1. Use Naviance
Most of the listings have hyperlinks to the actual applications, which you will fill out yourself according to the guidelines of the particular scholarship. Some listings have applications you must download and fill out on paper.
- Log into Naviance select Student > Single sign on. Do not enter an email and password; you will go in via your Google k12 account.
- Click on the Colleges tab.
- Go to Scholarships and Money > Scholarship List > Local and Regional Scholarships
- Use the categories to make the list more manageable.
- If you are a senior, sort by Deadline for a list with the deadlines in chronological order then go to today's date and check the scholarships that are coming up soon. I recommend that you print out the list, and then as you work through the list, cross off the ones that you are not eligible for and put a star by the ones that you are eligible for. For the scholarships you do qualify for, follow the links or download the application as indicated.
- If you are in 9th-11th grade, use the filters to choose your grade. Look through the scholarships to see which you are eligible for. If you wish, print the list to help keep track.
- 9th-11th graders can also use the senior technique (sort by deadline) to create a strategy list for senior year.
2. Register for TheWashBoard.org
3. Know How Scholarship Sites Work
- How scholarship websites sell students' information to colleges and publishers, an article on the Hechinger Report 3.10.2017. Basically, you make a trade while using the sites: your information is valuable to them, so you give them that--which they sell--and you get matched with possible scholarships.
- The advice in this Scholarship Toolkit, which was put together by two excellent bloggers who specialize in college financing, Debbie Schwartz of Road2College.com and Michelle Kretzschmar of DIY College Rankings. They have researched the various scholarship engines, so you can look at their notes about each site to see what you are getting into.
4. Use the WSU Search Tool (not only for WSU-specific scholarships!)
5. Look According to Identity or Specialized Interest
6. Investigate WUE/ Western Undergraduate Exchange
7. Try GoingMerry
8. Undocumented?
- The MALDEF Scholarship Resource Guide is a long list of scholarships arranged by month they are due along with good advice.
- Beyond Dreaming: Washington State Scholarship List for Undocumented Students also linked in the right column. New versions will be posted on the Beyond HB 1079 site.
- Scholarships Open to Undocumented Students an excellent list of scholarships by deadline and a links to other resources.
9. Check for College-Offered Scholarships
- Check Domestic Undergraduate Need-Based and Merit Aid. You can check: the total cost of attendance; the percentage of need met; the percent of students receiving merit aid; and the average merit award. You can also download a PDF or spreadsheet with the information. This site is a good starting place to check what kind of aid a particular school tends to offer. Not all Washington state colleges are listed here.
- Check guaranteed-scholarships.com. This site lists 700+ scholarships offered by 200+ colleges. It does not accept advertising, and you do not have to register. For many schools, you can see the various levels of awards.
- Check individual college websites. Usually, the sequence is Admission > Financial Aid > First-Year Students > Scholarships and Grants.
- For Shoreline Community College, read this informational sheet Scholarships at Shoreline and see www.shoreline.edu/foundation/scholarships.
Links to Other Scholarship Search Engines
Please see #3 above
www.meritaid.com- Search for all scholarships at the colleges of your choice.
www.studentaid.ed.gov – free information about ALL types of financial aid for college.
www.scholarshiphelp.org – The goal of this website is to educate students about scholarship access and the necessary requirements for achieving maximum financial aid. There are also links to scholarship opportunities.
www.collegeboard.com – free information about scholarships.
www.finaid.org – source for grants, loans & scholarships.
www.studentaid.org – general information about student financial aid.
www.wue.wiche.edu Western Undergraduate Exchange. Reduced out of state tuition awards for qualifying students from nearby western states
www.christianconnector.com- scholarships and opportunities for with faith-based institutions
www.CheckOutACollege.com – admission & financial aid info for Community/Technical colleges.
www.thewashboard.org – scholarships for students in WA State.
http://www.hsf.net/ – Scholarships for Hispanic Americans.
http://www.collegesuccessfoundation.org/ – scholarships for low-income and minority students.
http://www.nela.net/ – Northwest Education Loan Association, a LOCAL non profit center helping students with every step in the college admissions and financing process.
www.military.com – Provides information on the various types of scholarships associated with military service commitments. Also available—a scholarship search for any scholarships for children of military officers or other connections through the military community.
www.latinocollegedollars.org – Scholarships for Latino students.
www.hsf.net – Scholarships for Hispanic Americans.
www.legion.org/needalift – American Legion Scholarships
www.edupass.org – Information for international students
www.iefa.org – International Education Financial Aid: Information on studying abroad