Scholarships

Scholarships and Waivers are awarded to students who demonstrate academic excellence, or talents in areas such as sports, music, community service etc.  Some of these scholarships also consider financial needs and may ask for information from your FAFSA. Each scholarship typically has its own application and requirements, so be sure to read guidelines carefully and pay attention to deadlines.

FREE Money

The best thing about scholarships is that you do not have to pay them back. They areFREE MONEY.  Some may be one time awards while others may be renewable. If they are renewable you will typically be required to meet some academic requirements to renew. Also, some may be used for any expenses related to college, while others are for tuition only.  Make sure you know how the money can be used before you plan to spend it.

Scholarship Sources

Scholarships can come from many different sources.  Here are a few to give you an idea:

Colleges and Universities - UA | ASU | NAU

Private Agencies - like the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, United Negro College Fund or American Indian Graduate Center

Community Organizations - like the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona

Local or National Businesses - like Xerox, Target, or Tucson Federal Credit Union

Start Planning

Because there are so many different organizations that provide scholarships, with different requirements, and different deadlines, you will need to plan ahead and research the scholarships that you want. You can find available scholarships on the internet, at libraries or at your school counselor’s office.  

Never pay anyone to do a “scholarship search” for you.  Some of the best places to find scholarships for free are

Fastweb.com
Scholarships.com
College Board’s FUNDFINDER

No Scholarships?  No Problem.

One last thing, many people think that in order to pay for college they must get scholarships, but this is not the case. In fact, in 2007-2008 only about 5.5% of undergraduate students received scholarships and the average amount of their scholarship was about $2500. That means that 95% of the students that were in college in 2007-2008 were doing so using other forms of financial aid*.  If they can do it, so can you.