Where Do I Apply For Scholarships?

You can now apply for many -- but not all -- scholarships using your computer.

However, the two major sources of financial aid that most students take advantage of, can be applied to online.

FAFSA

If you wish to apply for any federal and state money, (and you should, even if you don’t think you will qualify) you must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). While you can still apply on paper, the website form might be the better choice. You will receive your response, your Student Aid Report (SAR) faster than if you file the paper form. The online version has a program designed to help users catch any mistakes they might make in answering questions or skipping sections. And obviously, you’ll save on paper, which is good for the planet.

If you still wish to fill out FAFSA on paper, you can find applications either at your school, your college, or a public library.

As the name "free application" implies, there is no charge for the FAFSA.

CCS PROFILE

The College Board, a nonprofit company in business for the past century, now offers an application for financial aid known as the CCS Profile. This application is what you must fill out for many private universities to help them determine and qualify deserving students for financial aid from sources other than the government. These would include the grants, loans and scholarships available at the selected college.

The CCS Profile is like the FAFSA application but notice -- they have different deadlines. Plus the CCS Profile needs to have information about the college you plan to attend, unlike FAFSA.

While the forms are similar, FAFSA has much more stringent guidelines, while the CCS profile leaves more leeway to the financial aid officers. Another difference between the two is cost. FAFSA is free, and the College Board charges a fee for each college selected.

The biggest similarity between the two applications is that the CCS Profile can also be done online, with the same advantages.

PRIVATE SCHOLARSHIPS

While you can learn about many other scholarships available from either organizations or business online, some of them offer Internet application forms, while others do not. However, you can learn about these opportunities by utilizing a search engine and typing in "scholarships".

You could register for a scholarship matching company. These websites for a small fee or some personal information will match you with scholarships that fit your profile.

Beware of any company offering you a guaranteed result or information that can't be found anywhere else.

Advertisement

Get More Information