A lot of students look to scholarships to help off-set some of their college tuition costs. But what you might not know is that different types of scholarships are available to you, and you have a better chance of winning certain types.
Different Types Of Scholarships
There are basically two types of scholarships: Merit scholarships and private scholarships.
Merit Scholarships
Merit scholarships are awarded to you by a college based on your skills, not based on your financial need. There are three types of scholarships in merit scholarships:
Academic Scholarships:
Academic scholarships are based on factors like your high school GPA, ACT or SAT test scores, and class rank. Private colleges and non-flagship state schools most often award academic scholarships.
Athletic Scholarships:
Athletic scholarships are usually awarded to students who play sports at NCAA Division I and II schools and NAIA schools.
Scholarships for Other Special Talents:
This type of award varies greatly, so you need to check college websites to see what opportunities are available.
Tips For Getting Merit Scholarships
- Fill out the FAFSA – some colleges require to be considered for merit aid.
- Look everywhere – search college websites to see all the merit awards each school offers.
- Apply to the right colleges – you’re more likely to receive a merit scholarship when you’re in the top 25% academically.
- Ask about renewal terms – you might need to maintain a certain GPA throughout college to keep your award.
Private Scholarships
Private scholarships are awarded to you by businesses, agencies, organizations, and clubs to use during college. There are five types of scholarships in private scholarships.
Local Scholarships:
Local scholarships are usually only available to students in your high school, so you have a better chance of getting one of these scholarships compared to a scholarship that every student in the country can apply for.
Regional Scholarships:
Regional scholarships are available to students within a specific county, city, or state. These are more competitive than local scholarships, but you still have a better chance at success for regional scholarships than for national scholarships.
National Scholarships:
National scholarships are available to every student in the country and are publicized widely online, so these are very difficult to get since so many people apply. But just because they’re difficult to get, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply. You should try to apply for any scholarships that you’re eligible for.
Workplace Scholarships:
Workplace scholarships are available through some companies to the children of employees. Make sure to check with your parents’ work to see if any scholarships are available.
Military Scholarships:
Military scholarships are available to students who are admitted to a U.S. service academy (like West Point), join the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and serve as an officer in the armed services after college, or enlist after high school and receive tuition assistance after they’re discharged.
All these types of scholarships for international students and domestic students could be applied to by any student based on their eligibility.
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Tips For Getting Private Scholarships
Look everywhere! Register with scholarship search websites, check your high school guidance office for local scholarships, research regional and state scholarships through your state’s official website, check with your parents’ work…seriously, look everywhere you can think of.
How To Find Scholarships For Every Occasion?
There are hundreds of websites out there with lists of scholarships, which can be overwhelming. But don’t get discouraged; this is a good thing. Start with a few trusted sites, such as Fastweb.com, College Board, or Cappex. These sites have search features that will help to narrow down the list of scholarships that are specific to your situation.
School counselors are also a great resource for advice and can notify you of new scholarship opportunities as they come up. Other resources for scholarships are personal connections and professional affiliations. When I started my second career as a high school teacher, the EnCorps STEM Teacher Program sponsored scholarships to help pay for my training courses.
You can find scholarships catering to folks of your ethnicity, in your area of study, based on your geographical location, or even hinging on your interests and hobbies. Attributes like living in a small town or being a multiple-birth sibling will, believe it or not, qualify you for special scholarships.
Make a list of standout characteristics about yourself and use those to identify unique scholarships that could be a fit. Are you a BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ individual? There are scholarships just for you. Are you thinking of a career change to nursing, psychology, or interior design? There are scholarships specifically for those fields—and many others.
You can apply for scholarships whether you are a high school student or an adult looking to go back to school. You can find scholarships to help fund community college, certificate programs, a four-year degree, technical school, or graduate school. Some people think they can’t apply for scholarships if they don’t have stellar grades; this is not the case. Based on your particular situation and the organization that is funding the scholarship, your grades may not be a significant factor in the decision.
Which Types Of Scholarships To Pursue?
Now, you have a (possibly long) list of potential scholarships in front of you. This is great news. But it can also feel like scholarship overload, so start by just picking one or two that pique your interest, and focus on those. And keep in mind that the dollar amount for individual scholarships can vary widely from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
You may be tempted to focus on the larger scholarships, don’t forget the small ones will add up. My neighborhood high school counselor advises students to “apply local because the applicant pool is smaller” local organizations love to promote local students. Hence, if you can show your connection to the company or organization whose scholarship you’re applying to, that will also set you apart.
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I have done Bachelor’s in Culinary Arts from India and completed my graduation in the year 2022 .I am 22 years old. After graduation, I have done 1 year paid internship from USA .Now, I would like to take occupational experience and learn culinary skills and also do masters in Culinary arts.How can I find the college n best course / country where I can persue studying further