Scholarships are free money to pay for the college or university fee for getting free education. It is awarded to those who deem eligible on some specific criteria like merit, on need base, based on some talent, or in response to some community service. It is very commonly said that millions of dollars go unclaimed in scholarship. If you can find the one, the chances of making a win are very high. However, this is not true. The possibility of such a huge amount is not possible as for every scholarship, many students apply. However, we cannot completely reject this as there can be a few scholarships that remain unclaimed. Let’s check from where these scholarships come so that you may know from where you can find them to ensure that no scholarships go unclaimed.
The federal and state governments:
You can apply for a scholarship from the US government in the fall or early winter of your final year of high school. These scholarships are provided based on financial needs or certain academic requirements. You have to complete the free application for federal student aid or other forms required by the state. Almost 21% of all the awarded scholarships come from the federal or state government. There is a question that does these scholarships go unclaimed. The answer is no. If deserving students apply, they qualify for it, and so these don’t go unclaimed. However, don’t forget to follow the deadlines.
The colleges:
Of all the financial aid provided to US college students, almost 25% come from colleges and universities. There again raises the same question that does these scholarships to go un-awarded? According to the internal resource, even each penny of the scholarships is awarded to eligible students, except for few endowment scholarships.
So, you can qualify for these scholarships by keeping a check on time. You should submit your application at the right time for either need-based grants or other scholarships. You need to look for the colleges that offer these scholarships and apply there to be among the few lucky students who get admission on scholarship.
Large national private organizations:
Some organizations and corporations offer a scholarship to bright and deserving students. You need to find out the organizations that award such scholarships and apply there. In the age of the internet, it is not difficult to find out such scholarships. You can find scholarships from Coca-Cola Scholars, the Horatio Alger Scholarship, and the Hispanic Scholars Fund.
All of these aim at helping students excel by getting an education from the best institutions. However, there exists high competition among students as a large number of students applies there. So, the odds of winning such a scholarship are quite small as none of these dollars go unclaimed.
Small local, National private organizations:
Many regional organizations also award scholarships to students like a rotary club or the national organizations having specific missions like the American Association of Candy Technologists or the Professional Bowlers Association.
These are harder to find and have particular eligibility criteria, so the probability of these scholarships getting un-awarded is considerable. You need to be well aware of such organizations to apply and qualify for the grant provided by them.
