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Every
year private foundations, companies and the government give away millions
of dollars in grants, awards and scholarships. How do you like the idea
of free money for college, or to study abroad? Maybe you're in high
school and you've got a project you need some funding for. Maybe you
want to start an organization and you're looking for seed money (see
sidebar).
Some scholarships (especially for college) are need-based,
meaning you have to be able to demonstrate that you can't pay for it
on your own. Others are merit-based, which means you need to have good
grades. Still others are region-specific or are only available to youth
of a particular minority group.
Also, be sure to consult your university's financial aid office or your
high school counselor for more opportunities that may not appear on
the sites below.
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Write
an essay for some cash, or submit your video for an award. Kick-start
your own community service project, intern at a local paper for the
summer, or apply for a sports scholarship. Whatever you're passionate
about, a patient search of these databases will yield results.
Browse through TakingITGlobal's directory of scholarships, fellowships
and grants. Your search will go faster if you use keywords (youth, media,
environment, etc.) www.takingitglobal.org/opps/sfgdir.html
Over 60 unique scholarship and award opportunities appear on WireTap
Mag's list Ñ scroll down to "Youth Grants & Scholarships" for the good
stuff.
www.wiretapmag.org/opps.html
A great, selective collection of foundations that support youth community
service projects.
www.networkforgood.youthnoise.com/ta/awards.asp
A long list of youth activism funder, many of whom support all kinds
of initiatives. http://freechild.org/funds4progress.htm
Enter your profile and search this database for scholarships/awards
for individual students. There's lots of essay contests and the like;
some are need-based, and many are not college-specific. www.studentawards.com
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Lots
of scholarship funds exist to help underprivileged students from minority
backgrounds pay for college and pursue the projects they desire.
A goldmine of links to scholarships for black and Hispanic youth.
www.blackexcel.org/link4.htm
A comprehensive listing of scholarships for black students. Some apply
to particular fields of study (i.e. medicine or engineering).
http://www.miami.edu/UMH/CDA/UMH_Main/1,1770,6802-1;8723-3,00.html
This is a good selection of links to scholarship fund databases for
Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and women.
http://scholarships.fatomei.com/scholar7.html
A long list of scholarships set aside for lesbian, gay and bisexual
students. Some are offered by particular universities.
http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/gay.phtml
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Whether
you envision a private-school experience or want to party like National
Lampoon's Van Wilder, there's a college for you — and a way to
pay for it.
College Board's excellent scholarship search engine helps you find university
scholarships according to your year in high school or college, your
personal information and interests.
http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
Whether you're searching for basketball scholarships or ones pertaining
to your own university, CollegeNET's database is sure to have it. Do
a personalized search to look for colleges that might suit you.
http://mach25.collegenet.com/cgi-bin/M25/index
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Want to spend a year abroad in another country, but can't afford it?
From Israel to Spain, grants are awarded to students in need. Many are
university-specific and others are for independent or postgraduate study.
37—count 'em—hot links to money for travel and study abroad.
http://www.global-eyes-student-programs.com/scholarships.htm
An impressive amount of scholarship info, and a guide to student exchange
travel around the world.
http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/exchange.phtml
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Who comes up with this stuff? Here you'll find a scholarship for left-handed
students, one for duck calling, an award for creative use of duct tape,
and more.
http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/unusual.phtml
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Sick of Internet searches? Order one of these
books and browse at your leisure.
Free
Money for College: A Guide to More Than 1,000 Grants and Scholarships
for Undergraduate Study
by Laurie Blum
From Amazon.com: "[L]ists 1000 grants and scholarships for undergraduate
study. Listings are arranged by state, with access by area of study,
while separate sections list grants specifically for women, ethnic and
disabled students."
The
Scholarship Advisor, Fifth Edition
by Christopher Vuturo
From Amazon.com: Features:
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Lessons on what makes an application sparkle--tips on essays, recommendations,
and interviews
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Scholarships indexed by provider and deadlines to help readers streamline
their searches
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Learn about countless awards that consider more than just grades
International
Scholarship Directory: The Complete Guide to Financial Aid for Study
Anywhere in the World
by Daniel J. Cassidy
From Amazon.com: "A directory that provides a comprehensive listing
of scholarships, grants, and internships available for study in dozens
of countries. Arranged alphabetically by subject of study. Listings
give basic information like address, application deadlines, and amount
of money an applicant can hope to receive."
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