A Brief Look On Scholarships

Scholarships are financial aid awards that can help students pay and afford higher education. These funds can serve to alleviate the costs for a private elementary or secondary education, or a public or private post-secondary college, university, or other higher academic institution. A keynote to scholarships is that they do not have to be repaid and may be based on certain criteria. Most scholarships can be awarded by merit-based and need-based aid. Merit-based scholarships are awarded on the criteria of excellence or notability of academic, athletic, creative, etc merits. Need-based scholarships are grants for students with financial aid and are determined by Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

Though this is a brief article regarding scholarships, it is critical to note that there are a plethora of ways to win scholarships and help pay for college. The first step is by having the right place to start your search! There is a wide range of scholarships posted on large scholarship databases with all kinds of criteria that may apply to you ( Big Future - Collegeboard, etc. ). Unfortunately on the web scholarship scams exist. It is important to research scholarships to prove their legitimacy before you start applying.

Another way to search for scholarships is through local organizations and community resources. Local scholarships can be found through high school counselors, the university’s financial aid office, libraries, etc. Below are a few Miami-Dade Scholarship opportunities:

● Posse Miami Foundation | Full-tuition with Partnered Schools

● Miami Bayside Foundation MDCPS Scholarship | Award: $1000

● Ford Salute to Education Scholarship (Miami-Dade and Broward) | Award:

$1000

● Miami Dade County Fair & Exposition Scholarship Program | Award: $1000

● The Miami Foundation Scholarships | Award: Varies

Check for eligibility, deadlines, and general information when applying for scholarships! Best of luck.

Sources:

https://www.debt.org/students/scholarships-and-grants/need-based-scholarships-grants/ https://finaid.org/scholarships/scams/