Reference Guide for Students
If you are a student looking for information on financial aid, the very first thing you should do is speak to the financial aid office at the institution you plan to attend. (For a list of colleges and universities with financial aid offices on the World Wide Web, see FinAid's Financial Aid Offices Web Page). Grants and loans are available from the federal government as well. Most colleges and universities will require you to apply for federal funding first before they consider you for scholarship support. We have selected a few of the most important print and electronic resources for you to begin your search beyond the institution you are attending.
Because most private foundations make grants only to incorporated nonprofit organizations, individual grantseekers must follow a different funding path than organizations with tax-exempt status. Some private foundations currently offer scholarships and fellowships, and most have highly specific criteria. It is up to you to determine which funders might be interested in providing you with financial support.
Our libraries maintain a limited collection of other publishers' scholarship materials, primarily those that list foundation-sponsored grants and awards. For access to a more complete collection of college guides and scholarship directories, as well as a good collection of career and vocational guidance materials, you should visit your local public library or your school's financial aid office. Our Topical Resource List for Individuals: Scholarships, Fellowships, and Loans includes a bibliography of print and electronic resources found in many public and college libraries.
If you are unfamiliar with the process of grantseeking, you may want to start the process by taking the Foundation Center's interactive e-learning tutorial, Finding Foundation Support for Your Education, that guides students through the process of seeking financial support from foundations to pursue their studies. Here you will learn the basics about such topics as facts about foundations that provide financial aid for individuals, other sources beyond foundations, resources for the scholarship seeker, and how to apply. This fully interactive tutorial also includes several worksheets you can download and complete to assist in your search for funding and a self-test to reinforce what you've learned. Free registration and Macromedia Flash Player are required.
You may also want to visit the Individual Grantseekers area of the Foundation Center's Web site. Links to worksheets for students can be found in this area of our web site.
Electronic Resources for Students Seeking Financial Aid
Foundation Grants to Individuals Online (http://gtionline.foundationcenter.org)
The Foundation Center's online database includes more than 7,000 grantmaker programs that provide support to individuals. Available at a low monthly subscription rate.
The Foundation Center's Youth in Philanthropy - Scholarship Information Page (http://youth.fdncenter.org/youth_scholarships.html)
Here you will find an alphabetical listing of Web-based scholarship resources detailing a wide range of ways to find financial aid.
AFL-CIO: Education Services (http://www.unionplus.org/benefits/education/)
Provides information about union-sponsored education services, including scholarship programs. A free scholarship search for undergraduate and graduate studies provides information about other scholarship opportunities.
The Black Collegian Online (http://www.black-collegian.com/news)
Select Study & Campus for a listing of information on fellowships, grants, and scholarships of interest to people of color.
Finaid: The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid (http://www.finaid.org)
Links to funding sources such as scholarships, fellowships, and grants, some of which are focused toward those with particular needs or interests such as disabled, minorities, and international students.
Fastweb.com (http://www.fastweb.com)
A scholarship search engine that prompts users to enter information about themselves, including area of study, and responds with an appropriate list of available scholarships. Free registration is required.
Peterson's College Planner (http://www.petersons.com/finaid/)
Provides an online tool to answer frequently-asked questions on financial aid. Users can also create a profile through the site's scholarship search tool which is then matched to available funding opportunities. Free registration is required.
College Board's Scholarship Search (http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp)
Users can create a personal profile of educational level, talents, and background to search among 2,300 undergraduate scholarships, loans, internships, and other financial aid programs from non-college sources. There are also financial aid calculators where, for instance, you can approximate your Expected Family Contribution.
Recommended Books for Students Seeking Financial Aid
Foundation Grants to Individuals. New York, NY: The Foundation Center, annual. Profiles more than 7,000 foundation programs that make grants to individuals for education, arts and culture, general welfare, and more.
Annual Register of Grant Support: A Directory of Funding Sources. Medford, NJ: Information Today, annual. Describes over 3,500 grant programs in all subject areas. Covers government, public and private foundation, corporate, association, and other special interest support programs.
Grants Register: The Complete Guide to Postgraduate Funding Worldwide. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, Ltd., annual. Lists scholarships, fellowships, and awards at all levels of graduate study, from regional, national, and international sources; arranged alphabetically by name of organization.
College Board Scholarship Handbook, 2008. New York, NY: College Board Publications, 2007. Describes private and government scholarship and internship programs for undergraduates.
Fulbright U.S. Student Program: Grants for Graduate Study, Research or Teaching Assistantships Abroad. New York, NY: Institute of International Education, annual. Lists financial assistance programs administered by the Institute of International Education and available to U.S. graduate students for study and research abroad. The information can also be found at http://www.iie.org/fulbright.
Schlachter, Gail and R. David Weber. Financial Aid for the Disabled and their Families.. El Dorado Hills, CA: Reference Service Press, biennial. Provides information about hundreds of scholarship, fellowship, loan, grant, award, and award programs established and designed primarily or exclusively for the disabled or members of their families.
Schlachter, Gail and R. David Weber. Financial Aid for Research and Creative Activities Abroad. El Dorado Hills, CA: Reference Service Press, biennial. Lists funding opportunities in the form of scholarships, fellowships, loans, grants, awards, and internships for American citizens interested in research, creative, or professional activities abroad.
For other books and articles for students, check under the subject headings "Scholarships, fellowships and loans--directories" or "Travel and study abroad" in the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature.
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