Students are encouraged to research scholarship opportunities. Scholarships are typically based on considerations unique to each scholarship. These considerations may include the students’ residency status, their degree program or major, their academic achievement, their extracurricular activities, and, in some cases, their financial need. Unlike grants, scholarships are competitive, meaning that eligible applicants compete for a limited number of awards. Even finding the scholarship for which one can apply is part of the competitive process.
Students should begin their scholarship search nine to twelve months before they plan to attend college. They should start their search close to home and branch out (local, regional, statewide, and then nationally) as time allows. Students should carefully determine whether they meet the criteria for each scholarship. If they do, then they should then submit all application material on or before the deadline for each scholarship.
As a starting point in the scholarship search, students are encouraged to use the resources available, such as Award Spring, by visiting https://www.wmcc.edu/affordability/scholarship-resources.