Okay so lately I have been trying to apply for many scholarships as possible (So hold on tight for my long story). However, I feel that there are scholarships only for a certain pool of applicants that it is too narrowed down, and I feel that I do not even have the opportunity to apply most of the time. The college I will be attending is quite affordable because I already have Bright Futures scholarship down, but I need to pay for the rest, especially those expensive lodging they force us to stay in the first year. However, things took a slight turn when my dad got laid off from his job and now he is on a notice period while working another job with decent-ish pay and less benefits from his old job, but I don’t really need the benefits because going to college everything is pretty much covered there and I barely need any support except financial (and maybe mom’s home-cooked meals???). My parents are also weary about getting a loan because they know debt is not the way to go. So technically tax period is over and its not like I can change my FAFSA because my dad still technically has a job with similar salary, so similar EFC. But he is still stressed because he wants to find a job that he likes and enjoys and is still continuing to apply. He also keeps pouncing on my to apply for scholarships and I applied to like major funding local sources but I can’t seem to get any unless you “stand out, stand out” from the applicant pool. I mean I stand out, but not enough because I am like an immigrant, still on a green card, good grades/GPA/HPA, female, and my extracurriculars are basically nonexistent but I was basically members of these clubs and vice president for one of them. My test scores are average like my SAT was 1290 (pretty crap) and ACT a 29(okay okay). And I am top 10 in my class. Speaking of that, since I am the guinea pig of American colleges in my family, my dad thinks scholarships are about automatically getting them if you apply first and no competition, or else, its an unrelated lecture about me not respecting my parents (Asian parents… am I right?). Like I applied and was supposed to know about a scholarship yesterday offered by my local volunteer place (a nature center), and I didn’t get it because I wasn’t that girl studying Earth Energy and Sustainability in Netherlands, but rather some lame biology course at UF and also Arabic, going on a pre-med track. It was funny because my dad was like its only $500??? Then why are you volunteering there? You said only you applied when five others did also?? Why aren’t you respecting us? KEEP APPLYING!!! But even if its that much money I kinda sorta need it. I also applied for some major local scholarships, and again, no contact back. I would dress professional, wear makeup, waste gas money, hours of my time, be under stress, write a damn essay and fill out an application. Only to never be contacted again. And when I look through online scholarships, its either expired or like I said does not pertain to me. Some do, but they want long essays. Plus competition yikes. So someone tell me if there are any truly good, worthy scholarships to apply for. Where my essay is not wasted, where my time is not lost, where my gas money isn’t chomped up. Please tell me I have a chance!!! Even at college where they have those liberal arts colleges providing scholarships for learning languages or merit or just something. Because I don’t want to be that girl in debt and work overtime to afford all this. I have 4 years of medical school costs ahead too. WHY ARE SCHOLARSHIPS SO HARD TO GET??? Thank you for listening to my rant and I hope you guys feel the same way too.
I also appeal to sympathy/empathy in my interviews and essays because my mom is a cancer survivor and I have been bullied a lot when I first came to this country over my culture/religious practices. Not that I am taking my experience for granted, but just saying that it is something I feel that can help me.
Slightly deviating from the OP’s original question - some of the ones on the various scholarship websites feel like scams. You get all these pop ups and ads galore after applying. It would be nice to know which ones are just phishing for info and which ones are real.
Just so you know guys please look at dates, the information they ask, and if you can contact them when applying for scholarships so you stay in the know. Stay away from any scholarships asking for social security or parents/sibling personal information. Look at reliable websites (which is so hard, but try)
as a college student it is going to be almost impossible to get credible outside scholarships, since colleges are the ones who offer the most scholarships and reserve that $$ for incoming freshman.
what you should do is appeal to your colleges FA office with documentation about your families recent setback in finances.
Scholarships aren’t scams, but they’re not like a lotto ticket either. Organizations and people who give out scholarships aren’t just looking to rain cash down on any random, breathing person who applies. Scholarships outside college are generally looking to give money to help people with a very specific characteristic - blind student, best public speaker, child of ____ (company, union, organization) member, Hispanic woman who wants to study engineering, student who champions an environmental cause, etc.
If you don’t fit the characteristic(s) the scholarship fund is looking for, then it definitely is a waste of time to apply and interview. Be honest with yourself and figure out your key attributes that might be scholarship worthy - direct your attention to those types of scholarships. If you can’t think of a single characteristic where you are competitive for scholarship, then maybe you’d be better off getting a job or starting some sort of business to earn the extra cash.
Look for local scholarships. Small amounts, but often fewer applicants. You might be able to cover books this way. Ask your guidance counselor if there is a list as a place to start.
Are you working? That is another way to get money. Many smaller scholarships have been awarded already.
With Bright Futures, your tuition is covered. If you live at home and commute, your r&b is covered. That’s really a very good deal. If you can’t afford to pay at the school that is requiring you to live on campus, go to a different school. There are 12+ public universities, some with multiple campuses. You have options.
When my kids looked at local scholarships, one found a couple she could apply for, and the other found ZERO. She was headed OOS and almost every local one require the student to attend instate. Quite a few were for children of military personnel. In the end, neither got any local scholarships but a few of their friends did (very small amounts). The daughter who stayed instate applied for a few at her school but never got any. The one who goes OOS has received a few department scholarships.
Look local to where you are now, but also as your college if there are any local scholarships. For example, my daughter’s college posted about a women’s group in the country who offered 2 scholarships per year to women students at one of 4 colleges in the area.
I do currently work a job and my parents do not want me to work during college. They are super strict about what I do and I am not joking. However, I do plan to apply for a job within the college because they are always hiring students. I will be living in a dorm because first year is mandatory and I live four hours away from campus, so commute is never an option. I won’t be having a car, maybe a bus and a bike if at all. There are still few scholarships that I can still apply to, but I doubt I’ll even have a chance even after local scholarships have been somewhat strict. I’m still waiting for one more major local source.
It is late to be applying for scholarships for this fall. But, if you do find some and they require you to write an essay, make sure you tailor the essay to the group awarding it.
Our local scholarships had an April deadline.
They were for specific majors, or for student athletes, or students with family members in the military, etc.
Most of them asked about family income, volunteering and student employment.
They often had a field where you could list special circumstances, you could mention your dad’s job loss there.
I would ask at your high school, if you can still apply to some. But they mostly help with books and such.