What exactly are local scholarships?

Local scholarships are scholarships from organizations in your community: local banks, Rotary clubs, churches, school-affiliated organizations, etc. They’re usually smaller amounts awarded to graduating seniors from area high schools.

Pros

1. Typically the easiest applications: Usually these applications are a piece of cake. And the requirements (resume, letters of recommendation, and—sometimes—personal essay) can be recycled over and over.

2. The odds are in your favor: Only people from your high school or local area are eligible to apply

Cons

1. Typically smaller awards: The average local scholarship is $1,000. Usually the range is between $500 and $5,000, with occasional awards being $10,000 or more.

2. Typically non-renewable: Most local scholarships are a one-time deal. They help out for freshman year, but after that you’ve got to figure out another way to come up with that money.

When can I apply for these?

Local scholarships are available November-May of senior year. The prime season for them is January-April of senior year.

How do I find them?

Great question. We’ll get to that. But right now, I have a better question for you:

How do I have other people find them for me?

If you’re reading this before May 1 of your junior year, you’re in for a super tip. Hang tight for that.

More likely, you’ve already made it to January of your senior year. Congrats! I’m about to teach you how to transform all those pesky senior year questions you’ve been asked over and over again into cash.

You know the ones I’m talking about:

“What are you doing next year?” 

“Where are you going to college?”

“What are you going to major in?”

Even though you know it’s just polite conversation from well-meaning relatives and neighbors, it can feel a bit like you’re under a microscope.

Here’s one simple trick to getting the focus off of your likely unfinalized plans and onto how the person who posed the question can help you in your quest to make college an affordable reality. Ready?

How to Turn Small Talk into Money for College

Nosy neighbor: “So, you’re a senior this year. Where are you going to college?”

You: “I haven’t quite decided yet since I’ve got until May 1st to weigh my options. What I’m really focusing on right now is applying for scholarships. Would you happen to have heard of any for students around here?”

Boom. Verbal jujitsu. You’ve turned this normally mundane conversation into an opportunity. 

Not every encounter will yield results. But what you’ve done is show initiative by advocating for yourself. Adults remember that. And even if they can’t think of a scholarship on the spot, I can guarantee you they will let you or your parent know if they do think of something later.

Anyone who is asking about your plans is likely someone who would happily help connect you to an opportunity. You’d be amazed how many obscure scholarships are uncovered this way. The more clues you can give your conversation partner (your major, where you’ve applied, extracurriculars), the more likely you are to jostle something useful out of their memory banks.

Now, back to your original question: 

How do I find local scholarships?

Two ways.

1. Talk to your counselor.

Through your assigned counselor or the school’s website, you’ll want to figure out which counselor at your high school is in charge of coordinating local scholarships and ask them where the information will be posted. (While you’re at it, you can use your new scholarship-generating conversation technique with them!) 

Usually a list of scholarships will be posted on  one of the following:

• The counseling website

• Naviance/SCOIR

• A bulletin board near the counseling office

• Or if they’re SUPER old-fashioned… a newsletter

Some counseling offices are hip enough to use Remind or social media to advertise local scholarships. 

No matter what method your school uses, find out by January and stay up-to-date with postings as they constantly change when a local organization reaches out to the counselor with that year’s application.

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Action Item: Take 5-10 minutes to try to find the information on the school’s counseling page on your own. If you have trouble finding it, email your counselor to ask where local scholarship information will be posted.

Here’s a template you can copy and paste:

Hello [counselor’s name],

I’m working on applying for scholarships and want to know where local scholarships for our high school are being posted this year. Would you mind sending me the link or information about where to look?

Thanks for all you do!

[your name]

2. Make some calls and/or write some emails.

The other way to track down this kind of scholarship is to contact local organizations directly.

You know when you enter a town and see the “Welcome” sign that has all those logos?

Each of those symbols represents an organization that is likely to have a scholarship! Though opportunities vary by community, here are some types of groups to look into:

• Civic organizations: Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, Lions Clubs, American Legion, Daughters of the American Revolution, Freemasons

• Community organizations: YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, Boy and Girl Scouts

• Religious organizations: churches, mosques, synagogues 

• Cultural organizations: UNICO, Casa Galicia

• Business organizations: Chamber of Commerce, American Business Women’s Association

• Prominent local businesses: law firms, auto dealers, banks

• Greek organizations: A.K.A. local chapters of fraternities and sororities… like AKA (lol)

There is no harm in checking their websites or simply calling to ask if they offer a scholarship or if they know of an affiliated organization that does.

Two tips to make your search as fruitful as possible: 

1. Try to do this as early as you can (definitely don’t wait until March of senior year!)

2. I would recommend calling and leaving a voicemail if possible, as you are more likely to get a quicker response and potentially more information. Another bonus of reaching out to ask is that, should they indeed offer a scholarship, it’s possible that you could be remembered as the one who took the initiative to seek out the funds.

True Story: I’ve had two juniors contact organizations to find out about scholarships and, as a result, the organizations ended up setting up scholarships for the following year that the students won. #PrintingYourOwnMoney!

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Action Item: Take 3 minutes and make a list of any organizations (like the ones listed above) that you already know of in your community. Google their email/phone number.

Don’t know of any? Take 10 minutes and google “civic organizations [name of your town, state]” or search for a specific one in your town from the list above.

Reach out to at least 5 organizations by calling (typically more effective) or by using this handy template:

Hello [name of organization],

My name is [your name] and I’m a [year in school] at [name of high school]. I’m looking into local scholarships and wanted to check with your organization to see if you offer a scholarship and, if so, how I can find more information about it.

Thank you for your time,

[your name]

How to Apply Successfully for Local Scholarships

Now that you know how to find them, let’s talk about applying for local scholarships.

1. Make it neat.

I’ve seen a local scholarship form filled out in crayon before. Needless to say, his application didn’t make it past a first glance.

2. Double check the instructions before the due date.

Is the form supposed to be turned in to your counselor or the scholarship sponsor? Dropped off, mailed, or emailed? Do they need an official or unofficial transcript? Does the form have to be filled out with a blue pen? Make sure you follow directions carefully so you aren’t disqualified.

3. Recycle.

Just like you’ve probably already done for private outside scholarships, don’t hesitate to reuse elements of previous applications for these scholarships.

4. Let them know why you need the scholarship.

Many local scholarship committees I’ve worked with really want to give the scholarship to the student for whom it would make the most difference. The more clearly you can explain how the money would benefit you and why you need every bit of help you can get, the better.

Often scholarships will ask for a “statement of need” or include a prompt like “why do you need this scholarship?” Sometimes it’s more subtle: “How will receiving this scholarship impact you?” or “Why should you receive this scholarship?” All of these questions are getting at the same idea.

Don’t write a sob story. Stick to the facts.

Example:

My dad was laid off due to COVID and my sister has $23,000 in medical bills my parents have to cover. I’m hoping to graduate with less than $20,000 in debt so I can have the financial freedom to pursue a Masters Degree in Secondary Science Instruction and become a Chemistry teacher.

This response is way stronger than a typical “This scholarship will help me achieve my dreams.” answer.

This leads me into my final tip: 

5. Try to communicate a specific vision for your life.

The scholarship folks aren’t going to hunt you down if you change your mind about your major (unless maybe the scholarship is only for students of that major.) But folks are less willing to invest in the future of someone who doesn’t at least have an idea of what that future could look like. Make your language specific so you stand out. To this day, I’ve never forgotten the student who said he’d love to spend one summer during his college years researching the history of the Sherpas of Mount Everest. That level of authentic specificity is hypnotizing!

One final downside to local scholarships is that you often don’t know if you’ve won anything until after you’ve had to choose your college. Most of the time, local scholarships are awarded in person at an end-of-year event. You’ll be told to attend if you’ve won something, but you may not be told what you’ve won.

6. Actually apply

What really? THAT’S your final tip.

Yes. 

Despite how easy these scholarships typically are to complete and turn in, I’ve found that, once the weather warms, very few seniors are in the mood to do any more applications. #Senioritis 

This is understandable. However, I’ve also noticed that those same students who could have applied but didn’t are often the most upset when one student gets called up over and over again at their high school’s annual Scholarship Night.

Scholarship Night? What’s that?

Most of the time, local scholarships are awarded in person at an end-of-year event. You’ll be told to attend if you’ve won something, but you may not be told what you’ve won. 

One bummer about winning local scholarships is that you often don’t know if you’ve won anything until after you’ve had to choose your college. 

These senior awards ceremonies can be long, but—underclassmen, here’s your awesome tip!—they are also an amazing source of insight into what local scholarships are available. So even if you aren’t a senior, attend, and take notes.

Up next...

While local scholarships are wonderful, wouldn’t it be more wonderful if the scholarships were easier to find (or even given to you automatically!) and were for much, much larger amounts that stuck with you all 4 years of college?

Yes. Yes, that would be wonderful. And that’s exactly what we’re discussing in our next section.

Take a break if you need one, and when you’re ready, let’s get started with the type of scholarship that is life-changing for the largest number of students: institutional scholarships.