Scholarships: Local and National

There are two kinds of local scholarships: the "Who-are-you-what's-your- heritage-where-are-you-from-who-do-you-know?" scholarships, and the competitive merit awards. For the first type of local scholarship, students are selected because of their religion, their ethnicity, their parents' professional affiliations or the companies that employ their parents.

The second group features scholarships for which students can compete locally. These include PTA scholarships and civic awards (such as those provided by the Kiwanis Club, the Exchange Club and the Jaycees). The first group of scholarships generally requires only an application, while merit scholarships usually require a paper, speech, project or other form of competition.

Someone in your community is going to receive these scholarships. There are four places where you can find out about these awards:

  • The kitchen table at your home - Sit down as a family and consider your various family connections. Consider your religious affiliation. Parents, perhaps you are a member of a club or fraternal organization that offers scholarships for which your child may apply. Many corporations provide scholarships to the children of employees. Perhaps your company does. If you have an affiliation that could lead to a scholarship, follow up on it!
  • The high school guidance counselor's office - Students should stop by regularly and read the counselor's bulletin board. You may be surprised by what you find.
  • The local library - The library bulletin board and resource section can provide you with very real scholarship opportunities.
  • The Internet - The Internet is a rich source of scholarship opportunities -- both local and national. Focus your search engine on "scholarships" and check out some Web sites. Some good ones are The College Board, SallieMae.com, USAGroup and Fastweb.com. These sites offer excellent advice on paying for college and often list national scholarships for which you may apply. As a rule, you should avoid working with any scholarship or financial aid search firm that charges a fee for its services. Almost without exception, any scholarship funds available for a fee are also available for free.

National Scholarships
Many national organizations, corporations included, offer valuable scholarships. Again, the World Wide Web is a good place to start your search for these.

Making a Student Independent
Many believe that aid eligibility will be based solely on the student's financial situation if he or she can be declared legally independent. This was true at one point. Congress, however, changed the rules in 1992. Now students may become independent only if they meet the following criteria:
  • The applicant is 24 or older.
  • The applicant is a graduate student.
  • The applicant is a veteran.
  • The applicant is married.
  • The applicant is an orphan or a ward of the court.