All You Need To Know About Finding and Earning Academic Scholarships

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How To Get Academic Scholarships—A Complete Guide

If you’ve been looking for scholarships, you must have noticed the various reasons students can get them for. You probably stumbled upon scholarships and grants for women, minorities, veterans, international students, low-income students, and many other categories. What about scholarships for academic excellence, though?

This guide explains how you can earn and find academic scholarships that reward your diligence!

What Is an Academic Scholarship?

Academic scholarships—also known as merit scholarships—are highly competitive awards for students of all levels of study. Many think that the only way to earn academic scholarships is through school merit, but academic scholarship committees also consider other factors that can compensate for your potentially not-so-competitive qualifications.

Ways You Can Earn Academic Scholarships

Check the following table to learn about all ways you can earn academic scholarships:

CriterionDescription
AcademicsYou can earn academic scholarships for having:
  1. Competitive standardized test scores
  2. A grade point average (GPA) above 3.5 on a four-point scale
Field of studyYour accomplishments and contributions to research in a particular field of study, such as science, healthcare, and engineering, can land you an academic scholarship
Extracurricular activitiesIf you excelled in high school or college sports, you can receive merit scholarships for college. Other extracurricular activities related to school clubs or community service—while not a decisive factor for academic scholarships—can help you stand out among other applicants for particular awards. For example, if you’re pursuing a computer science degree, being an active member of a computer club can help you land academic scholarships for college

Where Can You Find Academic Scholarships?

The following resources can help you find academic scholarships:

  • The financial aid office of your high school or college—get up-to-date information about your school’s scholarships for academic achievement
  • Your school’s guidance counselor—ask for advice on choosing your future career path and funding your studies
  • Institutions and associations dedicated to your field of study—being the benefactors of the scholarships you’re looking for, they offer comprehensive information
  • Online search tools—help but only to a degree as they usually provide incomplete or outdated information

Having so many resources for academic scholarships seems great until you start your research. Maintaining your academic progress while knocking on so many doors is ineffective and time-consuming—that’s why DoNotPay offers an easier way to find the scholarships you need! If you’re looking for an app that will generate a list of scholarships tailored to your qualifications, !

Types of Academic Scholarships

Check the table below to learn more about the types of academic scholarships you can qualify for, depending on your level of study:

Level of StudyScholarshipAward
Academic achievement scholarships for high school seniorsBryan Cameron Impact Scholarship$60,000 per year for tuition costs
Davidson Fellows Scholarship Program
  • $10,000
  • $25,000
  • $50,000
Merit-based scholarships for college studentsDiamond State Scholarships for Delaware residents$1,250 per year, renewable for three more years
Eleanor Allwork Scholarship for architecture students$10,000
Ohio EPA Scholarship for commitment to a career in environmental science or engineering$5,000
Academic scholarships for graduate studentsPaul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for immigrants and their children
  • $20,000
  • 50% of their tuition cost
Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship
  • $32,000 nine-month personal stipend
  • 100% of tuition costs
  • Counseling by Hertz Community members
School-specific academic scholarshipsHope College Alumni Honors Scholarships$40,000
Colorado Mesa University's Distinguished Scholar Award$24,000
College of Saint Rose Academic Scholarships$22,000

Academic Scholarships—Application Requirements

You will most likely need to submit the following documentation to apply for academic scholarships:

  • Resume—the first document the scholarship committee will lay their eyes on. A well-written resume should showcase your skills, accomplishments, and future educational and career plans. If your resume isn’t concise and organized or you lack the required qualifications, the committee will not invite you to an interview
  • College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile—schools involved in this program will check your eligibility for institutional academic scholarships using the information you provided in this application
  • High school or college transcripts—these documents show your GPA, attendance record, standardized test scores, and other relevant information
  • Essay, cover letter, or personal statement—you can show the scholarship committee the person behind those academic achievements through these documents. Sometimes, your personality—which should shine through in your paper—can be the reason you receive the scholarship
  • Letters of recommendation—your mentors—such as teachers, professors, coaches, the school principal, and others—can display your best qualities and convince the committee that you should receive the scholarship using these letters

Find Academic Scholarships in No Time With DoNotPay!

There are so many academic scholarships available that it’s hard to keep track of them. Luckily, DoNotPay can help with that! After answering a short questionnaire about your qualifications, our app will generate a list of scholarships tailored to your needs!

Follow these steps to find the scholarships you’ve been working hard for:

  1. Search for the Apply for Scholarships feature
  2. Answer all of the questions

Are the scholarships you received insufficient? DoNotPay can help you discover and apply for no-essay scholarships automatically to fill that leftover financial gap.

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