Scholarships and Financial Aid Resources

To find scholarships, use free and reputable sources like your college's financial aid website, employers, places of worship, local organizations, and volunteer groups. Avoid paying for scholarship search services. Scholarship search engines let you filter and search for scholarships based on categories like school, location, GPA, talents, interests, ethnicity, or military affiliation. Be cautious when signing up for search engines, as your personal details may be shared with marketers. Consider creating a dedicated email account for scholarship searches to manage the influx of emails.

Absolutely! Schools offer numerous scholarships, both big and small, to students, particularly incoming freshmen. We highly suggest checking the financial aid pages of the schools you're applying to for information on available awards. By simply applying to the school, you might automatically qualify for some scholarships, while others may need extra details for application. These scholarships aren't just general – there are also specific ones for different colleges and majors within the university system.

Visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information page that gives helpful information on Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams.

Yes! If you receive a scholarship, it's important to express your gratitude by sending a thank-you letter to the individual or organization providing the award. The University of Iowa College of Business offers a template for this purpose, which you can use as a guide. However, feel free to personalize the letter to make it genuine and reflective of your own appreciation.

Download How to Write Scholarship Thank You Letter