Searching for Scholarships

Scholarships may be awarded on the basis of academic achievement, leadership potential, artistic talents, athletic ability, career plans or field of study, or special hobbies or interests.

Tips on finding scholarships:

• Check with the College and Career Specialist at your high school. Get information about scholarships, aptitude testing, collegiate updates, and more.

• Contact local organizations. Many community organizations, foundations, corporations, clubs, and civic groups offer scholarships to students. Contact local organizations, such as the Elks or Jaycees; ethnic and religious youth groups; college fraternities, sororities, and alumni groups.

• Ask employers and labor unions. Many companies and labor unions offer scholarships to employees, members, or their children. Also, check with professional organizations related to your career interests, such as the American Bar Association or the American Medical Association.

• Look for more scholarships offered in your area. Check with local department stores, grocers, credit unions and banks - many offer one or more scholarships annually. Contact your local chamber of commerce to see if they have a list of local businesses offering scholarships.

• Visit free online search services. Many search services allow you to input your academic, ethnic, and personal interest information and receive regular updates on scholarships that might apply to you. Beware of any company that wants you to pay for a scholarship search! Instead, try the free services below.

Online Services for Students

Note: The Higher Education Coordinating Board is not responsible for the content of the following Web sites.

Student Aid - US Department of Education financial aid and scholarship wizard.

The SmartStudent Guide - Undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships are forms of aid that help students pay for their education.

FastAid Scholarship Search - The largest and oldest private sector college scholarship database.

FastWeb! Search  - Begins with a password protected customized profile for searches among thousands of scholarships.

College Board Scholarship Search - Locate scholarships and other information that matches your educational level, talents and background.

Pacific Northwest Scholarship Guide - Maintained by the College Planning Network, serving students of the Pacific Northwest, the site requires no personal information and provides access to 100% of the database.

Scholarship Hunter  - Free and easy scholarship source

Scholarship Experts - Locates scholarships by a profile of program, regional area, school and other information.

CollegeNet - Mach 25: Breaking the Tuition Barrier  - Provides a keyword search to narrow to particular scholarships.

SallieMae - College Answer - College Answer features over 600,000 scholarships, grants, tuition waivers, internships and fellowships.

Scholarship Scam Information – From the Federal Trade Commission

For more information from the Higher Education Coordinating Board, contact us at:

Email: finaid@hecb.wa.gov

Phone: 1-888-535-0747

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