How to Find Scholarships for High School Seniors (and other students!)

Students and parents who need money for school are constantly wondering how to find scholarships.

[2023 Edition]

Today’s post is a guest post from Lifestyle Blogger and College Scholarship Winner, Emma Lenhart.

Welcome, Emma!

How to Find Scholarships for High School Seniors

Check with Your High School Counselor

The first place you should look for scholarship opportunities is with your own high school counselor. My counselor in high school gave me a HUGE packet of scholarships that I could possibly apply to.

The great thing about this resource is that most of these scholarships are local, meaning that they come from organizations and corporations in your high school’s town. Having knowledge of these scholarships put you at an advantage against some of your peers who may not think to ask their counselor about local scholarships.

You may also like:  College Scholarship Tip – Frequent the Counselor’s Office

Unigo

Unigo is a great online resource for finding scholarships. The website exists as a hub for scholarships, and you can log on to browse all of the opportunities and find some that may fit you. The possibilities are really endless on Unigo. You can even create a profile on Unigo to use that will match you to the best scholarships based on your profile.

Another thing I like about Unigo is that you can browse the scholarships by category. Unigo has scholarships that you can search for by your current state, major, and more. Don’t miss out!

Tip: New scholarships are being added pretty much every day. Don’t check online for scholarships once and think that is enough! I would recommend checking once a week for any new opportunities.

College Visits

Another great way to find scholarships for high school seniors is to meet with someone from the financial aid office when you are on a college campus visit. The financial aid office at colleges expects these meetings to happen and should be more than happy to meet with you, a prospective student, about the real cost of attending their school/university.

You might also like: Use College Visits to Gain Scholarship Info

Email the school you are visiting ahead of time and inquire about the possibility of setting up an appointment during your visit to the school with the financial aid office. Once you solidify a time, make sure to come up with some questions that you would like to get answered when you visit.

Does the school offer any specialized scholarships? What advice do they have for getting scholarships to attend their school? Be respectful and they should be happy to help!

Family Employment

Check with your parent’s employer to see if they offer scholarships for high school seniors! This is often overlooked and it’s a shame because it really is right under your nose.

If you don’t feel comfortable or don’t know how to find scholarships, ask your parents if they would be willing to get you in contact with someone at their work or ask a supervisor themselves.

Be sure to read: 7 Unique and Effective Ways to Find College Scholarships

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Tips for Applying to Scholarships

Give it Your All

Scholarships are tricky because, a lot of the time, it’s out of your hands whether or not you will get the scholarship in the end. To help your odds, make sure that you are giving your scholarship applications 100%.

Whether it’s just a questionnaire or a long-form essay, make sure that you are trying to convey the best version of yourself. Don’t blow off any application or think you will “never be selected”…you just never know!

Make a Shortlist

Finding scholarships to apply to can be overwhelming, but once you do find a handful of scholarships to apply to, make a shortlist. Keep a list of the scholarship name, due date, and requirements so that you don’t miss any part of what’s required.

Doing this will help you feel less overwhelmed with keeping all the information straight. It’s a lifesaver!

Apply to Many

When I was a high school senior, I probably applied to 10-15 different scholarships. These scholarships were a mix of local and national scholarships, but that didn’t matter to me. Applying to as many scholarships that apply to you will help boost your chances of being selected for at least one.

Don’t be lazy with your scholarship applications…you will kick yourself for not putting more effort in when you see all of your classmates getting scholarship money!

This article was originally posted on EmmaLenhart.com here. Re-posted with permission.

Learn how I helped my son win over $100,000 in college scholarships!

Download HOW TO WIN COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS here >>

Monica Matthews

Monica Matthews is the author of How to Win College Scholarships. She helped her own son win over $100,000 in college scholarships and now shares her expertise with other parents and their students. She truly has “been there, done that” in regard to helping parents and students navigate the scholarship process.

Her method of helping students in finding college scholarships, writing unique and compelling scholarship essays, creating amazing scholarship application packets, and more have taught desperate parents to help their own students win thousands of scholarship dollars. She teaches them how to apply S.M.A.R.T. with outstanding results.

Monica’s scholarship tips have been featured on many prominent websites, and she has been dubbed the “Go-To” expert on college scholarships.