Resources for College Students

Resources for College Students

We've gathered information to help you be successful in college including how to renew your FAFSA each year, places to look for jobs and internships and lists of resources at your college or university.
Just click on a topic to find out more. And remember that you can always contact your college coach with questions!

Scholarships for Current College Students

Get help with your scholarship questions by choosing a category below.
Where to Find Scholarships
Tips for Filling Out Scholarship Applications
Scholarship Scams to Avoid
National Scholarship Databases

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Where to Find Scholarships

• Check out your school’s website for scholarships! Every school has scholarship funds for their students.
• Ask your academic advisor or check out the departmental office at your college to see if you can apply for scholarships that pertain to your major.
• Register with online search engines that will feed available scholarships directly to your email or simply scan the website for available scholarships.

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Tips for Filling Out Scholarship Applications
1. Scholarship requirements
Most scholarships have various requirements: ethnicity, citizenship, college enrollment or intended enrollment, social security number, participation in various activities, connection to stated affiliations, and many others. Make sure that you meet all the requirements before applying.

2. Deadlines
All scholarships have DEADLINES. Be sure to check if the deadline is “postmarked” or “received by.” For instance if the deadline is postmarked by February 15, then your scholarship materials should be sent out by 4:30 p.m. on February 15. If the date is received by February 15, then plan ahead and send out your scholarship materials at least five days before the deadline.

3. Recommenders
Many scholarships will ask for letters of recommendation. The recommender can range from a professor, a community leader you have volunteered with or worked under, and other academic mentors (like your academic advisor or the director/coordinator of a campus office). These will be important people to ask for letters of recommendation when applying for scholarships. You want to know your recommender well so they can speak positively on your behalf.

4. Essays
Some scholarships will ask you for an essay. Try to cater your essay to the specific scholarship and questions. Have your college coach or a friend proofread your essay.

5. GPA
Many scholarships will have GPA requirements, so check the requirement before you apply. Try to keep your GPA above a 2.7 so you can qualify for most scholarships. If you have a high GPA, definitely start applying and looking for merit scholarships. If you are a freshman with less than a semester in college, use your high school GPA.

6. The application
Some scholarship applications, especially the online applications, can seem simple and short, but you should still take the scholarship seriously. With fewer factors to be reviewed on a scholarship application, every part of your application matters.

7. Add a pre-stamped post card
When sending in your application, it is a good idea to also add a pre-stamped postcard addressed to yourself. Ask the scholarship foundation/provider to return the postcard to you when they have received your application. Many scholarship foundations receive so many applications that they cannot respond to everyone via email or phone.

8. Do you have questions? Do you need help finding scholarships? Call your college coach or come see us at an Admission Possible office.
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Scholarship Scams to Avoid
Sometimes opportunities are too good to be true. Scholarships are no exception to this rule. When you apply for scholarships, be on the lookout for potential scams.
Here are a few ways to spot a potential scam:

• A fee is required to process the application
• The potential of winning a scholarship is used to sell other goods/services
• A scholarship is guaranteed before applying
• Scholarship has little/no eligibility requirements

Wondering whether a scholarship you know about is a scam or not? You can . . .

• Google it! Type in the name of the scholarship and then type in “scam” after it and see what comes up. If others have been scammed by the scholarship in question, most likely they will talk about it online.
• Contact an advisor at your college. Other students at your college may have received the same scholarship information. An advisor can help you verify the legitimacy of a scholarship and will alert others in the campus community if it is a scam.
• Tell us about it; call 651.917.3525 or email

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National Scholarship Databases
www.fastweb.com
www.collegeboard.com
www.wiredscholar.com
www.collegexpress.com
www.collegescholarships.com
www.finaid.com
www.freschinfo.com
www.gocollege.com
www.collegeview.com
www.mach25.com
www.studentawards.com
www.scholarships.com
www.supercollege.com
www.scholarship-page.com
www.mnprivatecolleges.org/scholarships/index.php
http://www.latinocollegedollars.org/directory.htm