One of my nieces is getting ready to apply for college, so she’s looking into scholarships and asked my advice, hoping I knew of some websites she could check out. While there are plenty of scholarship resources online, I gave her the same advice I would give any other high school senior: talk to your guidance counselor first. High school guidance counselors have a wealth of information at their disposal regarding college scholarships and financial aid, plus they should also be able to give you some advice on filling out forms and applying for said scholarships. However, with thousands of potential scholarship opportunities out there, no one person can ever be aware of all of them. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of links for college-bound seniors looking for a little financial aid.
State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana – SSACI has been offering assistance to college-bound Hoosiers since 1965, and their website contains a wealth of information about Indiana grants and scholarships, as well as federal aid programs.
Scholarships.com – This commercial website has a huge database of information on over 2.7 million scholarships and grants worth a total over $19 billion.
Next Student’s Indiana Scholarships List – This site contains a large listing of scholarships that Hoosiers may apply for.
College Board – Provides the latest information about college costs, scholarships, financial aid applications, education loans, and college financing.
Mach 25 – Another large scholarship search that finds scholarships that match your personal profile.
Fast Web – Another commercial site that contains a database of millions of scholarships.
FinAid – A guide to financial aid from the same company that runs monster.com.
Sallie Mae – The nation’s leading provider of student loans.
Indiana Higher Education – A list of college and universities in Indiana. Remember, one of the best ways to save money is to stay close to home and attend a public, state school if possible.