Outside scholarships

Outside scholarships (sometimes called “private scholarships”) for undergraduates are usually awarded on the basis of merit – for example, athletic achievement, academic accomplishments or artistic talent. They are administered and funded by sources other than MIT or the federal government, including national foundations, nonprofit organizations (National Merit Scholarships, Gates Millennium Scholarships, etc.) and local organizations. You must be nominated for some private scholarships, but for others you may apply yourself.

Some organizations require enrollment verification before disbursing funds. To obtain enrollment verification, contact the SFS Student Services Center (Room 11-120, 617-258-8600, ssc@mit.edu) or follow these instructions.

Many scholarship applications require an essay to learn about you and how you're different from others who are competing for a given scholarship. FinancialAidTips.org has some helpful hints for writing scholarship essays.

We encourage undergraduates to seek as many outside awards as possible, because we let you use these awards to reduce the self-help component of your aid package.

Online scholarship search sites

Never pay for scholarship search services, as most who charge a fee are not reputable and will provide you with information you could have found yourself for free. Check out FinAid.org for more information on scholarship scams. Here are some good free scholarship sites:

• Broke Scholar
• College Board
• CollegeScholarships.org
• College View
• FastWeb
• FinAid
• FinancialAidTips.org
• The Foundation Center
• The Gates Millenium Scholars
• National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs
• NextStudent.com
• Peterson’s
• Princeton Review
• Sallie Mae
• Students.gov
• United Negro College Fund

Other scholarship sources

• High school counseling office – Start here. Your school may post scholarships on a web site, publish a regular scholarships newsletter or just keep a binder.
• Civic and community organizations – Look for groups such as a Rotary Club, Lions Club, Knights of Columbus, Elks Club and VFW.
• Businesses big and small – Get a list of businesses from your chamber of commerce or public library. Chain stores like Wal-Mart and Target offer scholarships to local students, but smaller businesses in your area may also do so.
• Professional sports teams – Football, basketball, baseball and other sports teams often sponsor students in local areas. Some even have community foundations.
• Employers – Check with the human resources staff where your parents work. If you work part-time, check with your employer to see if they offer scholarships for student workers. National employers like McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway do this.
• Professional or trade associations – Look at associations related to your career interests as well as any that your parent belong to, since they may award scholarships to dependents of members.
• Religious organizations – Contact both local and national headquarters.
• Ethnic and cultural organization – There may be an organization related to your ethnic and cultural heritage that’s interested in encouraging higher education or developing leaders. Examples are the Organization of Chinese Americans and the Hispanic Heritage Awards Foundation.
• Political parties and politicians – Political parties sometimes offer scholarships to children of members, or to those who volunteer directly. Some local politicians give scholarships to students in their district regardless of political affiliation.
• Military associations – If either of your parents is a reserve member, active-duty service member or veteran, check out military and veterans organization such as the American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary and AMVETS.
• Local governments – Don’t forget your county or city government which may have awards for students in the community.
• Private foundations and charities – Visit your library and ask the reference librarian for a directory of local charities and foundation, or visit Charity Wire, Community Foundation Locator, Network for Good or Volunteer Match.