Flickr user Thomas Claveirole
When it comes to paying for college, students quickly learn how vital scholarships are. However, starting the search can seem a little intimidating. With thousands upon thousands of scholarship opportunities out there, where do you even start? Here are a few ways to help narrow down your search.
Local > State > National
You can find scholarships in multiple “levels”. It could help you to narrow down and start local before expanding outwards from there. Your high school counselor will know about local and state scholarships. Local opportunities may advertise at libraries. Once you’ve exhausted local, go state, then national. This natural progression can keep you from overwhelming you with opportunities elsewhere.
Look with Your Major
So many scholarships revolve around a certain major, or within a certain field. If you know what you want to major in, use it to find some scholarships. Free scholarship aggregate websites will often list hundreds of opportunities by their related major.
Demographics
There are scholarships out there for students based on race, religion, gender orientation, disabilities, and more. Which demographics do you belong to? Odds are, there are opportunities for you to capitalize on that. Students who are members of the LGBTQ+ community, students who have learning disabilities, students who are first-generation, and students who were adopted (and more) are all represented by one scholarship or another.
Try Some Extracurricular / Hobbies
You’re certainly no stranger to the concept of sports-based scholarships, but it goes beyond that. Activity-centric scholarships have a wide, wide range. There are scholarships for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, as well as scholarships for speaking Klingon or being prepared for the zombie apocalypse. So jot down a list of which extracurricular activities you participate in, or what hobbies you have, and get searching!
And if / when scholarships aren’t enough, check out College Raptor’s new Student Loan Finder to find the ideal loan for you!
| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
5.50%-16.12%* Variable
3.99%-15.61%* Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CITIZENS |
|
|
5.54% - 15.70% Variable
3.99% - 15.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT SALLIE MAE |
 |
4.63% - 17.99% Variable
3.49% - 17.99% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CREDIBLE |
 |
6.00% - 13.75% Variable
3.99% - 13.75% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT LENDKEY |
 |
5.66% - 14.72% Variable
3.69% - 14.56% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ASCENT |
 |
3.70% - 8.75% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ISL |
 |
5.62% - 16.85% Variable
3.69% - 16.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT EARNEST |
 |
5.00% - 14.22% Variable
3.69% - 14.22% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ELFI |
