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Many students use outside or "third party"
scholarships to augment financial aid awards provided by
their school. It
is often reported that every year, thousands of scholarship
dollars go unused because no eligible recipient can be
found.
The
Internet provides a wide array of research and database tools
that can help you learn about thousands of scholarships and
awards, and hopefully prevent awards from going unused.
After entering profile information, these Internet
scholarship search engines will provide information about
specific awards. With
that information, you can complete applications and provide
required essays and letters of recommendation.
Internet
Scholarship Searches:
Hints,
tips and advice:
There
are many agencies and organizations that will conduct searches
for a fee. Some even "guarantee" being able to procure the fee
amount in awards. Nearly
without exception, the information provided is available
through one of the search engines listed on this page. Further, some of these groups provide information about
federal sources of aid that you can research on the U.S.
Department of Education's site or are programs your school's
financial aid office would award in the normal course of
business.
Advice:
be wary of any solicitation from an agency that offers to
conduct a scholarship search for you. If you have a few hours and access to the Internet (or
can get to your local library), you can probably obtain the
same information for free.
The
Department of Education and Federal
Trade Commission have posted warnings about fraudulent or
deceptive agencies and how to ensure you are not fooled by
such organizations.
Finally,
follow
all application instructions to a "T".
Meet all deadlines and follow up to ensure all
materials get to the appropriate party by in a timely manner.
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