Many students would agree that scholarships are a necessity for covering exponentially-rising tuition costs. The total cost of a college education can be a major roadblock for aspiring undergraduates. However, there are plenty of government-sponsored grants and third-party scholarships to fund your degree if you know where to look.
Capitalizing on all of the available resources will direct you towards scholarships you qualify for based on merit, ethnicity, race, gender, financial status, etc. Utilizing specialized scholarship finders such as CollegeData will connect you with scholarship opportunities right within reach. Taking advantage of online resources is a great place to start in your journey for financial aid.
Scholarships for women
There are scholarships aimed directly at helping women pay for college. Due to wage disparities between the genders, some women are unable to cover rising tuition costs, barring female students from a college education. By using research databases, you can find the scholarships that match your needs. In most cases, there will be several awards that you’re eligible for. Some institutions solely dedicate scholarships to women pursuing a career in writing.
In affirmative-action-driven scholarship initiatives, your identity can affect the scholarship opportunities available to you. There are various scholarships devoted to disadvantaged, minoritized, or oppressed populations (including women) who are interested in attending college. To locate scholarships you qualify for, try entering more details surrounding your personal identity into the CollegeData scholarship finder.
Scholarships for writers
To find scholarships specifically designed for aspiring writers, perform a general search online, or try using the CollegeData database. While some scholarships specifically target female writers, there are plenty of scholarships that focus on one demographic or the other. Warning, you don’t want to reduce scholarship earning potential by limiting your search too much.
To avoid narrowing your options, broaden your search by looking for scholarships designed for English majors. Searching for writing scholarships is quite specific, so there may not be as many scholarships solely dedicated to writers. When you look for English-major-specific financial aid, you’ll notice a spike in search results. This general online search will give you more opportunities to receive scholarship funds that will help you pay for the college education you’re chasing after.
Essay contests for scholarships
If you’re hoping to major in writing and rhetoric, you’ve likely already worked to refine these skills. Master essay writers should apply to participate in essay contests. During these contests, you can practice your craft while also competing for scholarship money. These contests can be relatively competitive, so the more contests you enter, the higher your chances are of adding to your scholarship funding.
Along with their competitive nature, essay contests can be relatively time-consuming to enter, even for the most accomplished of writers. It’s important to note the deadlines for specific scholarship applications and assess what you can personally handle. Try to organize the applications by deadline and level of importance, so you don’t miss out on scholarship opportunities due to poor planning.
While planning may steal time away from the essay writing portion, planning your submissions ahead of time and drafting a personal application schedule can help you submit the most applications possible, increasing the likelihood of winning a scholarship.
Speak with school counselors
Speak to the counselors at your school. The more people you speak with, the more resources you’ll be able to find. Communicating with counselors at your high school about scholarships at your university-of-choice will help you locate scholarship opportunities that may fly under other candidates’ radar.
Most school counselors should be able to connect you to a diverse set of resources and instruct you on how to fill out scholarship application forms. These scholarships may be specific to your university, gender identity, racial identity, career ambitions, or another personal characteristic.
It may be in your best interest to contact the English department at both your high school and prospective college to ensure that you don’t miss out on opportunities designed for students who are planning to major in an English-related field such as writing. It’s possible that school counselors may not be as aware of more field-specific scholarships. By consulting a well-reputed administrator in the English department, you can access lesser-known scholarship opportunities.
Final thoughts
Avoid pigeonholing your scholarship options, and remember there are a variety of scholarship opportunities available. Parts of your identity, such as your gender or your intended major, can inspire your scholarship search. Use all of the available resources, including online databases like CollegeData, to find scholarships that you may qualify for.
While a worthwhile endeavor, college is rather costly. Make sure not to limit your earning potential due to a fear of the price tag. With government-sponsored, third-party, and private scholarships right within reach, you’ll be able to fund the college experience of your dreams.
