Our Most Frequently Asked Questions

Click on the questions below to learn answers to popular student and sponsor questions:

Student FAQs

What is an outside scholarship?

An outside scholarship is any amount of college scholarship funding that does not come from the educational institution itself. The money may come from an individual fund, a nonprofit or a for-profit company. Students typically apply for outside scholarships with their academic and extracurricular records, personal essays, teacher recommendations and/or in-person interviews.

What is required to apply for an outside scholarship?

Like University admissions team members, scholarship providers are often looking for students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership skills, community involvement and strength of character. Finding the right scholarship for you means connecting an organization that aligns with your passions, skills and interests. And that’s how scholarship search engines like outsidescholarships.org can be so helpful. Whether you plan to build a rocket ship or provide counseling for relationships, there are funds set up to help you pay for school. It’s just a matter of finding them.

Often, the same types of personal essays you’re for college admissions are requested by scholarship organizations, meaning that many students already have the necessary materials on-hand to apply for outside scholarship funding.

Will an outside scholarship reduce the financial aid package I receive from my school?

Maybe, but they can still help you build toward a financially stable future. Here’s why:

Schools require students to report the outside scholarship money they receive to the financial aid office, and there are federal laws requiring schools to reduce financial aid packages if students earn scholarship money beyond their monetary need, as determined by the FAFSA. (This is done so that funds can be doled out to students who still have needs.)

However, many schools have policies that allow students to first apply outside scholarships against student loan packages, then, if there are still fund available, against their institutional grant. This way, outside scholarships help reduce the amount of student loan debt the student is responsible for after graduation before they take way from college-provided grant money.

For a complete overview of how your school treats outside scholarship funding, contact their financial aid office.

 

How often are scholarships updated here?

Scholarships are typically updated every two weeks. Please check back often!

Do I apply to scholarships here on this site?

No. When you search for a scholarship, you’ll see a URL for that scholarship. Click through to apply at the host’s website.

How many scholarships are listed on Outside Scholarships?

At our last count, it was 7,975, and it’s always growing!

What is the total dollar amount of awards available here?

At our last count, the total amount was 1,614,636! We are always adding new scholarships, so check back often!

How much outside scholarship money is generally available?

From all sources, and according to debt.org: each year, about $3.3 billion in funding is awarded to college students from private organizations.

What can I do if I see an outdated scholarship?

Please contact us here to let us know about the outdated entry, and we will remove it. Thank you!

Sponsor FAQs

What is an outside scholarship?

An outside scholarship is any amount of college scholarship funding that does not come from the educational institution itself. The money may come from an individual fund, a nonprofit or a for-profit company. Students typically apply for outside scholarships with their academic and extracurricular records, personal essays, teacher recommendations and/or in-person interviews.

How many scholarships are listed on Outside Scholarships?

At our last count, it was 7,975, and it’s always growing!

What is the total dollar amount of awards available here?

At our last count, the total amount was 1,614,636! We are always adding new scholarships, so check back often!

How much outside scholarship money is generally available?

From all sources, and according to debt.org: each year, about $3.3 billion in funding is awarded to college students from private organizations.

What can I do if I see an outdated scholarship?

Please contact us here to let us know about the outdated entry, and we will remove it. Thank you!