// Supplement Your Financial Aid with a Scholarship

It’s true that knowledge is power, but as anyone who attends college knows, education doesn’t always come cheap. The good news is that although education costs are rising, college remains accessible and affordable for the majority of Americans.

There are many resources for assistance: scholarships, financial aid, education loans and college financing. Although the largest form of student aid is composed of loans, scholarships continue to provide an excellent source of supplemental financial aid.

Where to find scholarships
Each year, scholarships totaling in the billions of dollars are awarded to students across the country. If you don’t think there are any scholarships available to you, just take a closer look and  you’ll quickly see that there really are scholarships everywhere. The difficult part of searching for scholarships is determining which ones you qualify for. 

So where can you find potential sources for scholarships? Try these local resources:

• Credit unions — Many local credit unions offer scholarships to their members. If you or your parents belong to a credit union, see if they offer a scholarship.

• Church or religious organizations — If you or your parents are members of a religious organization, check with the leaders to find out if a scholarship is available.

• Parents’ organizations — Do your parents belong to a club or local organization? Ask your parents and find out if there are any scholarships available.

• Community organizations — Don’t limit yourself only to organizations that your parents belong to. Many civic organizations simply require that you live in the community to qualify for a scholarship.

• Local businesses — Check your local Chamber of Commerce to research local businesses that offer scholarships.

• Parents’ work — Many employers offer scholarships to children of employees. 

There are also national scholarships that are a bit more competitive, but offer considerable amounts of money. A quick search on the Internet will help you find these larger scholarship providers.