Reflect on your talents, memberships and ambitions, both career and personal. Since grants and scholarships often seek to promote particular objectives, tailor your search for aid toward opportunities that match your interests. Remember that there are different sources of grants and scholarships, including federal, private and corporate aid.
Explore Web sites such as fastweb.com, fedmoney.org, scholarships.com, careersandcolleges.com and usscholarshipguide.org, which all are databases that collect information about multiple grants and scholarships.
Reach out to associations in your field of interest. For example, if you want to become a civil engineer, contact local, state and national engineering associations and ask about available scholarships and grants. Instead of stopping after you find a few groups, expand your search by locating professional associations for women only, such as the Society of Women Engineers. In fact, the Society of Women Engineers offers national awards that each range from $1,000 to $10,000, but local associations sometimes have additional opportunities.
As few grants or scholarships only require applicants to be women, you need to be aware of additional requirements. Do not spend time and effort applying for an award if you do not meet the basic eligibility requirements. For example, the College Scholarships Foundation Women's Scholarship awards $1,000 to a female, full-time college student, but the student also must be a U.S. citizen with a 3.0 GPA who applies online and submits a 300 word essay.
Another source is the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), dar.org, which offers several scholarships like the Enid Hall Griswold Memorial Scholarship for $1,000 available to college juniors or seniors pursing a major in political science, history, government or economics. The DAR also offers the Alice W. Rooke Scholarship of up to $5,000 for a maximum of four years to encourage students in medical school. Before preparing a DAR application, you must contact a local chapter and obtain a letter of sponsorship.
Financial aid will not knock on your door and ask you to submit an application. Research opportunities, understand all of the requirements, prepare and timely submit your application. Avoid spending extra money on overnight delivery by mailing your application at least a few days early. Regardless of the number of applications you are submitting, review and edit everything to eliminate careless mistakes. Furthermore, remember that some grants and scholarships may be highly competitive while others will not be awarded because no qualified students applied.