Why Starting Locally is the Winning Move.
How to find local scholarships requires a little work but the rewards are worth it because you have a better shot of winning them. For one, there’s less competition, so your odds of winning are better. Plus, local scholarships are often tailored to the specific needs and circumstances of students in a specific community or region. It’s also a great way to network and learn about potential career paths in the future. And let’s be real, winning a local scholarship brings bragging rights and can boost your reputation in the community especially when your name is called out at graduation as the recipient.
Competing for National Advertised Scholarships is Tough.
When my daughter and I started the search process, we used big-named scholarship search engines like Scholarships.com and Fastsweb.com to search nationally. These were great for finding scholarships but out of the twenty or so my daughter applied to, she got one. What we realized in our first year of doing this is that winning these nationally advertised scholarships are not easy to win and is a tough gig to compete in. With so many applicants, it’s hard to stand out. Plus, you are competing against a large pool of candidates. On the other hand, she won five out of the twelve scholarships she applied for locally. My key recommendation is to start locally and then work your way up after you have exhausted your local scholarship search.
Places to Start Looking for Local Scholarships.
But where do you find these local scholarships? Your first move needs to be to check with your high school guidance counselor, local community foundations, professional organizations, and businesses. Don’t forget to online search engines. Just try searching ” Your city or county local scholarships.” You will be surprised by what comes up. For my Florida peeps, try FloridaCollegeAccess.org. And don’t be shy, ask around, someone you know may know about a scholarship you don’t. I have several friends that are always searching for scholarships for their children like we are. We have created an informal network where we trade information about scholarships that we have come across. So just remember, applying for those local scholarships may be your winning ticket for paying for college. Below are just a few recommendations to get you started for finding local scholarships in your area:
- You School’s guidance counselor’s website
- College Prep Go Tip: Search the other schools in your area to include the neighboring counties. I have found a few scholarships that our school was not aware of.
- Rotary Clubs
- Lions Clubs
- Chamber of Commerce
- Community foundations like the PTA and the Better Business Bureau
- Local fraternities and sororities like the Elks, Kiwanis, Moose, and Eagles
- Local veteran’s organizations like AMVETs, VFW, and American Legion
- Local religious organizations
- Local businesses
- Local labor unions
- Local sports organizations community.
- WOM: Word of Mouth- find a few like-minded parents and create your own informal scholarship search network.
Want to learn how to get a great letters of recommendation for your scholarship application? Read HOW TO GET A GREAT LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR SCHOLARSHIPS to learn more.
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