On the Hunt for Scholarships

I t’s never too early for prospective college students to begin searching for scholarships—at least, that’s what enrollment services at the University of Cincinnati say.

“Start looking as early as possible, even while you’re still in high school—junior year, senior year,” says Eric Christy, UC enrollment services specialist. “I always tell students to set aside adequate time to do that. I’d say make it like a full-time job.”

With academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a handful of personal essays, students can begin their scholarship application process. The next step to successfully earning college scholarships is knowing where to find them in the first place.

Fastweb and Scholarship America are free scholarship search platforms that connect students to scholarships and financial aid for public and private universities as well as trade schools across the nation.

The Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation is a local scholarship search platform, which aids students specifically in Greater Cincinnati through partnerships with businesses, foundations, and individual donors in the region.

Most colleges and universities—including UC, Northern Kentucky University, and Xavier University—offer scholarship search portals as well. These types of search portals show financial aid offered by the universities themselves and can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to full-tuition reimbursement.

Through each search platform, students can scroll through thousands of results. Scholarships’ requirements depend on myriad characteristics—age, major, personal background, community involvement, and notable achievements, to name a few. Many universities advise students to filter their results based on the traits that apply best to them.

And in the midst of the scholarship search, students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. The forms typically open in the fall and are awarded based on individual financial need.

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