Scholarship Search Engine
Frequently Asked Questions

	Scholarships » How can I increase the number of scholarships in my search results? » Am I eligible for financial aid? » How do I use the NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine? » Is there a cost to use the NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine? » How do I apply for a scholarship? » How will I know if I’ve won a scholarship? » Will a scholarship award affect my financial aid? » Who can apply for scholarships? » How do I update or change my profile? » What is a “what if” scenario and how do I create one? » I’m still in high school; how do I look for scholarships? » I'm not sure what my major is going to be; how can I look for scholarships? » What types of scholarships should I include in my search?

	Don't see your question listed here? » Questions about the NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine

Scholarships FAQ

How can I increase the number of scholarships in my search results?
Simple! Just broaden your search criteria, and you’ll find more awards.
For example:

• Change your Year of Study to check for scholarships that may be available
  in the future.
• In the State of Residency field, enter all the states you are considering.
  Don’t forget to include the state in which you currently live; you may be eligible for local scholarships, too.
• Select multiple responses in the Academic Major field to see what's
  available, or select "No Academic Major" to see the financial aid awards
  available regardless of field of study.
• Select “None” in College(s) you may attend field to see awards offered
  by schools throughout the country.
• Expand your responses in the Artistic Skills and Athletic Skills fields to include other areas in which you might be interested or skilled.

How do I use the NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine?
Simply create your student profile, and select “Search” for a comprehensive list
of scholarship opportunities customized just for you.

Is there a cost to use the NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine?
Absolutely not! You may use the NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine as often
as you’d like, whenever you’d like. There’s never a fee, and we’ll never bother
you with annoying advertising. We won’t sell your personal information, so you
can feel comfortable completing your scholarship profiles.

Do I have to create a new student search profile every time I use the
NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine?

No. This option is offered to help you broaden your search easily and
conveniently. You can create different profiles for yourself, each based on
different academic scenarios such as grades, class ranking, major, etc., and
save these for future use. We’re constantly adding and updating the database,
and saved profiles can save you lots of time in your search process.

How do I apply for a scholarship?
Once you’ve received your search results, read the description carefully
for application instructions. Each scholarship is different; some refer you to
their Web site to complete an online application while others provide a
phone number or address for the person you need to contact. For tips on ways
to maximize your chances of winning a scholarship, see the October issue
of NextPath, our financial aid newsletter.

How will I know if I’ve won a scholarship?
The NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine helps you identify
scholarship opportunities, but we’re not involved in the application or
funding process. Once you’ve applied for an award, you’ll be dealing directly
with the awarding organization, and can check with the scholarship administrator
to determine the status of your application.

Will a scholarship award affect my financial aid?
It might. Depending on your financial situation and the amount of student aid
you’ve already received, a scholarship may reduce the amount of financial aid
for which you’re eligible. Scholarships, though, are free money that doesn’t
have to be repaid, so you’ll still want to apply for as many scholarships as
possible. Be sure, however, to report your scholarship awards to your
school’s Financial Aid Office, or contact them if you have any questions about
your financial aid eligibility.

Who can apply for scholarships?
Just about every student is eligible for scholarships, regardless of
background, abilities or academic level. Scholarships are not limited to
students with high academic averages, or extraordinary abilities, and
they’re available to high school students just entering college, students
transferring from another college, and even graduate students.

How do I update or change my profile?
If you’re academic situation has changed, you can either create a new profile
or update an existing profile by highlight the appropriate profile and selecting
“Edit Profile”. If you’re updating basic personal information, such as your
e-mail address or mailing address, select “View/Update Account” and enter
the revised information.

What is a “what if” scenario and how do I create one?
The NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine maximizes your
scholarship opportunities by making it easy to compare various scenarios to
see what yields the best results for you. You can do this by creating a number
of profiles, each with a different set of criteria, such as your selected
academic major (or no major at all), various ACT scores, a higher or lower
GPA and many other options. You can also work with the same profile,
simply changing your options to see what the search results provide.

What’s the difference between “All Funding Options” and “Scholarships,
Grants & Awards Only”?

Selecting "all funding options" will give you access to all funding options,
including federally sponsored loans, and private loan products from NextStudent.

I’m still in high school; how do I look for scholarships?
If you want to check on scholarships that my be available down the road, set
your "Year of Study" for a year in advance.

I’m trying to improve my GPA, but it’s not very high right now. What
scholarship options do I have?

You have lots of options. Although some scholarships are based on
academic performance, many do not consider your GPA at all. The
NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine lets you estimate your GPA score, in
case you’re not sure what it is or what it will be when you graduate. If you
expect your grades to improve, enter your expected GPA to see how the
change affects your scholarship opportunities.

I'm not sure what my major is going to be; how can I look
for scholarships?
The NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine contains thousands of awards, many
of which require no specific major. To see these opportunities, select “None”
as your academic major. The search results will show only those financial
aid sources that do not require an academic major. You can also select
multiple majors to see the award opportunities for these fields of study. Simply
hold down the CRTL key on your keyboard to select up to five majors.

What types of scholarships should I include in my search?
Most users select "All Types" here. However, if you’re looking for a particular award, you can narrow your search results by selecting a scholarship type. Or, if you’re not interested in some types of awards, you can filter these out by selecting only those that interest you.

Don't see your question listed here? Just ask us!

	Quick Links » Tools and Resources » FAFSA » Top Tips » Financial Aid News » Calculators » Glossary » Financial Aid Advisor: The Guided Tour » NextPath