If you or your dependent are heading off to college this year, you may be wondering if you have done everything you can to secure enough financial aid. You likely filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) a long time ago, which should have unlocked various types of help including scholarships, grants and federal student loans. However, you may still feel like you’re relying on student loans a little too much, especially if you don’t have a lot of college savings set aside to fill in the gaps.
Fortunately, you can still apply for scholarships to help defray the costs of college for the 2023-24 academic year. Sure, you’re definitely cutting it short and you don’t have a lot of time left, but completing a few simple tasks now can still help you qualify for additional funding.
How can you lock in even more in last-minute scholarships? I reached out to some higher education experts for their insights, and here’s what they said.
Search The Web For Last-Minute Scholarships And Contests
Cindy Chanin of Rainbow EDU Consulting & Tutoring says applying for scholarships at what might seem like the eleventh-hour can be a daunting experience, but it’s certainly not impossible.
While Chanin recommends reaching out to your professional network and peer network to see if they know of any funding opportunities you may not know about, she adds that social media competitions are another unexpected place to seek scholarships. For example, you may be surprised at how many companies and organizations (e.g. Chipotle and Footlocker) host scholarship competitions on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or X. The thing is, you will have to do some internet sleuthing to find these opportunities, and the steps you’ll take to apply can vary from brand to brand.
That said, the effort can easily be worth it in the end. At the very least, it’s worth a try.
“These companies have previously awarded scholarships based on innovative, passionate proposals and overall social engagement,” said Chanin. “If you generate educational or inspirational content, start a creative campaign, or participate in challenges that are aligned with the values of these organizations, you have a shot.”
Ask Questions And “Cast a Wide Net”
If you applied for scholarships and didn’t hear back, you never received any merit aid from your school, or you’re interested in scholarship opportunities whose deadlines may have passed, you should leave no stone unturned as you look for available opportunities.
Jessica Szubart, who serves as Executive Vice President for undergraduate studies at Hult International Business School, says you should never be afraid to ask questions about scholarships that were once available and may still be. For example, you should always inquire about available funding whether that’s asking if a scholarship opportunity is still available despite a deadline passing or asking an admissions counselor if merit-based scholarships are still available.
Szubart also says it never hurts to “cast a wide net,” and that there’s no harm in applying for any and all funding opportunities you find.
“You might have a better chance of receiving multiple $1,000 scholarships than you would a $5,000 scholarship,” she said. “And don’t forget that many of these are multi-year scholarships, so that $1,000 scholarship will equal $4,000 over a four-year period.”
Prioritize Local And Micro-Scholarships
Daniel Santos, who serves as CEO of college admissions counseling firm Prepory, says that large national scholarships often have long timelines for applications, decision-making, and disbursement. As a result, applying for scholarships offered on a national basis may not be a good use of your time at this point in the game. By focusing on smaller, local scholarships, however, you may find more immediate opportunities and funding options you can still get approved for.
Santos adds that local businesses, organizations, and community foundations often have scholarships that are less competitive and may have a quicker turnaround time.
“There are also platforms like RaiseMe that offer micro-scholarships for high school and community college students for their day-to-day achievements, which can be transferred to participating colleges,” he said.
Look For Scholarships With Rolling Deadlines
Santos also says you can find hidden funding options by looking for scholarships that list rolling deadlines. Ultimately, this means these scholarships are offered over and over again over time, and that they accept applications throughout the year.
“You can find these types of scholarships using the filters on websites that allow you to sort by ongoing or rolling deadlines,” he said.
Some of the best scholarship search sites to check out include College Board, FastWeb, Going Merry, and Scholarships.com.
Look To Your Network
Blake Mischley of MeetYourClass, a platform that helps incoming students connect with their future universities, says that persistence is often key when you’re hunting for scholarships. You can always apply for a scholarship again if you weren’t granted any funding in the past, and doing so can be a good idea if you are in a better position to win a scholarship now than you were when you applied the first time.
Mischley also says you shouldn’t overlook the people around you, such as counselors, teachers, employers and other professionals who may have valuable information about niche scholarships with less competition. By looking inside your own network and asking people you trust about funding opportunities that may be available, you could find out about scholarships that are currently unclaimed, as well as ones that may have just become available.
The Bottom Line
It’s not too late to apply for last-minute scholarships for the 2023-24 academic year, and you can continue applying for scholarships even after the school year starts. That said, you may have the best chances at scholarships that don’t have a ton of competition this late in the game, and you may want to be picky when it comes to applying for scholarships that require lengthy essays or hours of other preparation upfront.
Either way, studies show that plenty of scholarships and financial aid opportunities are left on the table every year. In fact, the National Scholarship Providers Association estimated in the past that as much as $100 in million in scholarships go unclaimed each academic year. The organization also estimates that billions in Pell Grants go unclaimed each year, and that you can see if you’re eligible for this type of funding by filling out the FAFSA.
Scholarship money that helps pay for higher education is definitely out there, but you may have to do some work to find it.
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