Scholarships – The 7 Best Offline Ways to Find Scholarship Awards
Find College Scholarships
The first place most students look for scholarships is the internet; and with good reason. The popular scholarship search websites are convenient and very easy to use. You only need type in your information once and you are automatically matched to the scholarships for which you qualify. However, as sleek and efficient as these websites are, they simply don’t contain every scholarship that is out there. Let’s take a look at the places offline and in your own community where a scholarship might be waiting for you.
Career Counselor
You first stop should be your career counselor at your school. Maintaining a list of local scholarships is part of what they do. As an organization, business, or individual creates a new scholarship, it will usually forward the information over to the career centers at the local schools. This information is ready and available to you. Go check it out.
Local Newspaper
Most local newspapers regularly feature stories of scholarship recipients. It is never too early to start compiling a list of these awards. Go through back issues of the newspaper online; try searching for the words “scholarship.”
Service Clubs in Your Community
By service clubs, we mean those organizations such as The Lion’s Club, Rotary Club, Boys and Girls Clubs, VFW, Jaycees, etc. These clubs raise money through fundraisers to provide scholarships to students in their communities. Give them a quick call as they will be more than happy to give you the scholarship information. To find a list of the service clubs in your area, visit the public library or community center in your town. The National Chapters of these clubs will also have websites that will often list the contact information for their local chapters.
Religious Organization
Many religious organizations offer scholarships to the members of their congregation. Ask your pastor, reverend, priest, rabbi, monk, etc. if an award is available. Also, check the national organization of the church as many offer scholarships nationally.
Your Parent’s Workers Union, Place of Work, or Military Service
If you plan to follow in your parent’s or grandparent’s footsteps and enter a field with a union, see if that union provides scholarships. Have Mom or Dad ask the union directly about scholarship information. In some cases you won’t need to actually be interested in a field with a union; Mom and Dad being a member is enough.
Many employers offer scholarships as benefits to their employees. Have your parents check with the Human Resources department where they work to see if there is an award waiting for you.
If your parents or grandparents served in the US Military you might be in luck. If they belong to a military association, see if that group gives away scholarship awards.
Your Employer
Just as your parent’s employer may have scholarships available, so might yours. Even if you only work part-time you may qualify for an award.
Extracurricular Activities
Besides looking great on your college application, extracurricular activities often provide scholarships. In addition to asking your local club advisor, check the national office of the club to see what is available. Examples of these are The National Honor Society, Girl Scouts, Junior Achievement, Future Famers of America, and your Fraternity or Sorority.
Some of the best scholarships available are those that are a bit harder and take a little longer to find. While the internet is certainly a critical resource, it shouldn’t be your only one. You’ll be surprised at what you can find by turning off the computer and heading out your door.