Explore
Start your scholarship research by defining your study field(s) and interests. Include your heritage, gender, lived experiences, future goals and other personal aspects of you. Consider your options broadly.
Make a list of keywords that describe YOU and your interests within each of these categories and use them to start your search:
- Areas of study and/or issues/topics you're interested in
- Identities you hold
- Future goals & plans, both near and long-term
- Activities you are doing and/or would like to be doing
Explore and dream
Scholarships often provide more than financial support. Some awards offer opportunities to gain specific experiences or access to networks. Consider how the program might connect to your longer-term goals.
This exploratory phase is an opportunity for you to dream big and imagine what you would do with the financial support, networks and cohort experiences scholarships may offer.
Consider your strengths as an applicant
Each scholarship program is unique, will have a unique purpose, mission, and selection criteria used when trying to make a small number of scholarship awards from a huge number of applications.
A few common qualities most scholarships will highly value:
- Individuals who can articulate their goals and past experiences, and how those fit well into the mission and impact of the specific opportunity they are applying for
- Students and applicants who aim to serve their community and expand their impact in concrete ways
- Strong leaders who have experiences to back up their leadership
- Those who are interested in and/or have existing experience in a topic or research area
- Applicants who show tenacity, creativity, and reflectiveness about their personal journey
Use multiple resources to search
Searching for scholarships takes time, and you’ll likely use a combination of search tools and resources to support your search. There is no one right way to go about your search, but here are some starting points.
Most importantly: keep an open mind!
Think broadly about scholarships - they may provide more than financial support. Some awards offer opportunities to gain specific experiences and can be used to fund study abroad, access to networks, or curriculum. Consider how an opportunity might connect to your longer-term goals.
Explore your department, college, school within UW
Check your major (or intended major) department website AND the website for the college/school that department is part of for information about scholarships from each of those entities.
Many UW departments have a pool of scholarship funds and other financial support for undergraduate and graduate students to apply to, typically on an annual basis. The number of scholarships and award amount may vary, but departmental scholarships are ones you should always apply for when eligible because these scholarships are targeted at you as a student in that field, major, or department.
Consider other units/departments/centers within UW
Many different units within UW offer scholarships that are open to all students and geared toward projects, efforts, engagements, things you care about and devote time to, directions you’re headed, communities you are part of.
Use OMSFA's tools
- Search OMSFA's database
- Explore our list of featured scholarships
- Join OMSFA's email list: we send bi-weekly emails with upcoming scholarships & related events
- @uwomsfa: we post regularly about scholarship news & deadlines
Look for scholarships beyond UW
Search for scholarships from local organizations, companies, foundations, etc. in Washington state, or in your home state or country.
- Use The Washboard to explore scholarships in Washington. The Washboard is a free, web-based, nonprofit scholarship clearinghouse for Washington students seeking college scholarships. This online resource is managed by the Washington State Achievement Council, and aims to connect Washington state college students to local scholarships. Washboard matches you with scholarship opportunities based on your profile and interests.
Look for scholarships at the national and international levels
National and international scholarships are open to students from across the US and/or across the globe. Don’t worry about whether they are more competitive or not (often they are not as competitive as you would assume), focus on whether they support the things you want to do!
- Any free scholarship-specific search tools you feel give you good results are good to use.
- Get a list of search tools in the Tools & Resources section
There are hundreds of other scholarship resources, from traditional websites to social media accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. As you broaden your scholarship search, make sure to discern and double check resources. If a scholarship looks too good to be true, it probably is. See the Federal Trade Commission's information on how to avoid scholarship and financial aid scams.
Avoid scholarship scams
There are hundreds of other scholarship resources, from traditional websites to social media accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. As you broaden your scholarship search, make sure to discern and double check resources. If a scholarship looks too good to be true, it probably is.
- See the Federal Trade Commission's information on how to avoid scholarship and financial aid scams
- Everything you use should be free:
- You should not need to pay for using a search tool
- You should not need to pay to apply for a scholarship
