the colleges. For private liberal arts colleges, the scholarships can be so generous that the cost of tuition can match that of a public education at the UC’s or even the CalState Universities! It’s a matter of finding the right schools to apply to, and then applying well. Contact us if you need help – we are currently taking on sophomores and juniors. (https://navcc.net/contact-us/)

To find private scholarships, it’s a good idea to look to organizations connected with your student, family or community. Check with your employers, your union, your church, local civic organizations and business groups in your community (like Elks Clubs, Civitan Clubs, Realtors Associations, banks, credit unions, etc.) If your student is deeply involved with a volunteer organization, by all means, ask if they offer scholarships. Typically the PTA on high school campuses will offer scholarships – sometimes middle schools and elementary schools offer scholarships for alumni. Ask in the counseling or career office on your high school campus to see if anyone is compiling a list of local scholarships.

Of course you can look to scholarship websites such as Fastweb (https://www.fastweb.com/), but their databases are enormous, so very time consuming and tough to navigate. On top of that, the applicant pool is huge making the likelihood of your student landing a scholarship significantly more difficult. The smaller and more focused the pool is, the more likely your student will be awarded money.

Lastly, check out the WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange) list to find colleges that offer scholarships to California students, just based on their residency! There are some wonderful and very affordable schools on that list. (https://www.wiche.edu/tuition-savings/wue/)

Contact us if you have questions related to scholarships or anything else in the college realm. We are here to help! (818)207-0263