The search for college scholarships is an ongoing process. The hunt can be started as soon as the summer before your senior year. Some scholarships might even need to be completed at least a year before you graduate. But knowing where to look for these diamonds in the ruff is often the hardest part. There are several resources out there for finding scholarships, but first and foremost, you need to make sure they are legitimate - you should never pay for a scholarship!  Commitment to the process and organization are key components to success in finding scholarships!  Here are some tips and recommended links for your scholarship search. 

1. Searching for scholarships can be time consuming, therefore, we recommend students schedule time each week to do an extensive search on what is available. Keeping a detailed spreadsheet to track scholarships you have applied to or will apply to with deadlines and other crucial details is important.
2. Check with your high school counselor. This is the best and most important place to start. This is where you will find private scholarship information that may not be listed publicly.
3. Check local sites that can provide a wealth of information about scholarships.  Fairview High School publishes an impressive list of scholarships on their website - Fairview Scholarships and Grants page contains helpful information and a direct link to a current list of both local and national scholarships. 
4. Know where you’re going to college? Check with the financial aid office at the school you are or will be attending. You can also search online for college-specific scholarships at your chosen school. 
5. Check GoingMerry for an organized approach to looking for scholarship opportunities tailored just for you! Upon registering your student account, you will fill out a personal profile to help match you with eligible scholarships. The site provides you with a dashboard containing scholarship matches and recommendations.  Because Going Merry is modeled after the Common Application it auto-fills your profile information for each application and even gives you the amount of time it will take to complete.  Visit this Going Merry blog post for in depth information on how to use the scholarship portal.
6. Let the U.S. Department of Labor lead you to the money! CareerOneStop is their answer to helping students find the money they need to continue their post-secondary education. The search platform allows you to filter results by level of study, award type, where you live, where you will study, and more. 
7. Bold.org is a great platform for intuitive searching and a streamlined application process. 
8. Remember when you took your SAT and created that #CollegeBoard account? Well, College Board isn’t just good for managing your test scores. They also have lots of great information and opportunities on scholarships. You need your College Board account information to sign in and do a customized search for scholarships.

These are just a few of our favorite sites that will help you get started with the process. You can dive in deeper and find more options in this article published by US News.  If this all seems a little too overwhelming, then reach out to us at Discover Pathwaze. We’re here to make the hard parts of the college application process less stressful for you and your student.