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Scholarships & Grants

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Scholarships and grants are among the best ways to reduce your tuition bill. These forms of financial aid do not have to be repaid and are available from a myriad of sources. The college or university may be able to offer total or partial scholarship packages based on academic performance, athletic ability, or financial need. However, universities have limited scholarship funds each year, so check with them early and often about available funds. Giving the university a reason to grant your child a scholarship, such as academic achievement, will help swing the odds in your favor.

Private foundations are another possible source for scholarship or grant monies. Your child’s high school guidance counselor or college financial aid office can provide you with information about some scholarship programs, but the internet is another good source for information on these programs. One word of caution is warranted here. In this age of identity theft, be very cautious about what information you give to a scholarship program that you found on the internet. Be sure to do your homework about each program before providing your financial information to anyone. Make sure that the foundation does, indeed exist and that scholarship money is available.

Many scholarship programs are made available to Boy Scouts who earn their Eagle Award and to Girl Scouts who earn their Gold Award. These awards are the highest honors available to scouts in each of these organizations and scholarships are open only to those who have earned the award in their respective organization. When your child has earned this award or a similar one in another organization, they are competing for scholarship money in a smaller pool than the general population. When the pool of possible candidates is smaller, then your child’s chances of being granted the scholarship increase.

Just as there are federal loan programs available, there are also federal scholarships and grants available. Pell Grants are the largest federal scholarship program and are awarded based on financial need. Pell grants are only for students enrolled in undergraduate courses and who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. A high school diploma or GED is also required from an accredited institution.

FSEOG (Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant) grants are monies that are distributed to eligible students through schools and are also based on financial need. Both full and part time students can qualify for this program. This program is reserved for those students who demonstrate the greatest need.

There are also federal scholarship and grant programs that are based on merit rather than financial need. They include the LEAP (Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership) incentive, the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program, the National Science Scholars Program (NSSP), and the Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program.

Scholarship money may also be available to your child based on their scores on the ACT or SAT college entrance exams. Locally based scholarships may be available to your student through these smaller foundations and programs.

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