Scholarships for Dummies: Common Sense Places to Look for Scholarships

Scholarships aren’t just for whiz kids. They’re not just for athletic prodigies. And they’re also not just for the lucky few. The truth is: there are scholarships out there for everyone. Outside scholarships may seem like a far fetch…but they’re not as far as you think. Service clubs, companies, and charities give out about $2 billion in private scholarships each year. Roughly 1 million students receive this support – meaning 1 out of 13 students wins a scholarship. The average of these scholarships is $2,000. So are you ready to start looking?

Athletic Scholarships. Granted, this is only going to apply to a select few, but athletic scholarships don't require a whole lot of brains. Rather, the importance lies in physical talent and drive.

Artistic Scholarships. There are plenty of art-specific scholarships available for students who do the research. Additionally, artists can use their skills to apply for non-artistic scholarships. Oftentimes, judges are looking for creatively convincing applications for "average joe" scholarships--think film, dance, song lyrics, paintings, etc.

Minority Scholarships. These scholarships are typically reserved for students from financially unprivileged backgrounds and ethnicities. Though these scholarships are not necessarily based on grades, they do require community service or athleticism--anything that sets you apart from the crowd.

Employee Scholarships. If you think your summer job is just a way to finance your love for video games or fashion, you're wrong. Many employers, whether yours or your parents, offer scholarships to students just because of the relationship that exists between the two. These awards can be specific and often fall under the "brand name" category, but you can find specific opportunities relevant to your situation by specifying your/your parents' employee status in your Fastweb profile!

Wacky Scholarships. There are scholarships out there that are wacky enough for any high school student. Think Duck Calling and Duct Tape Prom Dresses. It just requires a little legwork in finding these scholarships. And by legwork, we mean typing "wacky scholarships" into a search engine. Was that too hard?

School Year Scholarships. Whether you're in high school, college or graduate school, there are scholarships available to students within every school year. Find your school year and apply today!

Scholarships by Personality Type. Did you know you can find scholarships to suit just about any personality trait or interest? Find scholarships that suit who you are, as a student, today.

Situational Scholarships. You can find scholarships to suit just about any situation within Fastweb's scholarship directory. From ethnicity or race-related scholarships to scholarships for unique student situations, these scholarships offer students from all walks of life the opportunity to fund their education.

There is no reason that any student should pay full tuition for college. It just takes time and work to find ways to pay up. Remember, updating your Fastweb profile increases your chances of being matched with some of the types of scholarships mentioned above. So get on it!