Private Scholarships
If you know where to look, private scholarships can make your bachelor's degree affordable. Many private scholarships are offered regardless of your grades or financial status.
Private scholarships encourage students from all walks of life to achieve their educational goals. These scholarships are typically sponsored by motivated individuals or groups and can have different criteria. The most frequent sponsors of private scholarships include:
- Local employers
- Small businesses
- Charitable foundations
- Local governments
- Alumni and private citizens
- Community and social action groups
Unlike loans, grants, and scholarships based strictly on financial need or educational merit, private scholarships often assist students from all academic and economic backgrounds. If you're employed or married, your employer or your spouse's employer may have scholarships for employees seeking an education. Some sponsor scholarships that recognize student achievements in sports, politics, academics, or community involvement.
Many local private scholarships can be relatively small, but receiving a few of these smaller scholarships can add up and can make a big difference to your yearly budget. Find excellent local scholarship leads by asking leaders and mentors in your own community, such as:
- Your employers
- Law enforcement agencies
- Local government officials
- Business owners
- Religious and community leaders
Start your scholarship search free on a Web site like the Federal government's Student Aid on the Web. A number of annual scholarship compendiums, which contain ongoing scholarships as well as new scholarships that have been added since the last publication, are generally available at public libraries. Also, try calling your old high school to see what opportunities are available for their graduates.
Private scholarships often have their own application procedures, may not be affected by the information you submit on the FAFSA. To avoid scrambling for recommendation letters and other paperwork, remember to apply early for private scholarships.
