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What are scholarships?

Beyond the financial aid you will receive through the FAFSA or CA Dream Act, you can also apply for outside scholarships to cover remaining any expenses. Scholarships can simply be described as financial aid given to a student by organizations, foundations, or companies to further their education. This money does not need to be repaid and is usually based on a specific qualification. When you earn a scholarship they can go directly to pay for tuition or be sent to your bank account to be used to pay for other expenses such as textbooks or housing. There are thousands of scholarships out there and we encourage you to find ones that you qualify for.

What’s the difference between Grants and scholarships?

The terms “scholarship” and “grant” are often used interchangeably, but there are usually differences between these two forms of aid. Most scholarships are merit-based. This means that they are awarded to students with certain qualities, such as proven academic, athletic, or leadership/community service accomplishments. Many scholarships have requirements— maintaining a certain GPA, for example — that you have to follow to continue receiving aid. Most grants are need-based. This means that they are usually awarded based on your or your family’s financial situation. Both scholarships and grants come from the government, colleges, or private organizations.

How much scholarship money do I need?

How much money you need from scholarships varies for each individual. First, you should see how much financial aid you receive and then calculate how much more it will cost for tuition, materials, and housing after factoring in aid from FAFSA or the CA Dream Act.

Scholarships greatly vary in the amount of money rewarded so if grants aren’t enough to cover your costs, you can apply to multiple scholarships.

One important thing to keep in mind is that loans should be the last option! Borrowing money comes with interest rates that may leave you in great debt in the future. Why borrow money when you could go to college for free?

Types of Scholarships

Academic interests:
- Academic scholarships are awarded to students who have demonstrated an outstanding history of academic achievement. These scholarships are awarded to students with the most exceptional GPA and show dedication to a field.
Sports/Activities:
- Sports: This is one of the most highly visible, and fiercely competitive, merit scholarships available. Students hoping for an athletic scholarship have to demonstrate both a high level of ability in their sport of choice, as well as a solid academic background. In the case of athletic scholarships, students will need to be nominated by their coach or some other school official.
- Activities (extracurricular, community service, volunteering): If you are actively involved in programs or activities within or outside of your school there are many scholarships out there for you! By being particular with your searches, you can find a scholarship for almost any activity or hobby you’re passionate about.
Income:
- Based on your family income, you may qualify for income-based or need-based scholarships. Test scores, academic standing, or unique talents (academic, athletic, music, etc.) are not a factor in need-based awards.
Identity:
- While you're probably familiar with academic and sports scholarships, you might be surprised to find more random opportunities. A number of scholarship programs have a mission to support traditionally underrepresented students, with a certain appearance, gender, interests/hobbies, odd talents, and more! When using scholarship search engines be sure to filter them to your unique abilities.
Leadership, extracurricular, and community service involvements:
- Many scholarships are designated for students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, extracurricular, and community service commitment. This can include a wide range of activities, such as having leadership positions in school organizations, volunteering with non-profits, starting initiatives to help your community, and more.

Common Requirements to Apply for Scholarships

Although they are offered by different organizations, scholarships have the same general requirements:

Application: Complete an application with general information.
Personal statements (one or more) about one or more of the following topics:
- Significant factors or events that have impacted your desire to attend college
- Obstacles you've overcome
- Academic achievements
- Educational and career goals
- Financial need
- Contributions to your community
- Your or your family’s immigration story
Resume/list of extracurricular activities
Recommendation letters from teachers, counselors, or mentors
Other possible eligibility requirements: U.S. citizenship, a minimum GPA requirement, transcripts

Scholarship Renewal

When you win scholarship money it can cover a big chunk of your tuition, however instead of applying for more scholarships, it can save you a lot of time to apply for renewable scholarships. Some scholarships are renewable, meaning you can have them renewed each year you are in college. So, you win the scholarship once and you’re covered for the entirety of your college career. However, not all scholarships are renewable, and not all renew automatically. It is important for you to understand up front that not all scholarships can be renewed but others are more focused on helping you complete your entire education rather than just one year’s worth. Be sure to read the application guidelines and to inquire about whether or not it is renewable.
Eligibility: In order to qualify for renewal, some scholarships require that you provide progress reports of some sort to indicate that you have been maintaining the terms of the scholarship. So, if you want to get the scholarship again next year, you will have needed to abide by the requirements that you originally upheld in order to win the scholarship.

Tips for applying

Look for local scholarships, because national scholarships are usually far more competitive.
- Example: Google search “scholarships for Los Angeles students”
Sign up for updates/newsletters from different websites and organizations so you get notifications of new scholarships.
- Example: studentscholarship.org/newsletter
When finding and applying to scholarships, it is important to plan ahead and stay organized. Ask for recommendation letters in advance (give your recommenders at least a month to write them) and get feedback on your essays from teachers, advisors, and friends.
You can use an organizer like this one to keep yourself organized during your scholarship search. Edit it to suit your own needs.
- If you find a scholarship which you can apply for in the future (next year, 2 years from now, etc.) make a note on your chart to check back on the deadline for that future year, as it might be different from this year’s deadline.