Scholarships are types of “gift aid” or free money, which means they do not have to be repaid. MEFA’s Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes explains where to find both local and national scholarships and helpful tips to use in your search.
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[00:00:00] Hi everyone. Jonathan from MEFA here, and today we’re talking about everyone’s favorite topic, scholarships.
Most people have heard of athletic scholarships or academic scholarships. These are examples of financial aid that unlike loans do not have to be repaid. So how do you find them? Many scholarships come from colleges and universities. Now, sometimes you’ll have to specifically apply for a college’s scholarship.
Oftentimes, all you have to do is fill out the forms that are normally required during the financial aid process for scholarships outside of college. We recommend looking at two different levels, local and national. Many local scholarships are offered by small businesses or organizations like the Elks.
It’s a good idea to check with your high school guidance counselor who will have the best information on those types of scholarships. Scholarships from national organizations. Like large businesses or [00:01:00] nonprofits, you can use an online scholarship search engine. Remember, you should never have to pay for this online service.
There are plenty of reputable free ones like going mary.com and fast web.com to search. You create a student profile and based on your information, you’ll be matched with scholarships for which you may qualify. Also, scholarship organizations contact me for all the time to promote their scholarship. So don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for opportunities.
For more information on paying for college, call us at 1-800-449-MEFA or email us at college [email protected]. Thanks for watching.
