Private Scholarships

Many organizations make private scholarships available for higher education. To begin your search for private scholarships, look on a free Web site such as the federal government's Student Aid on the Web. Be leery of Web sites that offer scholarship information for a fee. With so many free scholarship resources out there, you should not have to pay for this information.

Finding Private Scholarships Online
Your interests, hobbies, and/or talents could make you eligible for scholarships. Some examples are:

• Individual or team sports
• Community service
• Academics
• Dance and/or drama
• Speech and debate

There are also many private scholarships geared toward specific ethnic groups and backgrounds, including Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Irish Americans. Others focus on students from specific academic or economic backgrounds. You can find Information about many of these scholarships online.

Other Sources for Private Scholarship Information
You can find out about private scholarships off line, as well. You should find out if your parents' employers offer scholarships to children of employees. If a parent or grandparent is a war veteran, you might be eligible for a scholarship through his/her veteran's organization. You can also find scholarship opportunities within your community. Check with local businesses, churches, and community and social action groups to see what might be available.

At your local library, you should be able to find national scholarship annuals that contain extensive information about both public and private scholarships. Your high school library and/or guidance office might also have similar information. Further, there might be private scholarship opportunities specifically for graduates of your high school. Alumni of your school, or estates of deceased alumni, often offer scholarships to students who meet specific criteria of athletic, academic, artistic, or other, successes.

Applying for Private Scholarships
Applying early for private scholarships can increase your chances of success. Many require letters of recommendation, school transcripts, and other materials and it may take some time to gather this information. Most private scholarships do not limit the number of scholarships a student can receive, so apply for as many as can. Even small amounts add up.