Scholarship Websites
The best place to start your search is the various scholarship websites. With free scholarship finders that provide endless opportunities at your fingertips, the 30 minutes or so that you spend creating your profile can turn into hundreds of scholarships.
School Counselor
Talk to your school counselor for help navigating the world of college scholarships. They may know a few things that you don’t and have access to additional resources. However, don’t solely rely on your counselor because they have a lot of students to look after and can’t put in the time that you should be spending searching and applying for scholarships.
Your Community
You can take advantage of a wealth of resources in your community if you know where to look. Many public libraries have career centers or bulletin boards with local scholarship opportunities posted. Always stop and browse a bulletin board when you see one. Check around to see if any local businesses offer money to help area students attend college. If not, ask if they would consider it.
Religious Organizations
Check with your place of worship to see whether it offers any scholarships to members. If not, the staff might know of local or regional groups that do offer scholarships to students of your faith. Be sure to expand your search to include national religious governing bodies.
Your Employer or Instructor
Your obscure hobby could help you pay for school. There is probably a related college scholarship for enthusiasts just like you. Hobbies with national governing bodies are the most likely sources of college funding; such as Boy Scouts, or Girl Scouts of America. In terms of jobs, some businesses have scholarship programs available to employees and/or their children.
