FAQ

Scholarships are funds offered by institutions, companies, organizations, and foundations to support your education that you don’t have to pay back. They can be used for tuition, housing, supplies, books, transportation, travel, study abroad, and more. Scholarships can be categorized into two initial groups: general and specific. General scholarships are those open to almost every college student, and specific majors are not required to apply. Specific scholarships are just that, specific to certain populations, fields of study, majors, experiences, and skills. We encourage students to focus more of their time applying for specific scholarships because your background, experiences, and interests will make you a better candidate.

Fellowships often provide funding for education (including graduate school and beyond) and access to more opportunities like internships, study abroad, jobs, and more. They are also related to professional development and last a short period of time, usually from three months to two years

Grants are non-repayable funds or products provided by the government, a foundation, or corporation for use towards a specific purpose, usually to fund projects, travel, and other non-tuition needs. Most grant applications also require a detailed proposal that includes a budget.

Many scholarships, fellowships, and grants are not only great ways to get funding for your education, projects and research, but also amazing resume and skill builders. Much of the experience, skills, and exposure students get when applying and participating in these funding opportunities are transferable to other internships and jobs. You can also reduce your out-of-pocket costs and loans.

Yes, international students are eligible for many scholarships. While some opportunities are only available to U.S. citizens or have certain residency requirements, there are many scholarships that are open to international students. Make sure to check eligibility requirements for each scholarship to find out if you can apply.

Our best advice is to conduct a search on reputable scholarship websites, like Fastweb, Unigo, Cappex, and Niche, and to do a Google search for organizations, associations and foundations related to your interests. Don’t depend on one scholarship search engine to find all the scholarships you’re eligible for. Many scholarships are often only listed on their foundation’s or organization’s website.

First ask yourself these questions to figure out what types of scholarships you might be interested in:

• What do I enjoy doing?

• What am I passionate about? 

• What do I already have experience in? (Volunteer work, internships, jobs, projects, clubs, etc.)

• What do I want to continue doing?

• What are my talents, hobbies, etc.?

• What do I hope to do in the future?

• Do I plan to continue my education post-undergrad?

Then, look for organizations, foundations, and associations related to your interests, goals, and experience. These are the best sources of information for funding opportunities. You can also check out common scholarship search engines like Fastweb, Unigo, Cappex and Niche. The New School Library offers access to Pivot, a great database of scholarships, fellowships and grants that New School students can browse through.

Apply early and often. The only way to win scholarships is to apply for as many of them as you’re eligible for, as well as focusing your search on opportunities you have a better chance of winning, like ones related to your interests and skills. Stay away from general or generic scholarships, or ones that seem very easy to apply for; they might not ask many questions, or require too much documentation. 

The problem with these scholarships is that many students apply and the chances of winning them are so small that you could be wasting your time. General scholarships are often offered by questionable websites and companies, so proceed with caution.

Spring is the most popular time for scholarship deadlines, but there are many opportunities available through the summer, fall, and winter.

Unfortunately there are many fake scholarships online so always be careful when you search and apply for scholarships. Never give out your social security number, credit card information, or bank account number to a scholarship website. Don’t give out information to unsolicited calls or emails from supposed scholarship companies either. To report a possible scholarship scam, visit the Federal Trade Commission website.

Meet with Scholarship Advising by scheduling an appointment on Starfish! You can also check out one of our workshops, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on Twitter.