Funding Your Education

A scholarship is a form of award for student financial aid to further your education. It does not need to be repaid. Scholarships are awarded based upon various criteria, such as academic, athletic, or artistic merit. There are several types of scholarships.

Grants and scholarships are often called “gift aid” because they are free money for financial aid that doesn’t have to be repaid.

Grants are often need-based, while scholarships are usually merit-based.

Types of Scholarships
The some of the most common scholarships are categorized as:

Merit-based: These awards are based on a student’s academic, artistic, athletic or other abilities.

Student-specific: These are scholarships for which applicants must initially qualify based upon gender, race, religion, family and medical history, or many other student-specific factors. For example, the Gates Millennium Scholars program is funded by Bill and Melinda Gates for excellent African American, American Indian, Asian Pacific Islander American and Latino students who enroll in college.

Career-specific: These are scholarships a college or university awards to students who plan to pursue a specific field of study.

College-specific: College-specific scholarships are offered by individual colleges and universities to qualified applicants. These scholarships are given on the basis of academic and personal achievement and college specified criteria.

Additional Resources

• High School Career Coaches
• Guidance Counselors
• Coaches
• Non-profits and Charitable Trusts
• Community Foundations and Organizations
• Labor and Trade Unions
• Houses of Worship
• Chamber of Commerce
• Volunteer Organizations
• Special Circumstance, Students with Learning Disabilities, Emergency Aid, Study Abroad, Single Parent Household, Military, etc.

Ways to Avoid Scholarship Scams

The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid

The key to finding post-secondary education financing is to look. You will never know what is out there till you do. Happy searching!

Please note each HSCC has a scholarship booklet and binder available to students. Just stop by and talk with them today!

For more information, presentations, and resources on Scholarships, please contact your High School Career Coach at sstubenrauch@pdc.edu.