One place to look for education assistance is in existing organizations that may not necessarily come to mind as repositories of grants and scholarships. For instance, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States offers two kinds of scholarships. One is the Legacy Award, available only to children of existing members of the Elks. The Most Valuable Student scholarship is open to all high school seniors. These scholarships range from $1,000 to $15,000 a year
Check to see if the college of your choice graduated any celebrities or otherwise famous individuals. Very often, famous graduates set up scholarship programs at their alma mater. As an example, Ball St. University in Muncie, Indiana is home to the David Letterman Telecommunications Scholarship. Many scholarships reward academic excellence, but Letterman's scholarship is designed to reward excellence in creativity. The top award is $10,000 and is awarded on the basis of a creative project that can involved writing, video or even music.
Is there something unusual about you? The ability to find grant money or scholarship money for those students are part of a minority based on race or ethnicity is well known, but how about free money for college based simply upon which hand is used to write the college application? The Frederick and Mary F. Beckley Scholarship gives up to $1,500 a year for left-handed students at Juniata College in Huntingdon, who meet academic and financial requirements. Similar scholarships exist for students over 6 feet 2 inches tall and under 4 feet 11 inches tall.
The career path you choose may also open doors to scholarships and grants. The Leadership in Landscape Scholarship Program from the Landscape Architecture Foundation offers scholarships designed to inspire the next generation of leaders in that industry. An interesting aspect of this particular scholarship is reflected throughout the world of educational funding. In most years, there are not nearly as many applications sent in as with the more famous scholarships and grants.
Going to Harvard may be the dream of a Utah student and going to Stanford may be the dream of a kid shivering in Alaska, but the first place to begin looking for free grants and scholarships to college is in your own state. Most states offer scholarships and grants that are only available to residents. The best way to find out the information on what kind of resident-only financial assistance is available is to contact your state's department of higher education. The actual name of this agency will depend upon the individual state. If this information is not easily found, simply do an Internet search using the name of your state and phrases like "student aid," "financial assistance," "grants" or "scholarships."