Every year, the U.S. government gives out millions of dollars of financial aid to students through programs like the Pell Grant. Many U.S. students qualify for these awards and are given up to $4,000 per year to help them attend school. The grants are given directly to students' financial aid officers who assess the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to determine what the appropriate award amount will be. It is also possible to qualify for less than the maximum amount. Pell Grants do not need to be repaid.
Many students, unfortunately, do not qualify for government aid or need-based awards. These students can benefit greatly from merit-based awards. Each year, public and private organizations award millions of dollars worth of merit-based grants to deserving students throughout the U.S. Merit-based awards generally require students to exceed academic and civic expectations to become extremely well-rounded individuals. Students are expected to maintain a high GPA, to have exemplary test scores and to be leaders amongst their peers. There are so many different merit-based grants on offer that most students can find one that they qualify for.
Most U.S. colleges have private scholarship funds to help promising, low-income students attend their schools. It is the job of financial aid officers to attempt to maximize the amount they can give to both continuing and prospective students. To qualify for need-based aid, students generally have to be from a notoriously disenfranchised minority class or demonstrate financial need, or they must be a nontraditional student. These awards also generally carry other academic and civic requirements that must be met in order for funds to be dispersed.
Many corporations, charities and other community organizations have scholarship competitions every year to recognize promising students in a designated field. Most of these competitions require students to create innovative projects or to write essays on a chosen topic. Many of these competitions require an entrance fee.