What are Scholarships?
Scholarships are free money for college. Unlike loans they never have to be paid back. Scholarship providers will disburse the funds directly to the student or they may send a check to the student’s college financial aid office.
Generally, scholarships help cover the cost of tuition, room and board, books and other educational expenses, although some scholarships are unrestricted and can be used for other expenses, such as food and travel abroad.
Who is Eligible for Free Money for College?
Many students make the mistake of assuming they will not qualify for a scholarship because their parents make too much money or their grades are less than stellar. It may surprise you to know that not all programs are based on merit or financial need.
Students can be rewarded for participating in sports, community service, studying a specific major and more! Scholarships are not limited to high school seniors either. Some will even allow you to apply as early as 13 years old.
All high school students, college students and adult learners returning to school are encouraged to apply. There are scholarships for all levels of study, including undergraduate, masters and doctorate.
Where Do You Find Scholarships?
There are several good resources for locating scholarships:
- Check with your high school guidance counselor
- Check your college financial aid office
- Ask your employer, or ask your parents to ask their employer
- Don’t foreget about local organizations and clubs including your local government.
- Research on your own! Use a reputable and accurate online scholarship search service such as our Unigo.com Unigo provieds access to million of dollars in scholarships in various different categories. Try the Unigo Scholarship Match and start applying for scholarships today. Be sure to avoid using any scholarship search service that requires a fee.
Unigo Sponsored Scholarships
- January: $1,500 I Have a Dream Scholarship
- February: $1,500 Sweet and Simple Scholarship
- March: $2,500 Super Hero Scholarship
- April: $3,000 All About Education Scholarship
- May: $1,500 Fifth Month Scholarship
- June: $1,500 Do Over Scholarship
- July: $1,500 Flavor of the Month Scholarship
- August: $1,500 Make Me Laugh Scholarship
- September: $1,500 Shout it Out Scholarship
- October: $2,000 Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship
- November: $5,000 Education Matters Scholarship
- December: $1,500 Top 10 Scholarship
In addition to monthly scholarships,Unigo also offers an annual $10,000 scholarship as well as a $1,000 scholarship for reviewing your college.
How Often Should You Search for Scholarships?
Your scholarship search should be an ongoing process. Do not make the mistake of searching for awards once or twice and then never returning.
New scholarships are added every day and you may miss out on a golden opportunity if you fail to make the time for your scholarship search.
A good rule of thumb is to apply to at least 5-10 awards every month. Continue this process until you have completed your degree. The earlier you start the better. Remember, you can’t win if you don’t apply!