Scholarships
Undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships are forms of aid that help students pay for their education. Unlike student loans, scholarships and fellowships do not have to be repaid. Hundreds of thousands of scholarships and fellowships from several thousand sponsors are awarded each year. Generally, scholarships and fellowships are reserved for students with special qualifications, such as academic, athletic or artistic talent. Awards are also available for students who are interested in particular fields of study, who are members of underrepresented groups, and who live in certain areas of the country or who demonstrate financial need. One way to search for scholarships and fellowships is to use an on-line web search. There are several free scholarship databases available online. You can search for scholarships using your favorite web search engine by including the word "scholarships" with your search keywords.Average students often ask whether there are any scholarships available to students who don't have a 4.0 GPA. There are many scholarships for average students that focus on qualities besides academic merit. There are also many community service scholarships. Don't waste your money on fee-based scholarship matching services. You won't get any better information than you can get from the free services available on the Web.
Scholarships that sound too good to be true usually are. Learn how to recognize and protect yourself from the most common scholarship scams. The number one tip: If you have to pay money to get money, it's probably a scam. It is important to ask the school's financial aid office about its outside scholarship policy, since this can affect how much you benefit from winning a scholarship if you are receiving need-based student aid. A portion of your scholarship might be taxable. Usually amounts used for tuition and required fees are tax-free, but you should review the rules to ensure that you report the scholarship correctly.
Resource
National Council for Support of Disability Issues
Scholarship Opportunities:www.ncsd.org/scholar/scholarship.htm
Reference: www.finaid.org/scholarships/