Your quick guide to finding
Scholarships Beyond
Freshman Year
A publication of Scholarship America®
in collaboration with US News & World Report
www.scholarshipamerica.org
Table of Contents
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Introduction
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Part 1: Scholarships Aren’t Just for Freshmen
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3 Scholarship Steps for Current College Students
The Do’s and Don’ts for Finding Scholarships
Turn to State Higher Education Offices for Scholarship Help
Part 2: Ease the Tuition Burden Through These Scholarships
Target These Unique Scholarships for Current College Students
Find College Scholarships Through Your Internships
Get Help From Prestigious Scholarships
Part 3: Beyond Year Four, These Resources Can Help
Search 4 Places for Graduate School Scholarships
Look for Scholarships to Help With Grad School
First thing’s first: don’t panic.
If you’re like many college students in America, you probably started your
collegiate career with a handful of one-time scholarships that helped cover the
gap between your financial aid package (loans and grants) and what you and your
family could afford to pay. These scholarships are incredibly valuable – they help
get students to college and ease the financial burden that first year of school,
when you have much more important things to worry about than paying your
tuition bill.
Yet, across the country, sophomores are panicking. They can’t rely on those firstyear scholarships come year two, and many are either taking out large amounts of
student loans, or dropping out all together.
What many of you upperclassmen may not know is that there are actually a
plethora of resources available to students beyond freshman year. Use this guide
to help get you started. Inside you’ll find:
I Tips and tricks to finding scholarships beyond freshman year
I Excellent scholarship opportunities for upperclassmen
I Scholarship programs for postgraduate study
Happy scholarship searching!
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Part 1:
Scholarships Aren’t Just for
Freshmen
I 3 Scholarship Steps for Current College Students
I The Do’s and Don’ts for Finding Scholarships
I Turn to State Higher Education Offices for Scholarship Help
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3 Scholarship Steps for Current
College Students
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, March 17, 2011, US News & World Report
Many students believe that scholarships aren’t open to students already enrolled
in college, but that’s actually a misconception. In fact, there are many scholarships
available to current college students. If you’ve been forced to take out loans to pay
for college, don’t pass up the opportunity to lessen your loan burden by researching
and applying for scholarships out there for undergrads.
Here are three steps you should take:
1. Visit your college’s financial aid office: Most colleges and universities have
scholarships available to students already enrolled in classes, or they can direct you
to the scholarship opportunities they’re familiar with for current students.
2. Search online: Use the same online search engines you probably used for your
initial scholarship search to research scholarships available to current college
students.
I set up a pretend account in one of the better-known search engines. I entered my
name, major, college, year in school, GPA, and everything else that was required.
After paging through several ads for other E-mail opportunities (and saying “no
thanks” to all of it), the search engine returned a whopping 25 scholarship, essay
contest, and fellowship opportunities available to me—before I even had a chance to
do a formal search.
Here are a few of the more general scholarships revealed through my search that
could be useful to any college student:
I Leonard C. Ball and James H. Bell Scholarship Fund: $2,000 scholarships
available to current college students with a minimum GPA of 2.5.
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I College JumpStart Scholarship: $1,500, $750, and $250 merit-based scholarships
available to current college students.
I Foreclosure.com College Scholarship Contest: $5,000 and $2,000 scholarships,
available only to undergraduate college students.
I Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship: $1,000 scholarship available to current
college students upon essay submission.
I U.S. Bank Internet Scholarship: $1,000 scholarships available to current college
students who are attending a college or university participating in the U.S. Bank
No Fee Education Loan Program.
Don’t ignore the smaller-sized scholarships or scholarships you are unfamiliar with.
Every little bit helps, and there are often fewer applicants applying for these, so that
could ultimately increase your chances of winning.
3. Apply: In less than four years, you could be making your first loan payment. And
believe me, you’ll be grateful for any dime you don’t have to send away to your
student loan company.
“Don’t pass up the opportunity
to lessen your loan burden by
researching and applying for
scholarships for undergrads.”
The Do’s and Don’ts for Finding
Scholarships
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, December 8, 2010, US News & World Report
The first question many people ask upon contacting Scholarship America is “How can
(I, my son/daughter/niece/nephew/grandchild/neighbor’s kid) get a scholarship?”
As it turns out, this question is more relevant than ever. Today, the average student
is graduating with more than $20,000 of loan debt, and it’s pretty tough to start your
adult life that deep in the hole. Fortunately, there may be around $3 billion in private
scholarship aid available each year for students who know where to look – and that
includes those who are already enrolled in college, as well as graduate students.
Scholarship search engines like fastweb.com, collegeboard.com, and scholarships.com
are a great start. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Fastweb, stresses that you should
“complete all of the optional questions in the scholarship search profile for about
twice as many [scholarship] matches.”
And that’s not his only recommendation.
DO check your local newspaper and Student Services bulletin board. Kantrowitz
also suggests some more old-school sources: the coupon section of your Sunday
newspaper, and bulletin boards outside the financial aid office of your college or
university.
There are no better resources than these for locally based scholarships. Herb Crowell,
a guidance counselor in Minneapolis, begins his scholarship talk with students with
a firm “Never pay for a service to find scholarships—there are plenty of ways to find
everything and anything for free.”
“I advise students to approach the challenge of finding scholarships as if they were
looking for a job,” says Judith Lewis Logue, director of financial aid at the University
of San Diego. “Few job applicants assume they will be offered the first job for which
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they apply. They know they will need to apply for many jobs to find the right one. You
can never apply for too many scholarships!”
DO talk to your college about opportunities. Get to know the financial aid folks at
your university, suggests Joseph Russo, director of financial aid at the University of
Notre Dame. “The primary source of information about student aid opportunities
and resources is the college/university to which the student is [attending]. The vast
majority of student aid resources are going to be made available through those
financial aid offices,” he says.
Students should also look into any potential opportunities offered by Greek
organizations on campus, or through young professional organizations.
DO reapply to past scholarship programs. Did you receive a one-time award
your freshman year from a local community organization or a parent’s place of
employment? Don’t assume that you can’t earn this scholarship a second year in a
row. Many scholarships may be one-time awards, but that doesn’t mean you can’t
reapply and earn the scholarship again.
DON’T drop out before exploring all your options. We know paying for college is
challenging. But before you panic and move out of your dorm, visit your college’s
financial aid office and explain your financial situation. More often than not, they can
find scholarships, grants or emergency support to get you through the next year of
college.
Turn to State Higher Education
Offices for Scholarship Help
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, June 27, 2013, US News & World Report
Just about every state offers online tools that can help you plan and pay for college.
As you look for scholarships and financial aid, there are a lot of familiar resources.
These include scholarship search engines, the federal student aid database and
college websites. But one useful source that plenty of students never think about is
their state’s office of higher education.
Checking out the office in your home state, as well as the states where you’re
attending college, should be one of the first places you look when you’re searching
for financial aid beyond freshman year. Resources and the office’s name vary by state.
You can start with this list.
Wherever you go, look for links to student and family resources. Once you find those,
focus on the following five valuable options.
1. Online guidance and planning tools: While websites differ, just about every state
features online tools that can help you plan and pay for college. One of the best is
Kentucky’s KnowHow2GoKY site, which offers education planning advice for all ages.
The Iowa College Student Aid Commission’s I Have A Plan site provides a wide view
of everything from career exploration and test prep to financial aid and postgraduate
activities.
Even if your state doesn’t have a dedicated planning tool, it will likely have a student
resource page, like this one from Massachusetts, where you can get started.
2. In-person and offline events: One advantage of these offices’ local focus is
that they can offer residents more face-to-face opportunities to connect and
learn. The Maryland Higher Education Commission conducts monthly financial aid
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presentations at high schools and colleges. And higher education offices across the
nation are often closely involved with College Goal Sunday efforts in January and
February.
3. Loan, grant and savings information: Most states offer education loans and grants
to qualified students. These funds are usually managed by the higher education
office, as are the states’ college savings plans, known as 529 accounts. Minnesota
provides a straightforward 529 website for students and parents, as well as offers a
detailed look at the state’s low interest rate Self Loan Program.
Washington’s thorough state site covers all things 529 and features a wide array of
grants and loans under the “Opportunity Pathways” banner.
4. Scholarship searches and applications: Washington also offers a unique resource
called The WashBoard, which allows resident students to find scholarships from
public and private-sector providers across the state. While this is the most ambitious
search we’ve found, other states do feature online applications for governmentfunded programs or listings of statewide scholarships.
5. Resources for military and veteran students: The U.S. Armed Forces provides a
wide array of educational benefits to active-duty servicemen and women, reservists
and veterans. But those benefits often come with confusing paperwork, restrictions
or deadlines.
If you’re a veteran or currently serving, your state higher education office can help
you make sense of it all. Some states, like North Carolina and Massachusetts, have
easy-to-find resources on their websites. If you can’t find the information you need,
reach out to your state’s office.
No matter what your needs are, we recommend you contact state higher education
offices with questions. Many are now active on social media, meaning a tweet, a
Facebook message or an email can help you learn what you need to from these
often-overlooked resources.
Part 2:
Ease the Tuition Burden
Through These Scholarships
I Target These Unique Scholarships for Current College Students
I Find College Scholarships Through Your Internships
I Get Help From Prestigious Scholarships
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Target These Unique Scholarships
for Current College Students
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, January 9, 2014, US News & World Report
Scholarship opportunities abound for those already enrolled in college, including a
five excellent programs below to help get you started.
1. For STEM students (sophomores and junior college students only): The
Scholarship Coach has covered technology and STEM scholarships in the past, but
there’s another award to add to those lists.
The Intertek Scholarship Program is a brand new program for 2014. Intertek is
offering a two-for-one deal to five aspiring engineers. Winners will receive an award
of up to $10,000 as well as an internship at an office of the global quality assurance
and certification company. You’ll want to apply soon, as the deadline is Jan. 17.
2. For the artistically inclined (open to high school and college students): The
Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest gives you a chance to exercise your
artistic skills. Applicants must submit an original artwork greeting card design by Jan.
15 for a chance to win $10,000, plus an additional $1,000 for your college or high
school!
3. For the environmentalist (undergrads ages 19 & 20): If you long for the great
oudoors, consider applying for The Sara Shallenberger Brown GCA National Parks
Conservation Scholarship, which supports a unique field training program related
to America’s national parks. Undergraduates ages 19 and 20 can apply by Feb. 15
for an Apprentice Crew Leader Program, which includes training, transportation and
a $750 stipend for a three-week stint. The award is distributed by the Garden Club
of America, which offers merit-based scholarships covering specialties from desert
studies to urban forestry.
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4. For the aspiring techy (junior college students): You’ve probably heard of the
perks that working for a Silicon Valley company can bring. From free gyms, haircuts
and massages to game rooms and swimming pools, companies like Google know
how to keep employees in the office. With an average starting salary of more than
$55,000, according to PayScale, the pay isn’t too shabby, either.
If you’re interested in building the next great iPhone app, a career in computer
science may be perfect for you – especially because the chances of finding a wellpaying job after graduation look good. Those considering majoring in computer
science should think about applying for the Wayne V. Black Memorial Scholarship, a
$5,000 award from the Energy Telecommunications and Electrical Association.
5. For transfer students: Community college students who are transferring to a
four-year college or university may be eligible for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships. The foundation provides up to $30,000 per
year to each student selected for the scholarship; with up to 50 scholarships awarded
per year. Awards are intended to cover a large portion of your ongoing education
expenses, such as tuition, fees, books, and living expenses for the final two or three
years of ongoing education. To be eligible, students must be nominated by a Jack Kent
Cooke Foundation Faculty Representative at their two-year institution, so get to know
that person!
Find College Scholarships Through
Your Internships
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, April 18, 2013, US News & World Report
With the slow growth of the job market adding competitive pressure on students
preparing to enter the workforce, work experience can be as valuable an investment
in your education as financial assistance. An internship experience in your field will
help you foster new professional connections, build relationships with colleagues
who can write letters of recommendation and construct a strong resume to stand out
at job fairs and interviews after graduation.
Explore the following opportunities to find scholarships that include internships. We
know you’re up to the job!
Are you a science, technology, engineering and mathematics student? NASA is
looking for students in the STEM fields to fill internship and fellowship positions each
semester. They offer a “One Stop Shopping Initiative” where students can search for
fellowships, internships and scholarships all at the same time.
They offer combined scholarship-internship opportunities for students from precollege to graduate school. These internships last 10 weeks and are offered at NASA
headquarters or a NASA center.
Eager to spread your wings and study abroad? World Learning is a highly reputable
organization that offers global exchange programs in conjunction with many
generous scholarships for high school, college and graduate students. In some of
their programs, 80 percent of students who apply will receive a scholarship to help
cover the cost of their program abroad.
Their diverse offerings include internships, degree and certificate programs, research
projects and exchange programs, all of which address international development. The
World Learning Graduate Institute has its origins as a training center for Peace Corps
volunteers, and continues its commitment to empowering young leaders in global change.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers several scholarships, as well as paid and
unpaid internships, to student leaders in agriculture, food science, public policy
and natural resources. The USDA also offers programs specifically for empowering
Hispanic students with internship and scholarship opportunities.
Many schools and student organizations offer scholarships specifically for students
engaged in internship experiences. The University of Virginia provides scholarship
awards for third-year students in the arts and sciences who are participating in
unpaid internships.
Utah Valley University offers many generous scholarships for students receiving
academic credit for their internship positions. These UVU scholarships are available
for a wide range of interns, with specific funds reserved for students in government
internships, nonprofit internships and general internships.
Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society offers scholarships for
members who complete an internship in Washington, D.C. Their scholarships are
each $2,000 and are offered to students participating in summer and fall political
science internships.
These are just a few examples, so be sure to check with the counseling or career
development center at your college to find out how your internships, research and
work experience beyond the classroom might pay off with scholarships.
“An internship can help you foster
professional connections, build
relationships, and construct a strong
resume to help you stand out.”
Get Help From Prestigious
Scholarships
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, November 25, 2011, US News & World Report
Every student looking for a job after furthering his or her education strives to stand
out in the crowd of new graduates – either through volunteer work they did in
college or through internships. These are excellent opportunities to get noticed;
another great way to shine – and get your college education paid for – is by earning a
prestigious scholarship.
It’s true that scholarships labeled “prestigious” usually have lengthy applications,
require special projects, and are certainly more competitive than most. But if you’re
eligible for one of these scholarships, it definitely can’t hurt to apply. If you’re one of
the lucky ones selected from hundreds or even thousands of students, not only will a
large portion of your tuition be covered, but you’ll also gain an incredible amount of
honor and opportunity from winning. By researching scholarship qualifications early
in your college career and working hard, anyone has the ability to win.
Here are four scholarships that are certain to make your résumé stand out, as well
as ease your tuition burden. Talk to your professors, the dean of your college or
university, or other school representatives to find out more on how to become
recognized and get nominated.
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship: Up to 300 scholarships per year are awarded to
college sophomores and juniors who pursue careers in math, natural sciences, or
engineering. Universities are allowed to nominate four undergraduate students to
receive up to $7,500 each per academic year for educational expenses.
Harry S. Truman Scholarship: The Truman Scholarship Foundation supports students
pursuing careers in government, nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education, or
elsewhere in the public service. Each scholarship provides up to $30,000 for graduate
study. Applicants must have a strong academic and public service record and are
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required to work in public service for three of the seven years following completion
of their degree program as a condition of receiving Truman funds.
The Udall Scholarship: A champion of environmental conservation and Native
American initiatives, one of Rep. Morris Udall’s greatest achievements was the
Alaska Lands Act of 1980, which doubled the size of the national park system and
tripled the size of the national wilderness system. The Udall Scholarship awards 80
scholarships worth $5,000 each to college sophomores and juniors who are studying
environmental studies, as well as to American Indian and Alaska Native students
studying tribal policy or native healthcare.
Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest: The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
was established soon after Elie Wiesel was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize for
Peace. The Foundation’s mission is “to combat indifference, intolerance and
injustice through international dialogue and youth-focused programs that promote
acceptance, understanding and equality.” The Prize in Ethics Essay Contest is a
competition designed to challenge college students to analyze the urgent ethical
issues confronting them in today’s complex world. This essay contest is open to
college juniors and seniors and the first prize is $5,000.
Part 3:
Beyond Year Four, These
Resources Can Help
I Search 4 Places for Graduate School Scholarships
I Look for Scholarships to Help With Graduate School
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Search 4 Places for Graduate
School Scholarships
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, April 21, 2011, US News & World Report
It’s no secret that graduate school is expensive. In many cases, credits are twice as
expensive as undergrad courses. In addition, government financial aid is limited for
grad school, and those facts together might make you think it’s out of the question to
continue your education beyond a bachelor’s. What you may not realize, however, is
that there are numerous scholarships, fellowships, and grants available for graduate
study. Although they’re not as plentiful as undergrad programs, doing some research
will certainly pay off—as will the average 25 percent premium on your salary that
comes with an advanced degree.
If you’ve been holding off on starting grad school for fear of ending up tens of
thousands of dollars in debt, read on. Scholarships, fellowships, and grants are
available through your graduate school, professional organizations, by career interest,
and even for specific demographic groups.
1. Your graduate school: Start your scholarship search right where you’re thinking
of attending grad school. Check out the school’s website for a list of scholarships
and fellowships. There may be scholarships available for specific fields of study or
by graduate department, as well as scholarships for students showing leadership
potential or other special characteristics.
It’s definitely worth your time to find out what’s available and how to apply. In some
cases, such as mine, applying is as easy as checking a box (the “yes, I am interested in
being considered for a scholarship” box that many of my classmates didn’t seem to
notice) during the graduate application. Others will require you to submit a formal,
separate application. You may need to write an essay about your career goals and
polish your résumé, but even if you don’t earn the coveted award, it’s still good
practice for future job hunting.
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2. Professional organizations: You can also take your graduate scholarship search to
the professional organizations to which you belong. National Political Science Honor
Society Pi Sigma Alpha and the Emergency Nurses Association are two that offer
scholarships for graduate work. The American Marketing Association Foundation
offers scholarships for populations underrepresented in the marketing profession.
According to its website: “Through its Valuing Diversity Ph.D. Scholarship Program,
the AMAF seeks to widen the opportunities for underrepresented populations to
attend marketing doctoral programs.”
3. Career-specific scholarships: Many graduate scholarships are career specific,
including:
I The American Association of Colleges of Nursing lists scholarship opportunities
for graduate and undergraduate nursing students, such as the March of Dimes
graduate scholarship, a $5,000 award for students pursuing maternal-child
nursing.
I Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. provides scholarships for master’s and doctoral
programs and will consider applications of students who are pursuing a
bachelor’s/master’s combination program.
I The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship provides
three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or
doctoral degrees.
I The Saul T. Wilson Scholarship Program, through the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, offers scholarships for grad students in veterinary medicine.
4. What’s your sign? OK, so maybe there isn’t a scholarship for Taureans seeking a
master’s degree, but many programs are organized by specific traits or causes, such
as scholarships for women.
Two big ones: the American Association of University Women’s Selected
Professions Fellowships provide opportunities for women to pursue graduate
degrees in fields where women have traditionally been underrepresented.
This includes fellowships in architecture, computer and information sciences,
engineering, and math and statistics. The Society of Women Engineers Scholarship
Program offers scholarships to women admitted to accredited graduate programs
studying for careers in engineering, engineering technology, and computer science.
Look for Scholarships to Help With
Graduate School
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, October 20, 2011, US News & World Report
Getting an advanced degree is an excellent way to concentrate on a specific area in
your field, and will certainly make you more marketable to employers. But before
writing out another tuition check, make sure you have a solid financial plan and some
ideas about financial aid. If you don’t, you might end up burdening yourself with
double the amount of student loan debt that you already carry from your first fourplus years as an undergrad.
To prevent racking up too much debt, many grad students rely heavily on fellowships
or assistantships—but they’re not available to everyone. If you’ve already started
your career, check with your employer to see what kind of financial assistance your
company may offer for employees pursuing an advanced degree. There are a number
of employers who will reimburse up to 100 percent of tuition.
Finally, while it’s true that scholarships for grad school aren’t overly common, there
are several opportunities for which you may qualify:
Scholarships from your alma mater: Several colleges across the country offer tuition
reimbursement for their alumni who want to go on to graduate school. Often, but
not always, this means you have to attend grad school at the same university from
which you’ve graduated. Check into what your undergrad school offers in terms of
scholarships for advanced study; you may be pleasantly surprised.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Program awards scholarships to 174 highly
accomplished student-athletes in college who also excel academically. The Walter
Byers Scholarship Program also recognizes outstanding undergraduate academic
achievement by student athletes.
The Council of Independent Colleges awards American Graduate Fellowships to
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graduates of small and mid-sized liberal arts colleges. Each year, two students
are awarded fellowships worth up to $50,000 each, and the fellowships are
renewable for a second year. You must be enrolled in a doctoral program at one
of 23 universities. Eligible fields of study include history, philosophy, literature and
languages, and fine arts.
The American Foundation for the Blind awards 30 scholarships every year to college
students who are also blind. Many of these apply to graduate students.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science established a Graduate Fellowship
Program to support graduate training in basic research areas of physics, biology,
chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computational sciences, and environmental
sciences. Outstanding students are encouraged to apply.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Jacob K. Javits Fellowships Program provides
fellowships to students who have demonstrated achievement, financial need, and
exceptional promise. The fellows must undertake study at the doctoral or Master of
Fine Arts level in selected fields of arts, humanities, and social sciences.
The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans are specifically for those
who hold green cards, a naturalized citizen born abroad, or children of naturalized
citizens. If this is you, you could be eligible for the New American Fellowship,
which awards up to $25,000 for two years of graduate school in any field and in
any advanced degree-granting program in the United States. Thirty fellowships are
awarded in February each year.
“We need to make sure that
scholarships see students through to
graduation, instead of just supporting
them their first year.”
- Lauren Segal, President & CEO, Scholarship America