Navigating Merit Aid: Simplifying the Scholarship Search for College Applicants
Thinking about the merit aid research process can feel completely overwhelming. What a huge topic! But if you break it down into digestible portions, it will feel more manageable. As students navigate the admissions process, they are already burdened with an incredible amount of research and work that goes into selecting and applying for college. To alleviate some of that stress, we’ve compiled a list clarifying the types of merit aid students can apply for, and where they can find information about these scholarship opportunities.
Merit-based scholarships offered by colleges and universities directly
- These are typically awarded by the admissions office to incoming freshmen applicants.
- Students are automatically considered for these opportunities at most colleges, but there may sometimes be additional steps or special deadlines, so be sure to check each college’s merit aid website for details.
- While some colleges clearly state requirements, like a minimum GPA or test score for certain scholarships, most colleges are vague in their descriptions of who is awarded.
- Review the school’s merit scholarship information page by searching for the school’s name and adding the phrase “merit scholarships” after (e.g., Babson College merit scholarships).
- These are typically awarded to students who study within a certain major or department and/or meet certain criteria.
- Check to see if there are any departmental scholarships available by searching for the school’s name and adding the phrase “departmental scholarship” after (e.g., Babson College departmental scholarships).
- As you research these options, be sure to note if they are available to freshmen or only to upper-class students, and if there are additional steps or applications to complete for consideration.
- Start by reaching out to your high school counseling office to see what information and opportunities they can share.
- Outside of the school counseling office, students can search for local and regional scholarships through parental employers (or their own employers if they are working!), religious affiliations, credit unions and banks, labor unions, civic groups, heritage groups, grocery stores, and other businesses. I also encourage families to make a list of any of their own affiliations, memberships, or connections they have and pursue scholarships from those entities accordingly.
- You can begin by setting up an account with one of the outside scholarship search sites. Here are some reputable resources for the outside scholarship search process:
- Add specific details like activities, interests, and anything that makes the student unique, to the student profile when setting up an account. This will help identify more targeted, niche scholarships with fewer applicants.
- Creating an scholarship spreadsheet so you can see the requirements and other info (essay, transcript, deadlines, scholarship amount, link to application, etc.) for each opportunity is hugely beneficial.
- It is also helpful to set up a separate email account for the scholarship search process, so everything is filtered to one location.
