- Scholarships are available 24 hrs/day, 7 days/week, and 365 days a year
a. There is no such thing as a “scholarship season.” You are encouraged to continuously search for scholarships all the time. All you have to remember – Apply, Apply, Apply!
b. Resources: Scholarship Books listing available scholarships by state, calendar deadlines
2. You can win scholarships regardless of your grades
a. Merit scholarships come in two forms. There is academic merit scholarships that look primarily at grades, GPA, academic transcripts, and courses taken. However, merit scholarships may refer to sports, art, volunteer, and require essays, or a video highlighting unique ability.
b. Resources: Scholarship Books listing available scholarships by state, calendar deadlines
3. Use the “cookie-cutter approach” when applying for scholarships
a. Since most scholarship applications ask the same questions, apply for one scholarship then stamp out the others by making minor tweaks (don’t reinvent the wheel). In most cases, you can reuse 70% of your materials to apply for future scholarships.
b. Resources: Books on how to write scholarship essays
4. Avoid careless mistakes on your scholarship applications
a. Take the time to proofread your work, or ask someone to look over your application. Avoiding to proofread your work can be the small difference in winning a scholarship.
b. Resource: CSUN Learning Resource Center
5. Search for scholarships in less conventional places
a. In addition to the CSUN Financial Aid and Scholarships Office, consider areas such as the radio, local community organizations, your local public library, the Oviatt, bulletin boards, and local businesses.
b. Resources: The Oviatt Library, the Los Angeles Public Library System, parents’ place of work, professional organizations in the major you are in and local newspaper.
Gregorio Alcantar and Veronica Poplovic, Financial Aid and Scholarship Counselors
