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SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

Below is a list of possible scholarship and grants. Review them to find those that you may qualify for.  You should apply for grants and scholarships first before you consider taking out college loans.

Read the eligibility factors and make sure that you qualify for the scholarship. Make your check list and send in all of the material requested on time.

  •  www.fafsa.gov:  Grant money given by the federal government for college expenses if you meet income qualifications. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This grant (also known as the Pell grant program) does not have to paid back. Also, once you qualify for the program it can continue for the four years that you are in college, unless your family income changes.
  • www.blackcollegedollars.org:  This free scholarship is geared for African-American students, contains more than 300 scholarships searchable by GPA requirement, academic and career interest, and application deadline.
  • www.fastweb.com:  Fast web is currently the largest scholarship search engine on the internet. Fast web’s scholarship database contains 1.3 million scholarships worth over $3 billion.
  • ww.gmsp.org:  Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, this program is more than just a scholarship. The GMS program offers Gates Millennium Scholars with Academic Empowerment (ACE) services to encourage academic excellence; mentoring services for academic and personal development; and an online resource center that provides internship, fellowship and additional scholarship information.  You must be Pell grant eligible and apply by the deadline which is usually in January. Applications for this scholarship usually open during the summer.
  • www.scholarships.com:  This site allows you to conduct a free scholarship search for hundreds of different colleges. Do not become distracted by the advertisements on this site.
  • www.collegeboard.com:  The College Board is responsible for the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT).  The College Board created an online scholarship web search to help you locate scholarships, internships, grants, and loans that match your education level, talents, and background.
  • www.uncf.org:  The United Negro College Fund offers scholarships for students attending any of its member colleges. There are 39 HBCU’s that are a part of UNCF. Check this website to find out if the college that you plan to attend is one of them and then begin applying. Click on the “students” link and then the drop down menu to get the most current list of scholarships.
  • www.blackexcel.org:  BlackExcel.org is a website that has recently been named by Ebony and Black Enterprise magazines as a major resource in helping students find money to go to college. There are some great scholarships that can be found on this website.
  • www.collegeanswer.com:  Sallie Mae is the nation’s leading provider of student loans. However, this website created by Sallie Mae provides access to a scholarship database containing more than 3 million scholarships worth over 16 billion dollars, and is expanded and updated daily.