Where to Look for College Scholarships

I'm taking a short break from helping my daughter with her scholarship applications. I never imagined that the scholarship hunt would be even more involved and time-consuming than the college application process, but it is. This is my second time around, having helped my oldest look for financial assistance four years ago.

There's a lot of misinformation circulating out there about scholarships. High school students are constantly told that scholarship money is out there, but they aren't told that you have to spend enormous amounts of time looking for that money, and once you find a potential scholarship you might not be eligible to apply. I wrestle with this a lot. What's the best use of time? Working a part-time job or applying for scholarships? Depends on who you ask, I suppose.

While my children and I are not experts on the subject of finding and landing scholarships, we have learned a few nuggets about places to look for scholarships that might not be well advertised.

Where to Search for Scholarship Opportunities

• First Stop, Guidance: College-bound students have to cultivate a good relationship with their high school guidance department. Guidance will help students search for scholarships, and they usually post scholarship opportunities on the school website or in the guidance office. A good relationship with a guidance counselor can make all the difference. Be sure your teen makes an effort to work with their school's office, and let them know that your family is actively looking for scholarship opportunities. 
• Local Civic Organizations: Local clubs and civic organizations, such as the Kiwanis, Lion's Club, or Ruritan Club typically offer annual scholarships to local teens. These scholarships are usually modest, but they can add up. Many civic organizations want to see that your teen has leadership experience or volunteer experience in your community.
• Small Businesses: The small business community can be very generous to local students. These scholarships are usually advertised in local community newspapers or on the business's Facebook page. Business owners tend to favor students who attend their alma mater, or who plan on pursuing majors in their line of business. 
• Community Foundations: Any student looking for scholarship opportunities must touch base with their local community foundation. These foundations may administer scholarship funds and typically keep a database of scholarships in your city or community. Check the community foundation's website for scholarship information, and then follow up with a phone call to get the inside scoop on anything you think might be a good fit.
• Google: I kid you not, Google might be your greatest ally in finding scholarships. Google any combination of words that you think apply to your teen, such as "scholarships, Virginia, leadership" or "scholarships, Wyoming, film majors" etc. Have fun with Google and get creative with your searches, you may discover a scholarship that nobody else knows about.
• Your Employer: Investigate if your employer offers scholarships to children of their employees. These opportunities can be easy picking if your student has decent grades and an active extracurricular resume. Another potential scholarship source is professional associations. Be sure to check any associations that you belong to.
• Local Utility Companies, Banks, and Credit Unions: Banks, credit unions and utility companies often offer scholarships opportunities to the children of their customers. These aren't always well publicized so a check on the bank or utility website. 

More on Scholarships and College

• Streamlining the Scholarship Application Process
• The High Cost of Senior Year