A Quick Guide to NH Scholarships

With financial aid deadlines looming or possibly having already passed, financial aid award letters will start hitting mailboxes soon. In a financial aid award letter, you will often see a mix of federal student loans, work-study, as well as grants and scholarships. What is left over is expected to be paid directly by your family, and let’s be honest, it can be kind of overwhelming. One way to help reduce the amount your family will have to pay for college is scholarships. Scholarships are great because they don’t have to be repaid! 

Since I haven’t previously blogged on this topic I want to provide some resources for finding scholarships:

First, check out 8 Steps to Winning a Scholarship provided by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). It offers some good information on the basics of scholarship searching.

Be sure to check out NHHEAF’s own nh93.org, a scholarship database offering local and national scholarships. The counselors at the Center for College Planning work hard to keep it up-to-date, so definitely check it out! Just so you know, you will have to create a username and password to access the site.

Another great scholarship resource for NH residents is New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Be sure to read when the deadlines are for particular scholarships, and start applying now because some of the deadlines are in March. Whether you are an adult student, a student-athlete, or going to community college, there’s something for everyone!

For example, one of the great programs the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation administers is the NH Dunkin Donuts Scholarship program. Dunkin Donuts created a scholarship program to honor local students who embody the Dunkin Donuts mission to help those that serve others. The scholarship program is open to any qualified New Hampshire student; however, Dunkin Donuts has a preference for those students interested in pursuing careers in business, hospitality or food service industries. Over $25000 in scholarships will be awarded – but you have to get your application in by March 20. Check it out.

Scholarships are not just for high school seniors! If you are currently a sophomore or junior in college, consider looking at the NH College Equals Opportunity (CEO) Scholarship. These are $5,000 scholarships, but hurry, the deadline to apply for this scholarship is March 16, 2009.

And how about a scholarship that is really a random drawing? Take a chance on NHHELCO’s “Take it To the Bank Scholarship”. At the beginning of each month for the next 7 months, one $1000 scholarship winner will be drawn at random. Simply put, 7 winners, $1000 each. If you don’t win the first month, make sure to re-register for the drawing the next month. For all you students who have wanted to play the lottery and aren’t old enough, here’s your chance to play, scholarship-style! Pretty cool stuff!

Along with these great resources, always check with the guidance office at your high school or financial aid office to find out what is available through your local community and your school. Also have your parents check with their employers to see if they offer scholarships for employee’s children. 

Applying for scholarships can be time-consuming, but remember, it is money for college you don’t have to pay back!  A couple of $250 scholarships can add up quickly – so it’s well-worth your time to apply!

For more information on scholarships, check out this page on our website!

Searching and Applying,

Rich