How to Find Local Scholarships for College

Applying for scholarships your college offers can be an excellent starting point for securing the funds you need to make attending your dream school a reality, but these scholarships often have far more applicants than awards available. Some colleges even automatically consider all qualified incoming students for certain scholarships on the basis of information obtained from their regular college application without requiring a separate scholarship application. With this in mind, searching for local scholarships can be a helpful way to make yourself stand out among significantly fewer competitors.

What Is a Local Scholarship?

Local scholarships are typically offered by your high school or another organization in your hometown. Some local scholarships may be available to students who attend more than one local high school or cover a few nearby cities, but your only competition will often be members of your own graduating class when applying for the majority of these scholarships. Many local scholarships are general awards that are primarily based on your high school academic performance and extracurricular and other activities, but some are intended for students who are planning to pursue a specific major or career field. Memorial scholarships that honor a previous community member by providing funds for students who are following a similar career path to that individual often focus more heavily on future plans than those that are designed to reward what the student has already accomplished.

How to Find Local College Scholarships

Checking with a teacher, high school counselor, or other school administrator is usually the first step for finding the most comprehensive information about typical local scholarships. Many high schools keep information about scholarships that are offered every year, update this compilation to reflect the most current information, and distribute them to seniors during the late fall or early spring semester. You can also ask leaders of any other organizations you (or your parents) are involved in about any other opportunities that may not be included in the information your school typically manages. Some of the most common sources of local scholarships include:

• School clubs, music ensembles, and sports
• Community-based sports teams, music ensembles, and other activities that are not affiliated with a specific school
• Your church
• Your employer and your parents’ employers
• Certain service organizations that your parents may be involved in

How Much Are Local Scholarships Usually For?

Local scholarships tend to be smaller than awards you may receive from your college, or those that are offered at the state or national level, but your likelihood of winning them can be much higher. Most of these awards fall below $1,000 because they are based on the sponsoring organization or individual’s budget, and many donors prefer to spread the resources they have available among multiple students instead of giving the largest possible award to one winner. However, many high-achieving students earn multiple local scholarships, which can quickly add up! Remember that spending the same amount of time applying for local scholarships and those that are offered by your college will likely earn you more at the local level unless you are a serious contender for a full-ride scholarship.

How to Apply for Local College Scholarships

While every high school’s method for handling local scholarships is different, many make applications and timelines available to students sometime between late fall and early spring of senior year. This means that you probably will not need to spend time on these scholarships during your college application process, and you can use information about the school and program you have been accepted to support your local applications later in the year. Some scholarships are based on the application alone, while others may involve a short interview with one or more community members who are sponsoring a scholarship and selecting winners. Some high schools host an awards ceremony to present most local scholarships. Be sure to follow up by sending a thank-you note for any scholarships you receive! Many schools will automatically provide information about who to send it to, and you can ask your high school counselor for leads if you do not know.

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