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.

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? 

Supporting Prisoners’ Families Scholarship 

The Pullan & Young Supporting Prisoners’ Families Scholarship was established to help students who have loved ones who have been convicted of criminal offenses. We believe that every student should have access to an education, regardless of their circumstances, and our goal is to help make college more accessible and affordable for those affected by incarceration in their family. Each semester, Pullan & Young aims to help these students achieve their educational goals and reach their full potential. This $1000 scholarship will be awarded to one student per semester. 

Apply to the Pullan & Young Scholarship  

Deadline to apply: March 11, 2026 

• Applicants must have a parent or family member who has been incarcerated 
• Applicants must be enrolled in or accepted into an accredited college or university within the United States for the spring 2026 semester 
• Applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree 
• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of application . 

Community Impact Through Animal Service Scholarship

This $2,000 scholarship is designed to support students who have made a positive impact on their communities by volunteering with animals. Whether it’s working with shelter animals, fostering, or participating in service/therapy animal programs, we encourage students to apply and share their inspiring stories! 

Deadline to apply: March 15, 2026

Apply to the Community Impact Through Animal Service Scholarship

Voyager Scholarship

The Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service supports students who have a passion for helping others, experience serving their communities, and can demonstrate an expansive view of what’s possible through public service. 

Deadline to apply: March 17, 2026

Apply to the Voyager Scholarship, Obama Foundation

Surviving & Thriving with a Life Altering injury Scholarship 

The Surviving & Thriving with a Life-Altering Injury Scholarship is open to any undergraduate or graduate student who can meet the following criteria: 

Apply to the Life-Altering Injury Scholarship  

Deadline to apply: April 15, 2026 

Eligibility requirements:

• Be in good academic standing. 
• You are enrolled in or accepted at an accredited college, university, or graduate school in the United States. 
• You agree to the scholarship terms and conditions.
• You submit the necessary application materials listed below. 
• You have personally experienced, or are in close proximity to someone who has experienced, a life-altering catastrophic injury. 

Power of Change Scholarship 

Apply to the Power of Change Scholarship  

Deadline to apply: May 27, 2026 

To be considered for the Power of Chane Scholarship, you must meet all of the following criteria:

• You must be majoring in political science or criminal justice. 
• You must be a current full-time student, or an incoming freshman, at an accredited university within the United States going into the fall 2026 semester. 
• You must be at least 17 years old. 
• You must be a citizen of the United States. 

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. 

Second Chances Scholarship 

Apply to the Second Chances Scholarship  

Deadline to apply: August 3, 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 Fall 2026 semester. 
• You must be at least 17 years old. 
• You must be a citizen of the United States.