Get an edge up on the competition!
View our Exploring Scholarship Opportunities Presentation
Sallie Mae's New Scholarship Search
Look into a scholarship search from Sallie Mae today!
State University (SUNY)/Office of Mental Health (OMH) Scholarship Pipeline Program
View details about this scholarship here.
Raising HOPE Scholarship
SOFI Scholarship
The SOFI Scholarship is giving away $2,500 for school every month for applicants who complete their scholarship entry form.
Citizens Bank Scholarship
New York State Office of Children and Family Services Scholarship
Cash awards are available if you were in foster care on your 14th birthday or after. If you were financially impacted by COVID-19, you may be eligible for cash assistance. Recipients must be 18 years old and under age 27. Details on when to apply and other information can be viewed at: Office of Children and Family Services Scholarship. Apply here.
Mid-Hudson Scholarship Fund
The Mid-Hudson Scholarship Fund, Inc. was started by professionals who were educated in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Our goals are simple in that we believe to promote the economic development of the Mid-Hudson Valley, we need to encourage and support our local students to get their education locally so that they can give back to the Mid-Hudson Valley. Our motto is Educate Local, Scholarship Local, and Stay Local. Information is available here.
Financial assistance for eligible Native American students for study in approved, undergraduate programs at New York State institutions of higher education. Please view the Native American Program Information page. Eligible applicants can click to view the Native American Program Application and the Native American Program Request Form.
Private Scholarship Web Resources
Students are invited to check the Web for various private scholarships. Scholarships and awards vary in monetary value. Some are renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study. Some require the submission of additional information, such as an essay, portfolio, and letters of recommendation. Pay special attention to the requirements of the scholarship(s) that you apply for.
Private Scholarship Search Tips
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File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year. You may also want to check out the FAFSA website for filing dates and other important information. Many scholarships as well as other types of aid depend on this information, and you have the right to accept or decline any financial aid offered.
- Create a separate email address just for scholarship searching.
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Look early. Start looking for scholarships a year before you anticipate needing and/or qualifying for them.
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Applying for scholarships and grants doesn’t cost you anything except the price of postage and a few hours of work. So, as long as you meet the qualifications, you have no good reason not to apply for as many scholarships and grants as you can possibly manage.
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Be prepared to meet the deadlines for letters of recommendation, transcripts, essays, etc. This may mean getting to know your professors (who will need sufficient time), and/or writing a few goal-oriented essays in advance.
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Evaluate yourself in relation to the requirements:
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- What career do you hope to pursue?
- How do your goals and ambitions relate to the implied goals of the scholarship?
- How do your qualifications compare to the requirements of the scholarship?
- What are your past successes, achievements, honors received and positions of leadership held?
- What are your abilities and potential?
- Where do you want to see yourself in five years? Ten Years?
- For what accomplishments and in what way would you like to be remembered?
Private Scholarship Scams
Scholarship search services and financial aid advice services are common these days. Unfortunately, too many of these for-profit companies charge high rates to provide information that can be found elsewhere for free.
Charging a lot for a service isn't illegal - what makes some of these companies fraudsters is that they collect money to find scholarships for students but never provide the information, or they misrepresent themselves as a government agency in order to appear legitimate and attract customers, or they guarantee they'll get the student full funding for college (and then don't). Still, although it's obviously legal to charge for services genuinely rendered, you should keep reading if you want to save yourself some money....
If you're searching the Internet for scholarships and visit a site that asks for your credit card or another form of payment before it'll help you find funding, you might want to keep searching. Similarly, if you or your parents are contacted by an unfamiliar organization that invites you to an "interview" or "seminar" about preparing and paying for college, do your homework. Ask your high school counselor or a college financial aid administrator whether they've heard of the organization and know it's legitimate. In many cases, such invitations are a way to get you and your parents to come listen to a sales pitch: the company wants you to pay for advice on scholarships and other funding.
Don't believe anyone who tells you the information they offer can't be found anywhere else. You can get free advice from a variety of sources. The best places to start are your high school counselor or a college financial aid administrator.
Every student should guard himself so he does not fall prey to scholarship scams. There are six common signs:
- Application or processing fees;
- Loan fees;
- Guaranteed winnings;
- "Everybody is eligible" - each scholarship is geared towards selective criteria;
- Unclaimed aid myth - "Billions of dollars of scholarships go unclaimed every year"; and lastly,
- "We will apply on your behalf".
Being cautious of scams prevents you from giving away money instead of obtaining it. Never give out your social security number or bank information.
Private Scholarship Search Engines & Databases
Explore and investigate the numerous opportunities that are out there. It's the best way for you to discover the extraordinary opportunities that are out there for you. You can research private scholarships through various Web sites. Each scholarship link below will allow you to input your own scholarship profile. The databases will respond with up to date individual scholarship information. WARNING, some of the below links will exit you from our Web site and may not allow you to use the browser back button.
The search websites listed are not related to the College in any way and SUNY New Paltz makes no claims about them or recommendations for them or their sponsors.
