Scholarship Advice from a Scholar: Part 4

#4. Apply for local scholarships. 

As they say in real estate, "Location! Location! Location!" Don't overlook the small local scholarships. There may be some clubs, organizations, or even small businesses in your community that offer scholarships. I received a scholarship from the MidAtlantic Farm Credit and Mt. Airy Chamber of Commerce. These scholarships have a smaller money value, but you are more likely to win them because they usually aren’t highly marketed and they have a very small pool of applicants. Sometimes winning a few smaller scholarships pay off more than one big prestigious scholarship which is very competitive. But these scholarships are harder to find and require some more digging. Ask around, look at your local newspaper, or go to your local library, community center, or high school for help!

Organizations to consider:

-PTA

-Local chapters of the professional societies

-Local restaurants and other businesses

-Chamber of Commerce

-4-H

#4b. Take advantage of your local and state government. 

I received scholarships two years in a row from the Maryland State Delegates. Each district in your state has a delegate and they often offer scholarships. The state senators offer scholarships too. You’ll generally always end up with some money, because delegates like to spread their scholarship fund to as many people as possible. But you have to ask for the scholarship application by phone or email because it isn't readily available online (at least in my case).

Who is your state delegate? Go to your local state government website to find out!

Find your elected Maryland officals: http://mdelect.net/

#4c. Apply for scholarships through your University or College. 

The university that you are attending also offers scholarships and financial aid; most likely they even have an Office of Financial Aid. At the University of Maryland one scholarship application automatically considers you for lots of different awards. Each year I received a scholarship from the School of Engineering at University of Maryland. But you have to be faithful to apply for it every year! And don’t forget to check out your university’s alumni association as well!

UMD Office of Financial Aid http://financialaid.umd.edu/

UMD National Scholarship Office: http://www.scholarships.umd.edu/

UMD Alumni Association: http://alumni.umd.edu/

To see the entire "Scholarship Advice" series, click here.