Parents
Home/ Parents/ Parents of College Students/ Preparing/ Finding Private Scholarships
How do you find scholarships?
  • Set yourself apart. Your child may have good grades and ACT scores, but so do a lot of the students applying. Help your son or daughter determine what makes him/her stand out from the crowd. Has he/she made special contributions to the school or community? Held leadership roles? Encourage your child to look for activities that can help set him/her apart from everyone else.
  • Search every year. Searching for private scholarship opportunities is an ongoing process. You should search each year. You may find opportunties come up as your child becomes more involved in a program or major.
  • Be proactive. No one is going to hand your child a scholarship. It is up to the student to find opportunities and apply. Encourage your child to research opportunities.
  • Expect to put in time and work. Searching and applying for private scholarships takes a lot of time, energy and effort. Assist your child whenever possible, but don't do the work for him/her.
  • Be organized. Help your student organize the application materials by deadline. It will help ensure you don't miss an opportunity.
  • Check with your financial aid office. The financial aid office may have a listing or available scholarships. 
  • Search for free. You may receive solicitations asking you to pay for a scholarship search service. It is not necessary to pay for scholarship opportunities. Search for free on-line.