Finding Scholarships: A Few Nuggets

[NOTE: Check out an updated version of this article, Finding Scholarships, here on my Facebook page.]

There are a ton of websites and a gazillion tips on how to get scholarships. Here are two nuggets that I suggest to students and their families. 

Duncan Nugget #224: 

Where ever you spend money, ask for money.

Subway, Chik-Fil-A, the grocery store, the mall, hotels, your cell phone carrier, the auto shop and any other businesses that you can think of, are great places to find scholarships.

Anyplace that you, your friends, and your family are spending money is a potential place to get a scholarship. So, go to some of the businesses in your community and ask them if they have money for college bound students.

If you are out shopping or paying a bill ask an employee or the manager if the company gives out scholarships. You could also go to the company website or call the corporate office as well. (The number should be on the website.)

The worst thing they could say is that they don't have any scholarships. But if they do have some and you get one or more, how happy will you be?

Duncan Nugget #225: 

Whatever it is, there's a scholarship that.

Are you tall? There's a scholarship for that.

Are you short? There's a scholarship for that.

Got asthma? There's a scholarship for that.

Are you a mibster? In other words, do you know how to play marbles? There's a scholarship for that.

Are you a duck-caller? Well...quack, quack. There's a scholarship for that. Seriously.

Of course, some of these scholarships are only for certain colleges, but the point is: be creative. Sit down and create a list of everything that makes you unique. Then go to Google and search for "scholarships for _______."

Here are a few links to get you started.

Scholarships.com
Unusual Scholarships
Fast Web
College Scholarships
FinAid
Paying For College Resource Guide (free e-book with hundreds of scholarships and their deadlines.)

The Guide to Paying for Your College Education by the National Guard. (Go to this link and you can download that whole book for free.)

WARNING: Scholarship Scams
Scholarship pitches not always real - Business - NewsObserver.com

Scholarships for Minorities
African-Americans (Scholarships.com)
African-Americans (Blackstudents.com)
Asian Scholarships (Scholarships.com)
Hispanic (Hispanic Scholarship Fund)
Hispanic (Scholarships.com)
Native American (Scholarships.com)

Scholarships for Family Members of Veterans
ThanksUSA.com
American Legion Auxiliary
Military Children Scholarships (collegescholarships.org)

Scholarships Based On Action and Community Service; Not Grades
DoSomething.org