Faced with the rising price of a college education, students and their families often look for ways to lower costs. As a result, scholarships based on need, merit, athletics, community service, and other interests are often highly sought after—especially large scholarships offered on a national level.
However, students should also consider scholarship sources closer to home. Local businesses, religious or ethnic organizations, and other programs often support hometown students through college scholarships that are awarded on a yearly basis. And while a $1,000 local scholarship may seem small in comparison to the large sticker price of college, accumulating multiple scholarships like this could help offset the costs of room and board, books, and even some tuition.
Local scholarships have a strategic advantage over national scholarships: Because they are available to a smaller pool of applicants from a specific geographic region, there is less competition and therefore the chances of winning are higher. Students should still apply for national scholarships that are meaningful to them, but they would be wise to hedge their bets by researching scholarships offered by or to their specific high school, town, county, and/or state, as well.
Now, local scholarships may seem like a great idea, but where do you begin? We hope to guide you on a path to finding your best-fit local scholarships in this blog post.
When should I start looking for local scholarships?
It is best to start researching scholarships by the fall of senior year at the latest, as most deadlines for these awards are in the spring.
How do I find local scholarships?
High school
Start by asking the guidance office at your high school for a list of local scholarships. Another group to ask within your high school is the PTA. Scarsdale High School in New York, for example, offers a PTA scholarship that awards college-bound seniors a one-time grant ranging from $1,000 to $7,500.
Local businesses
Next, investigate scholarships from the companies or organizations where your parents are employed. Many companies, like Burger King, CVS Health Foundation, and PepsiCo offer scholarships to the children of employees, many of which are merit-based rather than need-based. The Human Resources department or a supervisor will most likely have this information. You can also look into companies that have a significant presence in your hometown, even if you don’t have a parent who works there, as sometimes they offer scholarships to local students as a way of demonstrating their strong ties to the community and giving back to it.
Furthermore, if you have a part-time job while in high school, you can look into whether your employer offers scholarship opportunities to its employees (particularly if you plan to continue working there throughout college); the Costco Employee Scholarship, for example, is open to any of its workers, regardless of whether they’re part-time or full-time.
Religious and ethnic organizations
Additionally, explore the groups and communities that you and your family belong to. Religious, ethnic, and service organizations often have scholarships that are awarded to its members or children of members. For example, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Knights of Columbus, and Elks Club all offer national and local scholarship opportunities. If there is a place of worship that you attend, they too may be aware of local scholarship opportunities that are aimed to assist members of your faith.
Additional sources
BigFuture, part of the College Board organization, has a search tool for scholarships in which you can filter by your state, county, and/or city; academic fields of interest; scholarship type (merit-based vs. need-based); and other factors to find financial assistance opportunities that you might be a good fit for.
Other places to check include the websites and social media platforms for your town, community, and local media outlets (TV, newspapers, and radio stations). Your library’s reference section may also have a list of scholarships offered by town businesses or civic groups.
To cast a wider net, research the offerings of your state grant agency. In taking a closer look at New York, for example, The NYS Scholarship For Academic Excellence is intended for students who are graduating from a NY high school and will attend college in the state of New York.
Additionally, there are many local scholarships that pay particular attention to applicants pursuing certain high demand fields. Note though, that often these scholarships come with conditions, such as remaining in the state and/or working in that particular field for a certain period of time. The NYS STEM Incentive Program, for example, provides a full SUNY or CUNY tuition scholarship for the top 10 percent of students in New York State high schools as long as they pursue a STEM major and agree to work in a STEM field in New York State for five years after graduation.
What are the requirements?
Local scholarship competitions often ask for a completed FAFSA form and may ask for tax returns/W2 forms (from student and parents), a copy of your transcript, letters of recommendation, and student-written essays. Many local scholarships also require you to take the PSAT/NMSQT by the fall of your junior year.
It is important to meet all scholarship deadlines, follow scholarship application directions, and gather your application materials early. Here at Collegiate Gateway, we know the value of pursuing college scholarship opportunities. Feel free to set up a complimentary consultation to learn about our admissions consulting services. Whatever your question, Collegiate Gateway is happy to help!
