Searching for Scholarships
Likely, you’ve heard that every year millions of dollars in scholarships go unclaimed. It’s the truth — because many students deem the scholarship search process too daunting, the opportunities to win scholarships are better than you think.
We strongly encourage our students to search for outside scholarships to reduce the need to borrow! Here at UNE, our policy is to let outside scholarships fill any unmet financial need as part of your financial aid award. In the event award adjustments are in fact necessary, we will first attempt to reduce loans and/or work-study funding so the scholarship is as advantageous to you as possible!
Yes, applying for scholarships takes effort, organization, and time, but this time investment can pay off big. Scholarships are an important means of reducing borrowing through your college career. Treat your scholarship search like you would a part-time job — schedule time weekly to search and stay informed of important deadlines, and organize yourself for success by tracking your scholarship applications. Every scholarship — no matter how small — helps pay for college and ultimately reduces your student loan debt.
While your first scholarship application will require the most time and effort — maybe a few hours — you can reuse around 70% of your scholarship application materials for future applications. Don’t get discouraged. It typically takes 10 scholarship applications to equal 1 scholarship award. While free money requires effort, your search does not have to be labor intensive. Organization and persistence are the keys to a fruitful search.
Karly Robinson ’16
Karly Robinson mastered the art of obtaining outside scholarships. Examples of scholarships she has received include the Mitchell Scholarship, the Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship and the Lillian Baker Scholarship. Karly’s advice to students is to, “…look for local scholarships and apply for as many as you can.” She also adds, “Don’t ignore the small awards.” Karly aspires to be a registered nurse after she graduates. She uses her scholarship monies to help pay for tuition and textbooks.
Look for local scholarships and apply for as many as you can. Don’t ignore the small awards.
Scholarship Search Tools
UNE Search Tools
UNE has created a Scholarship Search Tool to keep you informed of the different scholarship opportunities available to you. We monitor and update this database regularly to keep you in the know about deadlines and requirements. The scholarship search engines listed below are also good resources. We recommend creating accounts with a few of these search engines to get regular updates on opportunities that match your criteria. Many tools, resources and people are here to assist you. Please reach out if we can help, and stay in tune with the informational opportunities offered by our Tuition Planning and Outreach Team.
Check out UNE's Scholarship Search Tool to explore outside scholarship opportunities.
Study Abroad Scholarship Opportunities
Traveling the world and studying abroad is an incredible opportunity. We encourage all UNE students to take advantage of our international programs in Morocco or Spain, other study abroad programs, or travel study courses. If you are considering studying abroad, there are resources to help like check out UNE study abroad scholarship opportunities.
Explore UNE study abroad opportunities
External Search Tools
Big Future by The College Board has scholarships, grants, and internships from more than 2,200 different programs, totaling nearly $6 billion. Enter as much or little information as you wish to find the best matches. The data provided is based on The College Board's Annual Survey of Financial Aid Programs.
Cappex is a great resource for conducting scholarship searches that fit your unique skills and background. Their directory has more than $11 billion available to students in outside scholarships. Not only does this database have a wealth of opportunity, the site is user-friendly and allows you to opt out of emails at any time. Unlike other databases, you can tag your applications with unique filters like “will never apply,” “applied,” “may apply,” “ received,” etc. Tracking has never been easier!
Peterson's, a Nelnet company, offers a scholarship search site with more than 5,000 scholarship providers. By answering four simple questions, you will be directed to a comprehensive list of scholarships with detail that will help guide you. This site is great for graduate and professional students. The Featured Scholarships section on the home page will give you deadlines that are fast approaching.
The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) offers many scholarship opportunities for Maine residents or students attending Maine’s colleges or universities. Also, use this resource to research other information regarding the financial aid process, paying for college, and financial literacy.
Awarding more than $2 million each year from more than 450 scholarship funds, the funds from the Maine Community Foundation are specific to Maine residents. You can search scholarships by a variety of criteria, including your region and type of degree you are pursuing. Scholarship applications and criteria vary by fund.
New Hampshire’s Higher Education Loan Corporation (NHHELOC) provides EdvestinU as a resource for you to explore scholarship opportunities, loan calculators, financial literacy and more. They often offer monthly scholarship giveaways, so be sure to apply!
Though many think of loans when they hear Sallie Mae, this company encourages you to reduce your loans by taking advantage of their Scholarship Search by Sallie Mae earch toolbox to search scholarship opportunities.
Scholarship America is a great resource, providing expert advice on scholarships in its U.S. New and World Report blog called The Scholarship Coach.
At Scholarships.com you can set up a profile and access many blogs and articles that will help you in your scholarship search.
Additional Guidance
The U.S. Department of Education breaks down the terms and questions you may have about scholarships. They offer some great tips on how to apply for scholarships and where you should be looking for your next opportunity. This site also offers guidance on avoiding scholarship scams and protecting your identity.