The College Place

Scholarships & Grants (Gift Aid)

Why Apply for Scholarships and Grants?

These types of financial aid are considered "gift aid" because unlike educational loans, they do not need to be repaid. Increasing the amount of funding you receive through grants and scholarships will ultimately lower the cost of education to you and your family.

What You Should Know

There are two basic types of gift aid:

  • Need-based aid: where your eligibility is determined based on you/your family's financial situation
  • Merit-based aid: where your eligibility is determined based on criteria selected by the benefactor such as academic performance, extracurricular activities, etc.

In addition to federal grants (for which you apply using the FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid) there are several other gift aid sources, including:

  • Employer-based programs
  • Institution-based programs (high school or postsecondary institution)
  • Community organizations and associations
  • Private benefactors

Find these gift aid sources by:

  • Inquiring about opportunities at businesses, community organizations, and your high school and potential college choices
  • Using Internet searches as described below

Do It Online Here

  • If you are a high school student, check out online scholarship links and resources available to you through your school's career center, counseling office, or other school-based student success programs. These resources can best match you with local scholarship opportunities.
  • Find state-specific scholarships for your state.
  • For more scholarship resources, check out the financial aid information posted to the Web sites of the colleges you are considering.
  • For available scholarships on a broader level, explore a reputable national scholarship Web site such as www.scholarship.com or http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp.
  • Find additional scholarship search engines by using the keywords College Scholarships in your Web browser search feature.
  • Warning: some search sites and individual scholarship programs ask for a fee. We do not recommend that you use a scholarship search program or apply for an individual scholarship that requires a paid fee.