Most students spend a lot of time scouring the internet trying to find scholarships. But one thing almost every student overlooks is just asking around locally.
Maybe it sounds too simple to be effective but you’d be surprised at the unexpected. Scholarships you can discover by simply asking.
So how do you find scholarships and who do you ask? Here are a few tips to get you started:
Ask your parents to check at their workplace.
Many companies have funds set aside to offer scholarships to their employees’ children. The only reason it’s not common knowledge in the workplace is that not all employees may have college-going kids. They only look into it when they have one or more kids applying to college. So ask your parents to ask their employers!
Ask at your workplace.
Whether you’ve taken up a summer job at a fast-food diner or you’ve been working part-time at an office for the better part of a year, it’s worth asking your employer about scholarship opportunities.
Ask local businesses.
You have a better chance of scoring a scholarship if you ask at businesses that are connected – however remotely – to the field you are planning on majoring in. Many local businesses offer scholarships annually to help students in their community and those who may not have thought about it earlier may be spurred into establishing a scholarship program after you ask.
Any scholarship money you win can help to lower your overall student loan debt. Asking about scholarship opportunities won’t take you a whole lot of time and may yield some surprising results.
Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!
| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
6.97%-15.03%* Variable
5.99%-14.00%* Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CITIZENS |
 |
6.37% - 16.70% Variable
4.50% - 15.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT SALLIE MAE |
|
|
4.98% - 16.70% Variable
4.07% - 15.66% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CREDIBLE |
 |
6.07% - 11.31% Variable
4.39% - 10.39% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT LENDKEY |
 |
6.22% - 16.08% Variable
4.09% - 15.66% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ASCENT |
 |
6.54% - 11.08% Variable
3.95% - 8.01% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ISL |
 |
5.62% - 18.26% Variable
4.11% - 15.90% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT EARNEST |
 |
4.98% - 12.79% Variable
8.42% - 13.01% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ELFI |
