5 Places to Find Local Scholarships

Sometimes the opportunities closest to you are the ones you don't see. Year after year thousands of dollars are left on the table because local scholarships are overlooked. In some cases, with not enough applicants the scholarships are discontinued.

Here are 5 places in every neighborhood or surrounding area that offer scholarships:

College Alumni Associations

Colleges have local alumni association chapters in most cities or towns. If you plan to attend college out-of-state this could be an option. College alumni chapters offer scholarships to high school students planning to attend that college and returning college students that live in the area.

To find your local chapter:

• contact the college's Alumni Relations office
• visit the alumni website page
• internet search including the college name, "alumni chapter", and your city.

Divine 9 Fraternities and Sororities

The historically Black fraternities and sororities alumni chapters offer scholarships to local high school seniors. Scholarship awards range from $1,000 - $5,000 each. Applicants must live within the alumni chapter's designated county. Scholarships are open to male and female students and membership is not required.

National Panhellenic Council Members (Divine 9)

• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
• Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
• Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
• Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

* Links are to organizations' national websites

Community Foundations

 are public charities that provide grants for community projects and scholarships for students within a specific geographic area. There are over 700 community foundations across the United States. They offer student aid in the form of one-time and renewable scholarships and in some areas 0% student loans. Scholarships range from $500 - $25,000 and vary in requirements and eligibility depending upon the community foundation.

Use the Community Foundation Locator to find the location nearest you.

Credit Unions

 offer college bound members scholarships that range from $1,000 - $2,000. To be eligible you must have a checking or savings account in good standing with the credit union. Use the Credit Union Locator to find a location near you.

School Counselors 

are a wealth of untapped information. Smaller local scholarships send information to counselors to send out to students. Stay connected with your counselor so your name will be at the forefront of their mind when opportunities arise.

‍

This article was originally published February 15th, 2021 on Hbcuinfominute.com