6 Steps To Finding Scholarships

College is steadily getting more expensive each year. According to U.S. News and World Report, tuition at a public university was an average of $10,388 for the 2021-2022 year, compared with $38,185 for a private college. For an out-of-state student at a public university, the tuition averaged $22,698 per year. For many students, scholarships are the essential key to help offset the costs of education and are easier to find than you might think. 

1. Start small. Start by applying for scholarships with the least amount of competition. Check first with your school’s counseling website for the scholarships posted by your counselors. These scholarships will often only be open to students in your area, which means a great chance of winning them.

2. Talk to your counselor. Ask your counselor for past graduation commencement programs to see what local scholarships were by graduates from your school. Any scholarship posted there means the scholarship committee is already familiar with your area and school.

3. Check the websites of other schools in your region. Private scholarships from small businesses tend only to contact the high school they attended to post their scholarship, but the scholarship might be open to students from other schools as well. Be careful to check the wording, and not miss a great opportunity! It is important to note that some local scholarships prefer their money to stay in-state and may stipulate that the recipient attends a local college. 

To read more about some steps to finding scholarships, check out our latest article on NRI Pulse.