Outside Scholarships
Winning scholarship contests takes both luck and strategy. The USF Financial Aid Office regularly researches private scholarship opportunities for new and continuing students. Private scholarships can help you reduce the net cost of your education and limit student loan debt.
If you are a newly admitted or current student, and you are the winner of a private scholarship contest, follow these steps to make sure that your private scholarship is included in your financial aid award package.
| Deadline | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| February | Government Finance Officers Association Scholarships recognize and encourage outstanding performances by various students who are interested in a career in government finance. | $8,000 - $13,000 |
| February | LAGRANT Foundation Scholarship applicants who are enrolled and active college or university students are required to submit a 600-1000 word essay. | $1,000 |
| March, June, September and December of each year | The AfterCollege/AACN Scholarship is open to applicants seeking a baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degree in nursing who are already enrolled (not just accepted). Special consideration will be given to students in a graduate program with the goal of becoming a nurse educator, students completing an RN-BSN or RN-MSN program, and those in an accelerated program. | $2,500 |
| April | The Teacher.org "Inspire Our Future" Scholarship is open to students who are 18 years of age or older, currently enrolled in certain teaching degrees at an accredited U.S. institution, and who have a 3.5 GPA or above. | $2,500 |
| April | The 2018 ASCO Engineering Scholarship is now opened for applications. Emerson will award two $5,000 scholarships to U.S. engineering students who have completed their sophomore year in a bachelor's degree program or enrolled in a graduate program, at the time of application. Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or legal U.S. resident. | $5,000 |
| April and November each year | The Best Hospitality Degrees Scholarship is open to undergraduate students enrolled in hospitality majors at community colleges and universities, who are U.S. citizens with a minimum 3.0 GPA. | $1,500 |
| June and December each year | The Giva Student Scholarship is open to students who are enrolled and active college or university students. Applicants are required to submit a 600-1000 word essay. | $1,000 |
| June | TMCF | McDonald's True To the HBCU Scholarship is available to outstanding undergraduate and graduate students. Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, have demonstrated involvement in their HBCU community, and have demonstrated leadership ability through a variety of measures. | $10,000 |
| June | The Abbott & Fenner Scholarship is offered to high school juniors and seniors, as well as all students currently registered in any accredited post-secondary institution. Applicants must submit an essay of 500-1000 words. | $1,000 |
| July and November each year | Auger & Auger Disabled Scholar Award applicants who are U.S. citizens and undergraduates with a minimum 2.8 GPA must submit their transcripts and write an essay of 500-1000 words on one of the topics provided on the application. | $1,000 |
| December | The Insureon Small Business Scholarship is open to any student who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and will be enrolled in 2 or 4-year public or private university within the U.S. | $2,500 |
| December | Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity applicants must be registered undergraduate, full-time juniors and seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the U.S., and must submit an essay of 3000-4000 words on the chosen topic each year. | $500-$5,000 |
| December | The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is intended for students with Sophomore status by 12/31/15 who plan to enroll full-time in an accredited baccalaureate program in Fall 2016, have a 3.5 or above GPA, financial need, and have not previously attended a 4-year institution. | Varies |
| Varies | StudySoup Scholarships is offering multiple scholarships to both undergraduate and graduate students. | Varies |
Tips & Strategies
- A higher High School or College GPA will make you eligible for more scholarships and increase your chances of winning an award.
- Begin your search at least one year prior to the time when you will need scholarship funds to be paid.
- Consistently dedicate at least one-to-three hours per week to searching and applying for private scholarships.
- Search the internet with Google, using the keyword "scholarship" and different combinations of other keywords related to your heritage/ethnicity, background, extracurricular activities, intended major/career, etc.
- Review all eligibility and application requirements carefully and make sure to submit all required documents.
- Do not apply for scholarships that require application fees or payments of any kind. Learn more about scholarship scams.
Resources
Use the following resources and scholarship search engines to find awards that more closely match your background, major, and career aspirations. You may also find scholarship opportunities through your family's professional associations, local government, or religious institutions to which you belong.