Contact the Office of Financial Affairs at the university to which you are applying. Ask the financial aid officer for a general scholarship application or if each school or college has its own application process (there may be both). Complete the application processes for any scholarships for which you qualify.
Visit finaid.org to find out whether you qualify for any scholarships based on your interests, abilities, gender, religion, ethnicity, medical history or veteran status. Scholarships exist for qualifications as diverse as left-handed students, persons of short or tall stature, American Baptist women and cancer survivors.
Complete the application materials, including required essays. These essays generally focus on the applicant's specific qualifications, past achievements and goals for the future. For example, the High Plains Division of the American Cancer Society offers a scholarship for students who survived cancer during childhood. The essay portion of this application directs applicants to discuss their goals, their life experience and their history of involvement with the cancer community. Scholarship applications also generally require a copy of high school or previous college transcripts, documentation related to eligibility, a copy of a government financial aid report (SAR) and a letter of acceptance from the college or university.