Many families may need additional money to help pay for college. Federal and state financial aid programs may not be enough. Seeking out private scholarships from non-profit foundations and other organizations may provide the extra help needed. Here are some suggestions about how to find legitimate scholarships.

  • Follow Journey to College on Twitter and Facebook for scholarship opportunities and other information about planning and paying for college.
  • Ask businesses, community groups, schools, and religious and civic organizations in your local community or state about scholarship opportunities.
  • Check your local library for scholarship books.
  • Use online scholarship search engines. However, remember to never pay for free scholarship searches.
  • Keep looking! The more you search, the greater your chances of finding additional programs.

Keep the following tips in mind when using the internet or a scholarship search organization:

  • Be cautious of scholarship scams. Contact the Federal Trade Commission for more information.
  • Do not provide credit card information to use a free scholarship search.
  • Read the fine print carefully. Many online financial assistance search services request information about you so they can find financial assistance programs for which you may be eligible. Some of these companies may send you information about other services that they provide or sell your information to another company.