Applying to study for a degree program is an exciting moment for all students. Every great mind with lofty ambitions should be able to enroll and focus on their career in college. But the increasing education costs make it challenging for most students to attend the institution of their choice. Rather than exhausting your energy on working and earning to offset college costs, why not apply for one of the many different types of scholarships available?
It is rewarding to obtain scholarships. Doing so reduces financial worries in college, allowing students to divert their time to study more and achieve tremendous academic success. A scholarship is an excellent renewable resource that can help offset all the associated costs of attending college. It’s very beneficial to students hoping for financial assistance.
Are you a student thinking about the future of your academic career? Or are you a parent thinking of ways to offset your child’s tuition costs? If yes, do not underestimate the option of enrolling in scholarships. Now, let’s quickly uncover all the steps to applying for and obtaining scholarships.
Article Navigation: What is a Scholarship? | Different Types of Scholarships | How To Apply for a Scholarship | Skills and Qualities of Scholarship Candidates | Writing a Scholarship Essay | Nailing an Interview for a Scholarship | Pros and Cons of Scholarships | FAQs on Student Scholarships | Types of Scholarships, Now What’s Next?
What is a Scholarship?
A scholarship is a form of financial support awarded to a student to help mitigate the costs of obtaining an undergraduate or college degree. Scholarships are awarded based on specific criteria such as academic achievement, proven financial need, or athletic skills. There are many different types of scholarships available to students.
Different Types of Scholarships
Knowing the best scholarship to apply for at any given time is essential. It will enable students to make the best decision. While some scholarships renew yearly, others are one-off. Majorly, there are two types of scholarships available to students. These scholarships are:
- Merit-based Scholarships
- Private Scholarships
Type of Scholarship: Merit-based
Merit-based scholarships are a type of scholarship awarded to students based on their outstanding academic performance or high-value skills. Students from low-income and high-income family backgrounds can qualify for these scholarships since they do not consider the applicant’s financial needs. There are three primary types of merit scholarships:
- Academic Scholarships
- Talent Scholarships
- Athletic Scholarships
Academic Scholarships
Academic scholarships are given to students who have demonstrated an appreciable academic performance in high school or college by having a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or greater. Both private and public colleges award academic-based scholarships. Selection typically occurs based on GPA, SAT, or ACT exam scores.
Talent Scholarships
Another type of scholarship is a talent scholarship. Students with rare talent in areas such as athletics, journalism, music, or creative writing can earn talent scholarships. The most common rare-talent scholarship is the athletic scholarship.
Athletic Scholarships
An athletic scholarship is awarded to freshman and transfer students to attend a particular university or college. The scholarship is offered based on an individual’s ability in sports. Aside from helping students offset academic costs, athletic scholarships also allow colleges to recruit talents for their sports teams.
Type of Scholarship: Private
Private scholarships are financial assistance offered to students by agencies, organizations, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals to help pay for college tuition and other education costs. The money obtained from private scholarships goes directly to the university account of each recipient. These types of scholarships include:
- National Scholarships
- Local Scholarships
- Military Scholarships
- Employer/workplace Scholarships
National Scholarships
A national scholarship is a form of financial aid designed to provide outstanding students the opportunity to pursue higher education or training. The scholarship is available to all students in the country and receives wide publicity. Examples of national scholarships include:
- Carnegie Endowment Scholarship
- Churchill Scholarship
- Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
- American-Scandinavian Foundation Scholarship
Local Scholarships
Local scholarships are offered to students to help fund their education. This type of scholarship is less competitive because companies and organizations provide such offers to support students in their local community. Considering this form of scholarship is essential as it is less competitive to obtain.
Military Scholarships
Military scholarships can be awarded to veterans, current military members, and dependents of military personnel. Scholarships can also support students who intend to join the armed forces. This funding allows recipients to pursue higher education, certificate programs, or training.
The military scholarship is also available to serving members of the military that are interested in advancing their careers. Members of the military and persons from military households should consider this scholarship when pursuing academic degrees.
Employer / Workplace Scholarships
The last type of scholarship on our list are employer scholarships. Employer scholarships benefit specific employees or dependents of an outstanding employee. Usually, employees who show more dedication to work and help drive their company’s mission are eligible for this scholarship. In some cases, companies can sponsor student interns to advance their careers in specific fields of study.
How To Apply for a Scholarship
Before applying for a scholarship, research to determine which ones best fit your needs. After deciding on your preferred scholarship, the next step is collating all the necessary documents needed for the scholarship application. Note that each type of scholarship is unique and the application process can vary. Follow the steps below when applying for an undergraduate or graduate scholarship:
- Complete the online scholarship application form via the official website. Ensure to input correct information during the registration process.
- After a confirmation email has been sent to your registered email address, check for additional details or information required and respond where applicable. Endeavor to keep your registration login details safe.
- Compose your essay or statement of purpose, and ensure you cover all relevant aspects in your write-up. Be genuine and do not fake any information.
- Gather your high school certificates, test scores, and transcripts and send them when required. Ensure to cross-check for errors in your bio-data and certificates.
- Submit the university acceptance letter to the scholarship committee. It is an essential step, as organizations will only fund your scholarship if the letter is
submitted. - After submitting all the required documents, wait patiently for some days or weeks for the result. The scholarship committee will contact successful applicants with the good news via their registered contact information.
Skills and Qualities of Scholarship Candidates
Organizations or institutions offering scholarships to students look for specific qualities and skills in their candidates or beneficiaries of choice. The ability to excellently portray these unique skills and qualities will make an ideal candidate succeed during the scholarship interview. The essential skills and qualities for many types of scholarships include:
- Analytical Skills
Identifying issues, solving problems, and making informed decisions based on available information are vital skills expected of a scholarship applicant. When analyzing and collecting data, use your communication and critical thinking abilities. - Enthusiasm
The absence of willingness leads to inactiveness. Without being passionate about a task, productivity level diminishes. Therefore, a student must be enthusiastic when given tasks. These qualities will make the ideal candidate valuable to any employer or scholarship provider. - Confidence
You must put on a confident approach during your scholarship interview. The scholarship provider will analyze your confidence level, enabling them to know how a recipient will act in uncertain periods. - Composure
Try to be composed as much as possible during your scholarship interview. When interviewers ask challenging questions, meditate on the possible answers in your mind before relaying your answer to the interviewer. Avoid rushing to answer every question. - Team Play
For an employee to thrive in any organization, the ability to effectively work with others during group projects, conversations, or meetings is critical to meeting the goals of the individual departments. Therefore, an ideal candidate for a scholarship must exhibit teamwork skills and abilities.
Writing a Scholarship Essay
Each type of scholarship essay requires a unique and tailored approach. For an applicant to write an essay that will guarantee a scholarship, focusing on the specific requirements is imperative. To craft a superb essay, reinforce your areas of strength and how your past achievements make you the right candidate for the scholarship.
The principles of writing a good essay haven’t changed. Still, in this section, we will share some beneficial tips to apply when writing your upcoming essay intended for a college scholarship:
1. Read and understand the essay statement
Make sure to read and comprehend the essay topic thoroughly. If needed, write down each aspect you need to address in your writing to cover all necessary points. Try to understand the full scope and intent of the essay.
2. Organize your ideas
When writing a scholarship essay, do not jump into writing immediately. As ideas or points start flowing in your mind, put them down on paper in a well-organized manner. If the essay intends to explain a process, write down all the relevant steps of the process. If it is a persuasive scholarship essay, write down all the appropriate arguments. After that, write all the relevant facts or information that addresses the main point or idea.
3. Develop a thesis statement
The thesis statement is a critical part of any essay writing task. Remember, a thesis statement addresses two vital things: It tells the reader about the points you will make and informs the reader on what the essay will cover. Ensure that the essay statement is clear, on point, and specific. After crafting a detailed thesis statement for the topic, it is time to start the introduction.
4. Introduction
The first sentence and paragraph of the essay should be as engaging as possible. The points to write next should justify the opening statement. Conclude the introductory section with the thesis statement.
5. Body
The essay’s body should describe, explain, or argue the given topic. Include all the generated ideas previously written down and ensure to use one idea per paragraph for clarity.
6. Conclusion
The concluding paragraph should summarize all the points stated in the essay’s body.
No-Essay Scholarship
A no essay scholarship does not require an essay as part of the criteria for shortlisting eligible students. However, no essay scholarship applications may require candidates to upload a video, samples of previous work presentations, etc.
Nailing an Interview for a Scholarship
To ace an interview, candidates must be fully prepared. Preparation makes the difference between being a finalist for an academic scholarship or being dismissed. A great resume is not enough to land a scholarship. Therefore, it is crucial to consider what matters the most: How does a candidate respond and act during a scholarship interview? Read on to uncover the steps.
- Dress appropriately
It might not sound like an important tip, but it is. Remember the adage: dress the way you want to be addressed. Showing up for an interview professionally and well-dressed gives the interviewer a great perception of your personality, increasing your chances of obtaining the scholarship. - Be yourself
Be authentic. When relating with the interviewer, talk about your academic achievements, special interests, leadership experience, and how it positively impacted the situation. - Research the institution
Before the interview, try to have in-depth knowledge of the university or organization offering the scholarship. An applicant can freely interact during the interview process with the correct information. Interviewers will be thrilled that the candidate can speak directly about the obtainable things on their campus or organization. - Be confident and ask questions
Frequently, interviewers will ask: Do you have any questions to ask? Ensure to ask them at least one or two questions. This tactic will let them know how actively a candidate is interested and engaged during the interviewing process. Only ask questions relevant to your course of study or about the organization.
Pros and Cons of Scholarships
While scholarships are a great alternative funding source for students in need of financial assistance, they also require the beneficiary to study rigorously to maintain the scholarship. Here are the pros (advantages) and cons (disadvantages) to keep in mind:
Today’s Advantages of Scholarships
- Applicants can receive scholarships regardless of their household earnings.
- Students can earn scholarships without applying for them. Sometimes, they are based on a candidate’s college entry results or meeting the benchmark set aside by scholarship providers.
- Recipients do not have to agree to work for the scholarship provider or sign a contract or agreement to work for the scholarship duration.
Current Disadvantages of Scholarships
- Scholarships are academically demanding and sometimes put a lot of workload on the student to maintain outstanding results.
- Failure to meet the scholarship requirements can lead to the loss of scholarship funds.
- There is no guaranteed employment with the scholarship provider after the beneficiary receives or earns an academic degree.
- Depending on the type of scholarship obtained, some scholarships do not guarantee renewal.
FAQs on Student Scholarships
What is a Full-Ride Scholarship?
Full-ride scholarships cover all associated costs of attending college. The additional expenses include living costs, tuition, books, and fees. The goal of the full-ride scholarship is to remove the need for any other form of financial aid and remove all barriers to the student achieving their educational goals.
What is the difference between a Full-Tuition Scholarship and a Full-Ride Scholarship?
Full-tuition scholarships offset tuition fees only, while full-ride scholarships also cover all the expenses and fees to attend college and tuition costs.
Which scholarships are easy to get?
It is common amongst students to ask: which scholarships are easy to get? The application process for the easiest scholarships is short and straightforward. In most cases, No-Essay Scholarships are the easiest to get.
What is the difference between a grant and a scholarship?
A scholarship is an award based on financial support for an outstanding student to further their education. Scholarships are provided based on various criteria usually centered around the intended purposes and values of the founder of the award.
Grants are funds provided by the grant makers, most often a government department, trust, or foundation, to a beneficiary. Beneficiaries of grants can be individuals, nonprofit organizations, etc.
How do student loans and scholarships differ?
With student loans, students must pay the total amount of the loan back to the lender, often with interest. On the other hand, a scholarship is financial aid earned based on academic achievements or merits and does not require repayment.
Do you need FAFSA for scholarships?
Some institutions require that students fill out the FAFSA application to qualify for academic-based scholarships. But in most cases, the majority of colleges do not need students to fill out the FAFSA to be eligible for merit-based scholarships.
Should students apply for scholarships before or after college acceptance?
It is typically best to start applying for a scholarship long before receiving a college acceptance letter. Therefore, to increase the probability of obtaining the required scholarship, it is best to enroll early, even when you have not finalized your college plans.
Do you have to pay back for a scholarship if you fail?
No one ever enrolls in college to fail. Once a student fails, the scholarship sum will no longer be available to the student. The institution will then communicate the next steps with the scholarship provider. Try your best to maintain excellence and actualize the whole purpose of the granted scholarship.
Do I have to pay back the scholarship if I withdraw from school or drop out?
The majority of the scholarships are offered based on completing a degree or training program. When a student withdraws or drops out before the scholarship expires, recipients may be required to repay the scholarship funds.
What grades do you need to get a scholarship?
There is no specific Grade Point Average (GPA) requirement for a scholarship. The requirement depends on the criteria of the institution or organization awarding the scholarship. Candidates with a higher GPA between a band of 3.5 to 4.0 have a higher chance of obtaining a scholarship offer.
Do you lose your scholarship if you take a year off?
Every scholarship has specific terms and conditions. While some scholarships allow the student to take a total of one year off during the duration of the entire program, others do not. To ensure you make informed decisions, reach out to the scholarship provider and let them know why you intend to take a gap year.
Can I use the scholarship money for anything?
A beneficiary cannot use the scholarship money for things not stated in the scholarship terms. As the cost of consumer goods keeps rising, it will affect the purchasing value of the gifted sum. Therefore, learn to save for the rainy days.
Types of Scholarships, Now What’s Next?
Now, it is time for all candidates to put the information in this article to good use. Don’t wait until the last minute to start applying for scholarships; start early. When some issues are not clear enough regarding scholarship application, revert to this guide or do some further research.
At GetEducated.com, we have more educational resources to guide your search in uncovering more academic offers.