How to Find and Apply for Outside Scholarships During College

As a parent, you’re probably no stranger to the financial strain college can impose. With rising tuition costs, fees, textbooks, and living expenses, it’s easy to see how many families feel overwhelmed. The idea of your child taking on significant student loan debt right out of the gate is unsettling for most parents. Fortunately, there’s a way to ease the burden: outside scholarships.

Outside scholarships offer valuable financial assistance to help your child cover college expenses without accumulating debt. But how do you, as a parent, guide your high schooler in finding and applying for these scholarships? The process can feel like navigating a maze, but with the right information and approach, it’s manageable — and well worth the effort.

This guide will show you how to support your child in securing outside scholarships, from discovering where to find them to crafting a winning application. Let’s explore the steps together.

Why Outside Scholarships Matter for Your Child’s College Education

While many parents are familiar with financial aid options like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for need-based financial aid like the Parent PLUS loan or school-specific scholarships like merit aid, outside scholarships are often an untapped resource. These scholarships are offered by private organizations, businesses, foundations or individuals, and they come with a number of distinct advantages.

First, outside scholarships aren’t tied to a specific college or university, so your child can apply to a wide range of opportunities, regardless of where they plan to attend. This significantly broadens the pool of potential aid.

Moreover, outside scholarships often have unique criteria, allowing your child to stand out based on talents, interests, or other characteristics. Some awards may be merit-based, while others may focus on extracurricular involvement, leadership, or community service. And many are not tied to financial need, so even if your family doesn’t qualify for need-based aid, your child might still be eligible for outside scholarships.

Simply put, these scholarships can help reduce your child’s reliance on loans and ease the financial stress for your family. But where should you and your child begin the search?

Preparation for the Scholarship Application

When applying for a scholarship, preparation is absolutely essential. It’s not just about submitting an application; it’s about presenting a complete and compelling package that makes your child stand out among the competition. To start, ensure that all the required documents are organized and up-to-date, including transcripts, test scores, and a detailed resume that highlights their extracurricular activities, community involvement, and any leadership roles. A well-crafted essay is also crucial, often being the key component that distinguishes one applicant from another.

The essay should be personal, insightful, and tailored to the scholarship’s focus, giving the committee a sense of your child’s passions, goals, and why they’re deserving of the award. Letters of recommendation are another important part of the application process. Help your child select recommenders who know them well and can speak to their strengths in detail, whether it’s a teacher, coach, or community leader.

Once everything is in order, it’s important to review the entire application multiple times for any mistakes or missing information. In addition to preparing these materials, it can be helpful to review past successful scholarship applications to understand what committees are looking for. For this, you can explore the resource Edubirdie docs page, where you’ll find a treasure trove of student notes, essays, and other academic documents. This page is a great place to see examples of strong student work, which can provide inspiration or a benchmark as your child prepares their own application. The more prepared and thorough your child is, the better their chances of securing that much-needed scholarship!

Where to Find Outside Scholarships

The scholarship search can feel daunting, but there are plenty of accessible resources to help your child get started. Here’s a list of effective places to look for scholarships that will make a difference.

1. Online Scholarship Search Engines

One of the easiest ways to start the scholarship hunt (and skipping the student loans!) is by utilizing online search platforms designed to match students with scholarship opportunities based on their background, academic performance, and interests. Some of the best websites include:

• Fastweb: One of the most comprehensive databases of scholarships, tailored to each student’s profile.
• Scholarships.com: Offers an extensive list of opportunities, along with helpful advice and tips.
• Chegg Scholarships: Not only for textbook rentals, Chegg has a reliable scholarship search function.
• Cappex: Known for its easy-to-use search engine and personalized scholarship matches.

Encourage your child to create an account and fill out their profile thoroughly. The more detailed their profile, the better the platform can match them with scholarships that fit their qualifications.

2. Local Community Organizations and Businesses

While national scholarships get a lot of attention, don’t overlook local opportunities. Many community organizations, local businesses, and even religious institutions offer scholarships to students in their area. These awards are often smaller but come with less competition, which increases your child’s chances of winning.

Encourage your child to check with local Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, and chambers of commerce. Small businesses, such as local banks and credit unions, also frequently offer scholarships. Reaching out to these organizations can pay off in unexpected ways.

3. High School Counselors and Financial Aid Offices

School counselors are often a gold mine of scholarship information. Many high schools keep lists of scholarships specifically available to their students or know about opportunities that aren’t widely advertised. Encourage your child to regularly check in with their school counselor or college guidance office for updates on outside scholarships.

If your child has already selected their prospective colleges, have them reach out to the schools’ financial aid offices to see if they maintain lists of external scholarships that their students frequently apply for.

4. Professional and Industry-Specific Scholarships

If your child is passionate about a particular field of study, there may be professional organizations that offer scholarships specifically for students entering that field. For example:

• The American Institute of Architects (AIA) offers scholarships to future architects.
• The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) provides financial support to students pursuing engineering careers.
• The American Medical Association (AMA) has scholarships for students aiming for a career in healthcare.

Encourage your child to explore professional organizations in their field of interest — they often have scholarships designed to support the next generation of professionals.

5. Unique or Niche Scholarships

Scholarships come in all shapes and sizes, and some of the most interesting ones focus on niche qualifications or unique talents. Some scholarships are awarded based on seemingly quirky criteria, such as being left-handed or crafting prom outfits out of duct tape.

Here are a few examples:

• The Duck Brand “Stuck at Prom” Scholarship: Awards students for creating prom outfits made entirely of duct tape.
• The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship: Offers funds to students who promote vegetarianism in their communities.
• The National Make It With Wool Competition: Rewards students who demonstrate skill in sewing or knitting woolen garments.

Encouraging your child to think outside the box can open doors to scholarships they might not have initially considered.

Learn more: How to Get In-State Tuition When You Live Out of State

How Parents Can Support the Scholarship Application Process

Now that you know where to find scholarships, it’s time to focus on the application process. While your child will be doing the heavy lifting, there are several ways you can help make the journey smoother and more successful.

Scholarship deadlines can sneak up quickly, and missing just one requirement could mean losing out on an opportunity. Help your child create a spreadsheet or calendar to track deadlines, required materials, and submission dates. Keeping everything in one place will make the process much more manageable.

Every scholarship will have its own unique set of requirements. Some may request transcripts, while others will require essays, letters of recommendation, or specific formatting. Go over the instructions with your child to ensure nothing is overlooked.

Many scholarships require an essay as part of the application process, and this is where your child can truly shine. Encourage them to write essays that are personal, engaging, and relevant to the scholarship’s focus. Avoid generic responses. Scholarship committees want to know why your child is deserving of the award—and storytelling can make a big impact.

Essays are often the deciding factor for competitive scholarships, so this is where you can provide valuable support, whether that’s brainstorming ideas or proofreading drafts.

Some scholarships require letters of recommendation from teachers, coaches, or community leaders. Encourage your child to ask for these letters early, giving their recommenders plenty of time to write a strong, thoughtful endorsement. It’s also helpful to provide the recommender with specific details about the scholarship and a list of your child’s achievements to make their job easier.

Encourage your child to submit applications early, rather than waiting until the last minute. This will help avoid any technical glitches and give your child extra time for revisions if necessary. Make sure they double-check each submission for errors—scholarship committees won’t look kindly on typos or incomplete applications.

Learn more: Parents, Do You Need Help Getting Rid of Student Loans? You might also need help getting rid of private student loans.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

While helping your child through the scholarship process, watch out for these common mistakes:

• Neglecting small scholarships: Smaller awards can add up over time, so encourage your child to apply for them as well.
• Missing deadlines: Organization is key — don’t let an application fall through the cracks because of a missed deadline.
• Overlooking follow-up: If your child wins a scholarship, remind them to send a thank-you note to the organization. This simple gesture can help maintain relationships and potentially lead to more opportunities in the future.

As a parent, supporting your child’s pursuit of outside scholarships can significantly reduce the financial burden of college. With the right resources and strategies, your family can unlock valuable funding opportunities that will help your child achieve their academic dreams without excessive student loans.

The key is to start early, stay organized, and encourage your child to pursue a range of scholarships, from local opportunities to niche awards. The journey may take some effort, but the potential rewards — a debt-free college experience — are more than worth it. After all, wouldn’t it be great to see your child graduate without a mountain of debt looming overhead and find ways to pay for everything beyond tuition, including room and board?

Your Child Can Get Outside Scholarships After High School

One of the most misunderstood ideas about getting outside scholarships is that many students think they can’t get them after high school, that they’ve “missed the boat,” but they can absolutely get outside scholarships after high school. I have a list of about 20 scholarships I want my current students to apply for after they’ve gone off to college!

Don’t give up on all the options, and take advantage of them. It’s never too late to achieve a debt-free degree!

Learn more: Do You Get Extra Financial Aid for Off-Campus Housing?