Private scholarships (also known as outside awards) are monies provided by donors outside the University. Such awards may range from a few hundred dollars given by a local service club to several thousand dollars awarded by a corporation.

Nearly every town or city has service organizations that offer college students financial assistance. Frequently it helps if a family member has a relationship with the organization; you should not, however, assume this is required. Find out from the various organizations in the community if they have scholarships available and what the criteria is that is used to select recipients.

If you receive a scholarship from a group or individual, inform them of your gratitude and your progress. A letter of thanks goes far toward encouraging renewal of these awards. You can find out more about the availability of private scholarships by doing a little research. Most libraries have reference books that list private scholarship sources and criteria. A free scholarship search is available on the Internet by accessing www.fastweb.com.

A list of profile-based scholarships is available as well.

Beware of scholarship search firms that charge a fee for their services or "guarantee" a scholarship. Visit our Scholarship Scams page for more information.