COLLEGE AND BEYOND

4 Tips for Securing College Scholarships

Applying for financial aid is a critical first step for securing gift aid for college. There are additional scholarships that students can pursue, as well. These can help reduce the cost of higher education.

• Pro tip: Check with each college’s financial aid office to find out whether and how scholarships will be applied toward the Student Aid Index (SAI).

Here are four useful tips to help applicants maximize their scholarship application success:

1. Research scholarship offerings.

Scholarships abound! They may be:

• Merit-based: requiring students to demonstrate exceptional skills or abilities
• Group-specific: serving particular groups of students (e.g., community organization members)
• Need-based: taking into account students’ financial circumstances

Careful research will help applicants determine their eligibility.

2. Apply for scholarships aligned with interests.

Since there are so many different types of college scholarships, we recommend that students apply to those that closely align with their skills and aspirations.

Focusing on career interests and future goals makes it easier to answer application questions with rich, real-life examples from related extracurriculars.

3. Take (and possibly retake) college entrance exams.

Scoring high on the PSAT/NMSQT® could help students earn National Merit Scholarships! Additionally, some schools offer “automatic” scholarships for students who attain certain SAT® or ACT® scores. Michigan Tech is one such school, as is Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

In short, earning a solid score on these exams can be a great way to maximize financial aid!

4. Maximize grades.

Lots of scholarships ask applicants to supply GPA—and some schools give “automatic” scholarships based on GPA and/or test scores (see above!).

Once awards are made, recipients of scholarships are often required to maintain a minimum GPA to retain their scholarships. At NJIT, that minimum GPA is 3.0.

Students struggling with grades and coursework are highly encouraged to reach out for help and seek guidance. Schools, libraries, or other institutions may offer access to personalized tutoring.

There are also plenty of online resources—including webinars—that students can refer to for on-demand study skill development.

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