Your Ultimate 2025 Scholarship Guide [W/ Tips & Resources]

College costs are rising by the year, which means the majority of students can’t afford their education through savings and student loans alone.

Fortunately, though, there IS a way to offset the high university fees – by winning a scholarship.
Some of the best types of scholarships can even cover your entire college expenses, including transportation, lodging, and meals!

Unfortunately, though, every great thing comes with a downside. When it comes to scholarships, the downside is that they’re so helpful that the competition to win one is extremely fierce.
The scholarship application process is also very time and energy-consuming. You need to pick the scholarships that fit your background just right, collect the right documents, meet all the requirements, AND make sure to apply on time.

Not sure how to do all that the right way? Don’t worry; we’re here for you. This is exactly what this ultimate scholarship guide is here to help you with! We’ll cover scholarships from A to Z, including:

8 Types of Scholarships

The Scholarship Application Process in 3 Steps
20 Scholarship Resources
Six More Hints for Scholarships And more. Let’s dive right in.
Scholarships 101
College costs have more than doubled in the 21st century, with an annual growth rate of 6.8% according to data from an Education Data Initiative study.
Translated in numbers, the average cost of college in the US in 2022 is $35,331 per student per year, including books, supplies, and daily living expenses. This amount is significantly higher for private colleges ($53,217).
The cost of college is so high that the income and savings of the average US family can only cover 55% of college costs.

This is where scholarships come in.
A scholarship is a financial support given to students based on their academic achievements or other criteria (financial need, community involvement, etc.) to support their education.
Scholarships don’t need to be repaid, but it’s the scholarship donor (i.e. universities, non-profit organizations, foundations) that sets the selection criteria and defines how the scholarship money should be spent (e.g. towards tuition, books, dorm boarding, etc).

In addition to helping you pay off your university expenses, scholarships also come with a handful of other benefits:
They allow students to focus on their education instead of having to work to support themselves.
They can give your university application an advantage over other candidates, as winning a scholarship shows you’re hardworking and motivated.
They can help you attend a more prestigious (but expensive) university.
They make your student resume stand out from the crowd.
They provide you with a chance to meet and engage with other scholarship winners through different networking events.
Typically, the majority of scholarships have deadlines in spring, which coincides with college admission decisions, but any time of the year is good enough to start exploring scholarship opportunities.
To get you started, here are the most popular types of scholarships out there:

8 Types of Scholarships

Academic scholarships. These scholarships are awarded to students with good academic records. As such, they usually take into account a student’s GPA, overall academic performance, and scores on tests like the ACT and the SAT.
Athletic scholarships. Scholarships for student-athletes who excel in their chosen sport are available for both well-known sports like football and basketball and less well-known sports like lacrosse. These scholarships can cover a student’s entire tuition, as well as other college costs including dorm stay, books, etc.
Demographic. Demographic scholarships are available to students from specific groups (i.e. women, LGBTQ communities, or even those students who are the first in their families to attend college). You can find more information on where to look for demographic-based scholarships in our scholarships resources section below.
Financial need. Students who show academic promise but don’t have the finances to attend college may be eligible for this type of scholarship. Typically, financial need scholarships require students to maintain a specific GPA throughout their college education.
Community involvement. If you’re committed to a particular cause with local or global reach (i.e. environmental protection or social inclusion) or have extensive volunteering experience, you might be eligible for a community involvement scholarship.

Professional interest. If you have already decided on a major, you can submit an application for a scholarship that is specific to your field, such as a computer science scholarship. These scholarships are typically awarded by companies who are looking to sponsor up-and-coming talented professionals.
Local scholarships. Local communities, including non-profit organizations, churches, and civic groups, often offer scholarships to promising students who can’t afford college.
Unique scholarships. Last but not least, some scholarships are awarded on unique criteria, such as drawing, playing video games, or your personal statement on the importance of not texting and driving.

The Scholarship Application Process in 3 Steps

Now you know all about the various types of scholarships out there and why they matter so much when it comes to your education.
But that’s not enough to guarantee you’ll actually win one – and that’s ultimately what you’re after.
So, to help you out, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide for the entire scholarship application below, starting with:

#1. Prepare

Check what scholarship committees are looking for. Scholarship committees frequently seek applicants with a diverse background and more than just a strong academic record. Some, for example, might look for a student with plenty of extracurricular activities, while others look for someone with significant community involvement. No matter the case, make sure you know exactly what the scholarship committee is looking for before you start applying for a specific scholarship.

Prepare for the ACT/SAT. Your ACT/SAT results are more than just an indicator of how book smart you are. They also show that you’re hard-working and dedicated to pursuing higher education, something any scholarship committee is going to take into account. As such, make sure to prepare well well for these exams – even if it means spending some cash for preparation courses. If you land the scholarship, it’s going to be absolutely worth it!

Pursue relevant extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities involve everything you like doing outside of class. Some popular extracurricular activities that look great in scholarship applications include sports, drama club, student government, or debate. That said, any extracurricular activity can help you with your scholarship, as long as you are genuinely interested in it and can show exactly how you were involved.
Explore volunteering opportunities. Dedicating time to serve others looks great in scholarship applications. For example, volunteering at your local homeless shelter, a charity organization, or a children’s hospital would look great on your scholarship application.

Seek guidance. Asking for help is never a bad idea. When it comes to scholarships, counselors are there to help. High school counselors, for example, can walk you through the application process or help you get to practice your interview skills.

Organize all your information. Chances are, you’ll be applying for more than one single scholarship. As such, we recommend you organize all your scholarship-related information (your grades, exam scores, etc.) into a single document. Having all such data in a single document will make the process of applying for scholarships much faster and more efficient.

#2. Search

Start your research early. The scholarship application process is time and energy-consuming. As such, starting your research early will give you enough time to find the right scholarships, assess everything you need to prepare to apply, and meet all the necessary deadlines.
Prioritize quantity. Quality scholarships (or scholarships that award big amounts of money) are harder to find and win. So, it’s more efficient to first find and apply to many smaller scholarships that you can win and target the more competitive ones later.

Begin from your target college. If you’ve already been accepted into your target university, look for what scholarships the financial aid office offers. On top of their own, universities are usually associated with organizations that also offer scholarships to students. These scholarships are usually more competitive but also more accessible.

Take advantage of other scholarship sources. Universities aren’t the only scholarship sources out there. Oftentimes, organizations in your field of study, non-profits, foundations, community centers, federal aid and state grant agencies, employers, and local businesses also offer scholarships to students. You can find some scholarship opportunities in our ultimate list of scholarships.

Target high-value scholarships. Once your list is long enough, start sorting the scholarships by priority. The way you prioritize them is up to you. You can, for example, start by applying to the easier ones first and leaving the most challenging ones for last. Or, you can target the ones with the highest monetary value first and leave smaller, less important ones for later. Alternatively, you can prioritize your scholarships according to their application deadlines to make sure you don’t skip any of them.

#3. Apply

Craft a Scholarship Essay
Your scholarship application essay should be relevant, unique, and a reflection of your passions and personality.
This means that, unless you have a knack for writing, putting together a quality essay can be quite a challenging process.