How to Start Your Scholarship Search (Even If You’re Late)

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Let’s be real for a second—sometimes the hardest part is just getting started. If you’re a high school student, have you begun building a scholarship list yet? Maybe you’re a senior about to graduate or even already in college. If so, don’t panic—there are still scholarships out there for you. The truth is, it’s never too late to start your search.

But where do you begin when it feels like there are a million options—or none? Let’s break it down together.

🎯 Start Local

This is always my first piece of advice: start close to home. Local scholarships tend to have fewer applicants than national ones, and even if they’re "just" $500 here or $1,000 there, that money adds up fast.

Here’s where to look:

• Your high school’s guidance counselor or website

• Other high schools in your district (some publish their own lists)

• Your parent or guardian’s employer

• Local credit unions or banks (FirstBank in PR, SECU in NC, etc.)

• PTO/PTA or booster clubs

• Community organizations like:

  • Rotary Club

  • Lions Club

  • YMCA

  • 4-H Club

  • American Red Cross

Also check bulletin boards at your public library, community center, church, or local newspaper. These spots often feature zip code- or county-specific opportunities.

💡 Pro Tip: Don’t just rely on your school’s list—ask librarians, youth pastors, or even your family’s HR department if they know of local scholarships. These hidden gems often don’t show up online. (Example: Triangle Community Foundation scholarships in North Carolina)

🗺️ Use the Community Foundation Locator

Want to make it even easier to find scholarships in your region? Try the Community Foundation Locator. Most counties or regions have a nonprofit foundation that manages local scholarships and grants. Some of these foundations offer dozens of scholarships with a single application.

👉 Visit: https://www.cof.org/community-foundation-locatorEnter your state or region to find your local foundation.

🔎 Google Smart: Scholarships + City + State + Year💡 Pro Tip: Add "2025" or the current school year to narrow down your search and weed out expired listings. Use quotes for exact phrases and try alternate terms like "tuition award" or "student grant." You can also try adding -edu to your search to exclude individual college pages and focus on outside scholarships.

Don’t underestimate the power of a smart Google search. Try using this format:

"Scholarships + [City] + [State] + [Year]" Example: Scholarships Charlotte NC 2025

You’ll often uncover:

• News articles about community winners

• Archived listings from school websites

• Local business or church-based awards

Pair your search with terms like:

• “Community Foundation”

• “Youth scholarship”

• “High school senior award”

Sometimes, even scrolling to page 2 or 3 of results can uncover hidden gems. Try clicking over to Google Images as well—some scholarship flyers or winner announcements might appear there. You can also search LinkedIn to see if local businesses or professionals have posted about scholarship opportunities or recent student winners.

💻 Search Online (But Stay Smart) 💡 Pro Tip: Some sites like Scholarships.com and Fastweb let you filter by state. That’s a great way to find regional scholarships that may not appear in national search results.

Once you’ve explored local options, it’s time to widen the search. There are dozens of scholarship databases out there. Some are clunky, others are user-friendly. Here are a few student favorites:

• Going Merry

• Scholarships.com

• Fastweb

• Cappex

• RaiseMe

• College Board

• Career One Stop

⚠️ A quick warning: If a site asks you to pay to access scholarships or requests your Social Security number just to search, run! Trustworthy tools don’t charge you to search.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Create a Scholarship Support Team

This process can be a lot. But you don’t have to do it alone.

Ask a friend or family member to help keep you motivated. You can:

• Divide up the search

• Share scholarships that fit each other

• Help edit essays

There’s power in numbers. You’ll stay on track and feel more supported along the way.

💬 One Last Thing...

If you’re planning to apply to a college and want to be considered for institutional merit aid (those bigger scholarships from the school itself), be sure to apply Early Action—usually by November 1st. No extra applications, no extra forms—just apply early and you’re automatically in the running.

💡 Need Help Getting Organized?

That’s where I come in.

At Future Bound, I help students build personalized scholarship lists, grouped by essay theme, interest, or deadline. We’ll create a real plan together—including reminders, guidance on which scholarships are worth your time, and support all the way to submission. Plus, you’ll get access to tools I use with my 1:1 clients (and no, it’s not just another spreadsheet).

Let’s make your college dreams a little more affordable—and a lot less overwhelming.

👉 Ready to start writing? Stay tuned for next week’s blog: How to Actually Apply for Scholarships (Without Losing Your Mind)