You knew college would be expensive. You have been saving – your parents and grandparents have all been saving for your college education. And yet the cost of higher education keeps rising. That is where scholarships can make the difference between affordable and uncomfortable debt. Scholarships can be: merit-based, need-based, student background-specific, college-specific, and even from private sources.
We have previously described some of Colorado’s full-ride scholarships, but those opportunities are few and are highly competitive to win. And we have also shared information on smaller Colorado-based scholarships too.
But what if you have your eyes set on attending an out-of-state school with a high tuition – or you just want to maximize your scholarship potential? We are here to share several helpful scholarship databases and search engines. For Mindfish’s college counseling families, we provide a free resource that will help you financially plan for college, maximize financial aid packages, and even evaluate and compare different schools’ financial aid offers through College Aid Pro’s MyCAP College Planning resource.
Scholarship Search
As you start to search for scholarship programs, please keep in mind that no scholarship program nor any scholarship database should ask you to pay up front for the information – those tend to be money making ventures (and may be scams.)
The other idea to keep in mind is this: the most likely scholarships you might win are those with lower dollar amounts (~$1000 – 2500/year) and those that are specific to your background and interests. Think about what makes you special – why should a scholarship program give you money? The more clearly you can articulate this (and not just “because I want money”), the more likely you are to successfully apply and win scholarship money.
Do you think a “small” scholarship worth $1000/year is not enough to be worth your while? Think of it like this: if you spend 4 hours researching scholarship programs, writing any scholarship application essay, and submitting your applications – and then you win that scholarship – you are getting “paid” $250/hour! And for many scholarships, the essays required for the scholarship application may only require you to “tweak” an essay you have already written for your college applications!
Where to Start
Check out the following Scholarship clearinghouses and databases:
- Going Merry’s database matches you with scholarships and provides a common application. You can apply for hundreds of scholarships directly from their website.
- Fast Web is one of the more popular scholarship search sites. Its database allows you to find and organize your scholarship search.
- Scholarships.com has a free database you can search without creating a profile. It is an excellent site for finding corporate scholarships.
- JLV College Consulting has a list of scholarships sorted by different categories.
- The Scholarship Search function of College Board’s Big Future offers an easily searchable list of many scholarship programs, along with deadlines and whether an essay is required.
- Unigo.com has an excellent searchable database of many specialized scholarship programs.
There are also many specific scholarship programs for specialized groups of individuals:
- LGBTQIA: https://pflagdenver.org/events/2025scholarship
- National Merit Scholarship program through PSAT/NMSQT
- If you have been in foster care on or after your 13th birthday, you can qualify for this scholarship
- Gofundme has a special program and examples for students wanting to set up a Gofundme to raise money for educational needs.
- There is even a scholarship for natural redheads – granted it is only for $500, but still!
There are also State-specific scholarships available. Here are examples of some Colorado scholarships:
- Students planning to attend Community College in Colorado
- Colorado has several scholarship programs for a wide variety of specialties through the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative. They have many different specialized programs, including a Youth Mentorship scholarship that offers scholarship money in exchange for mentorship services, and they even offer a special program for students who have been released from juvenile correctional facilities and need a Second Chance.
Consider other special scholarship programs from organizations like the Elks National Foundation, the charitable arm of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, or the Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO), a Sisterhood of women with a shared mission of motivating, educating, and celebrating women. You do not have to belong to their groups – you just have to apply if you feel you fit their programmatic focus. Check with your high school guidance counselor or post-grad office for local chapters of these groups to help you narrow your search.
The bottom line – while there is no such thing as a “free lunch”, there are many sources of “free money” to help you achieve your higher education degree. You just have to dig a bit, apply to several, and with a little luck, you will win some free money.
