Obtaining

It is typical for persons to find scholarships in their home region. Information on these can be found by asking local persons and organizations. Typically, these are more easy to gain as the eligible population is smaller.

Other sources of information on scholarships are libraries, newspapers, and the yellow pages.

Guidance Counselors: When starting to explore scholarship opportunities, high school students should definitely check in with their guidance counselors. They can be a great resource for local scholarships.

Community Foundations: Many counties / cities / regions have a local foundation dedicated to giving money in the form of grants and scholarships to people and organizations in the area.

Labor Unions: All the major labor unions offer scholarships for members and their dependent children.

Church: The local parish may or may not have any scholarships for their members, but the Diocese or headquarters may have some available. Of course, the best-supported area is the study of theology.

Chamber of Commerce: Many chambers of commerce offer (usually small) grants to students in the community, especially those planning on careers in Business and Public Service. Even if they do not offer any themselves, you can usually get a listing of members, and many of them may offer small scholarships to local students.

Volunteer Organizations: Many organizations offer scholarships or award grants to students whose background or chosen field overlaps the field of the organization. For example, local chapters of professional societies may help the studies of exceptionally distinguished students of the region. Similarly, charity organizations may offer help, especially if the late parent of the student was a member of the organization. (E.g. masonic lodge might help the orphan of a lodge brother.) However, this kind of scholarships are mostly random.

School: Old, well-known schools have often been endowed with scholarship funds.

University: Old, well-established universities may have funds, used to finance the studies of extremely talented students of little means. However, to be eligible for them, the student must usually belong to some special category or be among the nation's best. However, universities have information available on scholarships and grants, possibly even internship opportunities.

PSAT/NMSQT: In the United States, students are offered the opportunity to take the PSAT/NMSQT test, usually in their Junior year in (high school). Not only does it help them to prepare for the SAT later on, but National Merit Scholarship programs are determined by the scores received on the PSAT/NMSQT test. Some private scholarship programs require the applicants to take the PSAT.