Introduction
If you’re a college student, you’ve probably heard of scholarships. They’re a great way to help pay for your education and make sure you graduate without tens of thousands of dollars in debt. But if you’re like most students, chances are that you haven’t applied for all the scholarships out there—even though there are thousands! And yes, this includes unique scholarships that aren’t always advertised as widely as others. So let’s talk about how to find these non-traditional awards and what makes them so great (plus some tips on what will make your application stand out).
Scholarship Basics
A scholarship is a financial award that you receive for your academic achievements or other contributions to your community. Scholarships are one of the best ways to pay for college because they don’t have to be paid back, meaning that you can use them towards tuition, books and living expenses.
In addition to being free money for college (which is always nice), there are many other benefits of applying for scholarships:
- Scholarship applications help build your resume by demonstrating leadership skills and initiative in addition to academic achievement
- They give you an opportunity show off what makes you unique as a student, which can make it easier when applying for jobs after graduation!
How to Find and Apply for Scholarships
Finding and applying for scholarships is a bit of a time-consuming process, but it’s worth it. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Use scholarship search engines like [scholarships.com](https://www.scholarships.com/). These websites allow you to search by location, major and more so that you can find scholarships that are relevant to you and your needs. They also make it easy to apply through their website or by emailing the organization directly with any questions or concerns that come up along the way!
- Ask your guidance counselor at school if they know of any local organizations offering contests related to what interests them most (i.e., science fiction fans might want ask about The World Science Fiction Convention). This will give them an idea of where else they might want look next time around when trying out different methods of finding opportunities like these before submitting applications.”
What Makes a Good Scholarship Application?
To write a good scholarship application, you must be able to demonstrate that you are the right person for the award. This means that your essay should be well-researched and organized, free of grammatical errors, written in first person (not third), and personal.
You also want to make sure that you’re telling an engaging story about yourself–and not just listing things off like a resume would do! To do this successfully requires thinking about what makes YOU unique as opposed to other applicants who might apply for the same scholarship as well.
Unique Scholarships You Should Apply For!
There are so many scholarships out there that you can apply for, and most of them are targeted towards students with unique interests. Many of these scholarships require you to write an essay about why you want to study what you’re studying, but others will ask for different kinds of information. The following list includes some great examples:
- A scholarship for students who have been diagnosed with cancer (https://www.finaid.org/scholarships/cancerscholarships)
- A scholarship for students who love cars (https://www.automotiveinstituteofsouthflorida.com/scholarship)
- A scholarship for people who are interested in becoming teachers (http://www2a2zeducationfoundation.org/)
There are so many scholarships out there that it’s practically impossible for students to pursue them all.
There are so many scholarships out there that it’s practically impossible for students to pursue them all. Many of them require extensive research and time, which means you have to dedicate yourself if you want to be considered for one of these awards.
Here are some tips on how best to apply for scholarships:
- Know what makes a good scholarship application before starting your search. For example, do not include any personal information such as your age or race unless specifically requested by the organization awarding funds (this will usually be stated in their instructions).
- Study up on how other applicants have approached their applications–you should also look at past winners’ essays in order to see what made them stand out among all other applicants!
Conclusion
With so many scholarships available, it can be hard to know where to start. The best advice we have for students is to start by looking at the resources that are most relevant to them. If you’re interested in going into medicine or nursing, check out our website for more relevant and useful tips and guidelines.
