If you’re completing scholarship applications, you may be a bit overwhelmed by the number of forms you have to fill out and essays you need to complete. You wouldn’t be the first student to ask, “Why isn’t there a Common App for scholarships like there is for college applications?” Sadly, there are no standardized applications for scholarships at the moment, but there may be resources you can take advantage of. Read on to get additional information and learn more about what applications are asking for.
What is The Common App?
The Common App is a collection of over 900 schools that accepts a single “common application” from students. If an individual is applying to five colleges that use the Common App, they only need to complete one application form instead of five! It’s also designed to break down barriers for those who are interested in applying, making the entire process less time consuming or costly.
The Common App opens on August 1st every year, and due dates for the application will vary from school to school.
Is There a Common App for Scholarships?
No, there is no Common App available for scholarships at the moment. Unlike the Common App organization, there is no designated organization for scholarships. Corporations, schools, and other programs do not have a standardized or centralized application form for applicants.
However, there are tools that help you save your information from application to application. Some scholarship databases utilize these, meaning you save a ton of time (you don’t have to enter your name and address over and over, for example!). One example would be the Common App’s partnership with the College Board’s Big Future Scholarship Search.
Browsers and browser extensions may also be extremely helpful here. They will often ask if you’d like to save information to fill the forms for you. These tools can come in handy during scholarship applications!
What are Scholarship Applications Looking For?
All scholarship applications ask for different information from students as they will be looking for varying skill sets or other criteria. Some may only ask for your name and address. Others might ask for demonstrated leadership qualities, volunteer history, and financial history.
The information the scholarship application asks for will depend greatly on the program and their eligibility requirements. Some will also require essays or additional supplemental information.
Always read through a scholarship’s eligibility requirements and application before getting started. You don’t want to get halfway through and discover you don’t actually qualify!
There is no “Common App” for scholarships at the moment. But scholarship databases can help make the search and application process much easier. Check out how to get started with our free Scholarship Search tool and find free money for your college education.
