Ignite Online Academy
High School
Resource Center
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Scholarships & Grants
Scholarships and grants are funds which do not have to be paid back and cover some or all of the cost of postsecondary education.
$50
Billion
is awarded is scholarships and grants each year
69.7% of students at 4-year institutions recieve grants or scholarships
Demystifying Scholarships and Grants
MERIT-BASED scholarships and grants are awarded based on achievement in academics, athletics, arts, extracurricular activities, leadership, or some other criteria.
NEED-BASED scholarships and grants are awarded based on financial need of the student and/or the student's family.
LOCAL
STATE
NATIONAL
Local scholarships and grants can come from individuals, churches, companies, organizations, or other local institutions.
State scholarships and grants can come from state organizations, the state government, companies, and others.
National scholarships and grants can come from foundations, companies, organizations, government, and others.
Questions to Ask When Looking for Scholarships & Grants
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What does the scholarship or grant require? Some scholarships and events require essays, interviews, and portfolios while others require proof of some criteria like GPA.
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Is the scholarship or grant renewable? Some funds are only awarded for one year of study while other scholarships are renewable for all years of study.
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Does the scholarship or grant require maintenance of a certain GPA while enrolled in college? Some awards require students to meet certain standards to renew their scholarship.
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Does the scholarship or grant include other programming? Some scholarships and grants may also enroll students in certain programs like living groups while in college or career networks after college.
Avoiding Scholarship Scams
The following are tell-tale signs of a scholarship scam:
Fees: scholarship search engines that have fees are often scams. Less than 1% of users on fee-based search engines win an award.
Guaranteed Winnings: No legitimate scholarship will guarantee an award
The Unclaimed Aid Myth: You may be told by a fee-based search engine that millions in scholarships go unclaimed each year, but this is not true. Scholarships are often highly competitive and rarely go unclaimed.
Unusual requests for personal information: scholarships that ask for detailed personal information like bank account numbers or credit card numbers may be scams.
If you have any questions or doubts about a particular scholarship or scholarship search engine, contact your guidance or college counselor immediately.