Financial Aid Scholarships

It takes time and energy to conduct a successful scholarship search, but it is well worth the effort when you are awarded a scholarship to help fund your higher education.

The best ways to find scholarships:

• Check with your high school counselor
• Check with your parent’s employer or organizations with which they are affiliated
• Check with organizations and businesses within your community
• Check with your college or university financial aid and/or scholarship office
• Surf the web

Types of Scholarships

Merit Based Scholarships: Awards based on academic performance and personal achievement.

Merit plus Need Scholarships: Awards based on academic performance, personal achievement, and financial need.

Private Scholarships: Awards based on criteria set by a private, non-affiliated organization or individual.

Institutional Scholarships: Awards based on criteria set by the college or university. These awards can be merit based or plus need based.

Be Cautious of Scholarship Scams

The following are signs of a possible scholarship scam:

• If you are required to pay money to get a scholarship
• If you are guaranteed win a scholarship
• If they say, “everyone is eligible” or “free money”
• If you are contacted for a scholarship you never applied for
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Scholarship Application Timelines

Applying for many scholarships can be done during any time of the year. However, different awards have different deadlines. For institutional awards, the deadlines are typically early Spring. You should check with your college or university to see what their established deadline is. Regardless, if you are late applying for an award one year, you should note the award and make every effort to reapply next year.

Tips for marketing yourself for a scholarship

Develop a great personal statement or essay

The essay is your ultimate communication tool-make a great impression. Think about this question: What makes you worthy of an investment as a student? Proofread, rewrite, and seek peer reviewers (writing is a process).

Develop a great academic transcript

Consistent academic performance is a good sign. A solid GPA is desirable for most scholarships. A bad semester or year is not the end of the world—If you have overcome challenges, explain that in your personal statement. Otherwise, your application will be confusing to the evaluator.

Demonstrate evidence of leadership or service

Submit documentation of leadership, service, or character. Explain your situation and add flavor as to who you are as a person and aspiring student. Connect your personal story with your career or educational goal.

• CFF Foundation Education Award ($1,500 one-time)
  Deadline: applications accepted year-round, 1 student awarded each quarter
  • Cocodrie Fly Fishing (CFF) aims to give advice and tips on how you can have the ultimate fly fishing experience. Whether you are a beginner or pro, our courses and tips can help you hone your skills. CFF is proud to offer quarterly awards to university and college students!
  • To participate, applicants should:
    • be currently enrolled in a college or university.
    • students of all majors are encouraged to apply!
    • submit an essay and submit application on the website.
  • For more detailed information, please visit the scholarship link.
• LA Tutors 123 Innovation in Education Scholarship ($500 one-time)
  Deadline: 20th of each month
  • We at LA Tutors are passionate about sparking the creative genius in students and would love to commend those outstanding students who have a made a difference in the lives of others in some innovative or technological fashion. In order to achieve this, we have established a scholarship for students who meet certain criteria.
  • The application opens the 1st of each month, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on the 20th of each month.
  • To participate, applicants should:
    • be enrolled as a high school or college/university student.
    • have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (or the equivalent).
    • have designed an innovative project that makes a difference in the lives of others (This could be a website, series of blogs, an app, fundraising event, etc.)
    • submit an essay describing the goal of the particular project and provide supporting documentation.
• Google Career Certificate Scholarship Program (monetary value = $300 (no funds exchanged))
  Deadline: Rolling dependent on openings
  • Google has granted 500 Career Certificate Scholarships for HACU to disperse to its students attending Hispanic Serving Member Institutions. Gain the job-ready skills you need to launch or advance your career with a certificate in Google IT Support, Google IT Automation with Python, Google Data Analytics, Google Project Management or Google UX Design. See below for information about certificates offered through this initiative.
  • Career Certificate Scholarship Program applicants must also meet the following scholarship criteria to qualify.
    • Open to ALL majors
    • Must be attending a 2- or 4-year HACU Member institution
    • Open to undergraduate and graduate students
    • Must complete the program within 6 months
  • Scholarship specific essay question:
    • Please briefly share how you think the Grow with Google Career Certificate you are interested in will benefit your career and/or professional development goals.
  • How to Apply:
    • Fill out the Career Certificate Scholarship Application Form. Your application will be reviewed and upon selection, you will receive an invitation from Coursera learning platform to join and select the certificate you chose. You will receive automated reminders and completion emails from Coursera throughout the program. Please ensure you are reading them for updates and important information.
  • Application Dates:
    • Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all scholarships are filled. Applicants are placed on a wait list if all spots are occupied. As certificates are completed, students on the wait list will be invited to join.

Dedicated Volunteer Scholarship 

Henley & Henley, Attorneys at Law is offering the Dedicated Volunteer Scholarship to students who make time for community service, celebrating those who have made a selfless effort to help those who need it most. 

Apply to the Dedicated Volunteer Scholarship  

Deadline to apply: December 1, 2025 

The firm will award $1,000 to one student each semester who meets the following criteria: 

• You must have worked more than 10 hours of community service in 2025 
• You must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 
• You must be enrolled or planning to enroll in an undergraduate or graduate program within the United States for the Spring 2026 semester 
• You must be at least 18 years old 
• You must be a citizen of the United States 

Dreams Without Borders Scholarship 

Apply to the Dreams Without Borders Scholarship

Deadline to apply: December 17

Immigration Legal Advisors, PLLC is proud to offer our Dreams Without Borders Scholarship, worth $1,000, to law students from immigrant families who are as committed as we are to making meaningful contributions to immigration law and policy. 

To be an eligible candidate for our Spring 2026 Dreams Without Borders Scholarship, you must: 

• Come from an immigrant family 
• Demonstrate a strong academic record, maintaining a 3.0 GPA minimum 
• Be enrolled in an accredited law school in the United States for the spring 2026 semester 
• Be at least 17 years of age or older 
• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or DACA recipient 

Vaziri Law Group Scholarship

Apply to the Vaziri Law Group Scholarship

Deadline to apply: December 31, 2025

$2,500 to one student who submits a thoughtful essay on how changing a law could help those in need. 

Eligibility & Requirements: 

• The applicant must be accepted to or attend an accredited college or university in the United States. 

Dream Chaser Scholarship 

The Salvado Law Dream Chaser Scholarship is dedicated to empowering first-generation college students. 

Apply to the Dream Chaser Scholarship  

Deadline to apply: January 12, 2026 

• You must be a first-generation college student. This means your parents or guardians have yet to earn a four-year college degree. Please note that you are still considered a first-generation student if you have older siblings who have also attended.  
• You must be planning to attend law school or pursue a career in law in some capacity. 
• You must have a GPA of 3.2 or higher. This scholarship recognizes and celebrates hard work and academic achievement. 
• You must be enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, or law school within the United States. Please note that the benefactors are not currently accepting applications from high school seniors or incoming freshmen. 

2026-2027 HEEF (Hispanic Education Endowment Fund) Scholarship 

Apply to the All Opportunities – Orange County Community Foundation – Scholarships

Deadline to apply: January 16, 2026

The HEEF Scholarship program is a collaborative of more than 30 funding partners passionate about helping first-generation college students. The scholarship program offers individual scholarship awards of $2,500 – $5,000 across multiple areas of interest for high school graduates and community college transfer students enrolling at a four-year college or university for Fall 2026. 

To be an eligible candidate, you must: 

• Complete a General Application 
• Click “Apply To” HEEF in the Opportunities Tab to complete the sub-fund supplemental questions. 

Second Chances Scholarship 

Noorishad Law, P.C. wants to give disadvantaged students the opportunity to prove themselves and further their studies. If you have had an encounter with the justice system or overcome similar adversity while pursuing a college education, the Second Chances Scholarship is for you. The winner of this scholarship will be awarded $1,000, which may be used for expenses related to their post-secondary studies. 

Apply to the Second Chances Scholarship  

Deadline to apply: February 2, 2026 

• You must have overcome a personal struggle or challenge, including interactions with the justice system or similar adversity
• You must be enrolled or planning to enroll in an undergraduate or graduate program within the United States for the spring 2026 semester
• You must be at least 17 years old
• You must be a citizen of the United States. 

Empowering Families Scholarship 

Apply to the Empowering Families Scholarship

Deadline to apply: February 11, 2026

The Empowering Families Scholarship provides a $1,000 award each semester to an undergraduate student interested in becoming a family law attorney. 

To be an eligible candidate, you must: 

• Be enrolled in an accredited U.S. college or university  
• Submit a 90-second video essay (Youtube Link must be provided) addressing the following prompt: How will you use your legal education to positively impact families facing divorce or other family law challenges? 

Dedicated Volunteer Scholarship 

The Dedicated Volunteer Scholarship is open to college students for the Fall 2026 semester who have a proven commitment to their communities through volunteer work. Each semester, one winning student will receive an award of $1,000 to use toward any educational expenses 

Apply to the Dedicated Volunteer Scholarship  

Deadline to apply: June 3, 2026 

• You must have worked more than 10 hours of community service in 2025
• You must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0
• You must be enrolled or planning to enroll in an undergraduate or graduate program within the United States for the fall 2026 semester
• You must be at least 18 years old
• You must be a citizen of the United States.