There's only one thing better than winning a scholarship, and that is having that scholarship doubled. This might sound too good to be true, but trust us, it's the real deal. Sponsored by Scholarship America, Dollars for Scholars is a network of more than 1,100 community-based scholarship foundations. These organizations award a variety of scholarships. Some of the awards that you win will probably be through your local Dollars for Scholars. If you win a scholarship through the Dollars for Scholars program and attend a college that is a Dollars for Scholars partner school then the school may automatically match your scholarship thereby doubling its value.
Your first step is to find a Dollars for Scholars foundation in your city. Contact it and see what scholarships are available and apply for those that match your background and interests. If you win, then check with your college to see if they will match your scholarship.
You could be the son or daughter of Donald Trump and still win a scholarship. It's true! The reason is because there are two kinds of scholarships available: need-based and meritbased. As the name suggests, need-based scholarships are based on your financial need. To verify the level of your need, scholarship organizations may ask for tax returns or a copy of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Remember that the definition of need varies. Not all scholarships require extreme need. In fact, some organizations define families with incomes of up to US Dollars 100,000 as needy. Also, it's important to know that need-based scholarships are not necessarily given to the most needy students. Many need-based scholarships also consider your academic and extracurricular achievement in addition to your financial situation.
On the other hand, merit-based scholarships do not take into account your financial status. Instead, they are based on other qualities such as your grades, involvement in activities, talents or other achievements. For these kinds of awards, it doesn't matter how many digits are in your family's income. You win these scholarships by showing that your background and achievements make you the most deserving of the award.
A common misconception is ethnicity-based scholarships are only for minorities. While there are awards for minorities, there are also scholarships for many ethnicities that are not. When looking for one of these scholarships the best place to start is with organizations dedicated to supporting members of your ethnicity. The National Italian American Foundation or National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) are good examples.
However, don't limit yourself only to these kinds of groups. If you are a minority, also look at companies and professional associations. Some have special scholarships to encourage underrepresented groups to enter a specific career or profession.
Keep in mind that there is no universal definition of who is a minority. Each scholarship defines which ethnic groups–and what qualifies you to be a member of an ethnic group–can apply. In general, the movement is toward "underrepresented" groups, which basically means ethnic groups that given their numbers within the general population are underrepresented in education or an industry. This definition means that an ethnic group that was considered a "minority" 10 years ago may no longer be considered one when it comes to a specific scholarship. It's best that you check eligibility requirements of the scholarship before you apply.
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1. College applications are also scholarship applications
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