1) Apply to colleges. Applying early makes you eligible for more scholarships in the future. Finding scholarships will be easier once you have applied to colleges.

2) Look for scholarships at each college you’ve applied to. (You can usually find this under the “admissions” page on their website). Start a list of scholarships you are eligible for at each of the schools you’ve applied to. Include automatic scholarships, A+ scholarships, and competitive scholarships that you have to apply for.

3) Research local and national scholarships. Add to your list private scholarships that you are eligible to apply for. Find scholarships at myscholarshipcentral.org/apply, collegegreenlight.com, fastweb.com, bigfuture.collegeboard.org, and on your senior class Canvas Page.

4) Now that you’ve planned ahead and have a list, start applying! See your high school counselor for help with applications. Don't forget to ask your teachers for help editing essays, and for letters of recommendation.

Private Scholarships (Local & National)

Scholarships offered from a variety of organizations and are funded to the student regardless of the post-secondary institution they attend.

• Local scholarships – Provided through local businesses, churches, non-profit groups/agencies and Community Foundation of the Ozarks. Also check with parent/guardians employers. Fordland also has some local scholarships, these scholarship applications will be available to students in the Spring.

• National scholarships - There are thousands of national scholarships available and many of these scholarships go unclaimed because no one applies for them. Below are some national scholarship searches.

  • Find them online:

    • www.myscholarshipcentral.org

    • www.fastweb.com

    • www.collegeboard.com

    • www.cappex.com

College/Institutional Scholarships

• Scholarships offered by a university, college or technical school. In order to apply for this type of scholarship, the student must first apply for admission to the college. Most colleges have a scholarship application that students must complete and this can be found either through the admissions or financial aid department.

• To research college or university scholarships, please look at the website of the school in which you are interested. You can typically find information about scholarships under a link on the main page that is labeled something like "future students" or "scholarships and financial aid". If you have questions concerning a specific scholarship offered at a university, please contact their admissions department. Click on the pictures below to be brought to that schools scholarship website.