Outside Scholarship Search

Many scholarships go unclaimed every year because qualified students are not applying for them. Many students at the graduate level mistakenly believe scholarships are only available to undergraduates. While there are fewer graduate level scholarships, there are also fewer students who seek them out. Many programs have deadlines in January or February for scholarships that take effect in the Fall.

Other places to look for scholarships

• Businesses
  Sometimes businesses offer scholarships to employees and children of employees.     

• Charitable groups
  There are several charitable groups that are looking for qualified medical and health science students to offer grants and scholarships to. Easter Seals, March of Dimes, and the National Epilepsy Foundation are good places to start if you feel you may be interested in a charitable group scholarship. 

• Community organizations
  If you or a parent belong to a community organization, you may qualify for a scholarship. Some community organizations also offer scholarships to students who do not belong to the organization, but meet specific requirements.

• Cultural or ethnic organizations
  There are many organizations that offer scholarships and grants to students who are identified as belonging to a particular cultural or ethnic group.

• Honors societies
  Are you a member of an honor society? If you are, there is an excellent chance that they offer scholarships to their qualified members. Call your local chapter for more information.

• Professional organizations
  Various professional organizations offer money to qualified applicants.

• Military
  If you are interested in practicing in the military, contact the following:
  
  

  Army	877-622-8949	www.goarmy.com
  Navy	800-USA-NAVY	www.navy.com
  Air Force	312-922-2923	www.airforce.com

Tips for Finding a Scholarship

• It is most effective to apply for scholarships that have specific criteria that you meet. The more focused your search, and the more specific the scholarship, the greater your chance of success.
• Do not use any scholarship service that charges a fee. Not all of these organizations are legitimate, and those that are legitimate provide a service that you could do yourself for free.
• It is up to you to be assertive in searching for, applying for, and following up with scholarship programs. Be persistent.  Most students will find their efforts are well worth it.
• Apply for as many scholarships as you feel you are qualified for, even those that do not have a huge monetary value. Small scholarships save you big money in the long run.
• Start as early as possible. Investigate your resources and gather your applications as soon as you make the decision to go to Rosalind Franklin University. You will find some of the scholarships require that you are enrolled in school prior to your application.
• Keep your resources on hand so you can apply for the programs in your second year of study. 

Scholarship Search Engines
One of the best places to start your scholarship search is online with a scholarship search engine. These free search engines you can find scholarships based on anything from hobbies to what your parents do for a living:

www.finaid.org
www.fastweb.com
http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
www.salliemae.com/before_college/students_plan/free_money/scholarship-search.htm
http://www.fastaid.com/
http://www.free-4u.com/illinois_vocational_rehabilitation_grants.htm