10 Ideas on Where to Find Awards & Scholarships for High School Students
Wendy's Heisman August 19th, 2008
Looking to apply for student scholarships & awards? From getting recognized for your high school accomplishments to receiving money to help pay for college tuition and books, there are many benefits to researching and applying for high school student awards & scholarships. You just need to know where to look:
1. Your Guidance Counselor – This is always the best place to start. The Guidance Department will know what local/community awards are given annually, what college scholarships you should apply for based on your grades, interests and abilities, and how to get a leg up on the competition.
2. The Web – There are plenty of sources of information on the Internet; all you have to do is Google a few terms and there are thousands of results. But be careful. Many of these sites offer free information but are set up to find students who will need financial aid for college and they will be eager to get your contact information so they can send you offers for loans.
3. Companies – Many large businesses look to provide college scholarships & awards to local students to support the community where the company is located. It is common for companies to award scholarships to students who plan to study the type of subject matter that the business supports (e.g. an accounting firm would want a business major, a hospital would want a biology or pre-med major).
4. Your Mom or Dad’s Employer – The company where your parent’s work may offer an award to high school students for graduating or college scholarships. These are often given to employees’ children which makes the pool of applicants small. Interestingly, scholarships offered by companies often do not have qualified applicants and go unawarded. So doing some research and finding corporate college scholarships can really pay off.
5. The US Military – You can fund your education by agreeing to serve in the military. Depending on how long you enlist and the job you choose, you can receive significant amounts of money to help pay for college. Often, if you join the ROTC program available at your college, they will provide scholarships to help you pay for tuition and/or books. And you may be eligible for scholarships by being the child of a military serviceperson. http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/AmericaSupportsYou/scholar_mil_children.html
6. Non-Profit, Volunteer & Community Organizations – Many organizations collect donations in order to create scholarship funds for high school students. It provides a good way for the organization to get some positive PR, further their mission, and support the education of students interested in the organization.
7. Clubs & Organizations You Belong To – If you’ve spent some time volunteering at the local fire station, helping to organize activities for special needs children, or playing baseball/softball for the local team you might be surprised to find that these organizations and clubs may have some money to give you for college.
8. Religious Groups – Just like other community organizations, religious groups may have college awards or scholarships available to members at the local or national level. Check with the group you are a member of to see if there is an opportunity available.
9. Competitions – Not all scholarships & awards are based on an application or given based on grades and test scores, interests, or athletic abilities. Sometimes you have to put in a little extra. Whether it’s an essay writing contest, a checklist of activities you have to perform in order to qualify, or a fundraising activity for a non-profit, this can be a great learning opportunity. Plus, it will give you something interesting to talk about in a college interview or as a subject for your college essay.
10. The College You Are Attending – College & Universities have scholarship money they use to incent students to attend their school. Typically these are for students with strong test scores and good grades, athletes they want on their teams, or students who will study a specific subject. Make sure you do some research when apply for schools and, after you’ve received your acceptance letters, ask each school what they can offer before choosing which to attend.
The Wendy’s High School Heisman is an award program for high school seniors. We reward student scholar-citizen-athletes by recognizing their accomplishments. Learn more about how to apply at our website: http://www.wendysheisman.com/students/index.asp.
