In an attempt to make the FASFA application easier to manage for students and their families, the Education Department updated the application for the 2024-2025 school year back in 2023. However, this led to some issues with the application, and in turn, instead of it becoming available for students to fill out on Oct. 1, 2023, its release was delayed until Dec. 31, 2023. That delay has set off another round of setbacks — many colleges are still waiting for the FAFSA data. Instead of having it in hand by the end of January, some schools may not get data from the FAFSA until the first half of March. Many students who depend on federal aid to finance their tertiary education might be frustrated by this, since they won’t have information on their federal financial aid until after that point. But the good news is there’s another way to get funding for college while waiting for your federal aid package: scholarships. Scholarships offer students “free” money for a variety of different reasons, and you don’t need to have the highest GPA to qualify for them.
There are numerous scholarship websites available that constantly update their database as new scholarship applications open. Some of these include Fastweb, Scholarship Owl, College Board, Bold, and more. You can also find scholarships specific to your state and school by doing a simple Google search, contacting your office of financial aid, or checking your state’s website. Here are a few scholarships to apply for if you’re still waiting for your federal financial aid package.
- Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship
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Deadline: March 1, 2024
The Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship is open to students who are young activists advocating for health justice or social justice. Incoming and current undergraduate students at community colleges and four-year universities are encouraged to apply, assuming they are 27 years old or younger. This scholarship awards recipients up to $5,000, according to Fastweb.
- Women At Microsoft Scholarship
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Deadline: March 13, 2024
This scholarship from Microsoft is open to anyone who identifies as a woman, non-binary, or genderfluid person. Applicants have to be high school seniors planning to study anything STEM-related. It awards recipients up to $5,000.
- Beyond the Boroughs Scholarship
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Deadline: March 15, 2024
This Beyond The Boroughs Scholarship is primarily for incoming college students (high school seniors) who are from low-income households. The application requires you to fill out a few short answer questions and share a bit of information about your family. It awards up to $5,000.
- 2024 Frame My Future Scholarship Contest
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Deadline: March 15, 2024
If you’re stressed about not having enough time to apply for scholarships, this one is for you. The Frame My Future scholarship only requires a 30-second video of you explaining your plans for the future. By simply doing this, students get the chance to win $2,000.
- Stossel in the Classroom Video Contest
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Deadline: March 22, 2024
Open to anyone between the ages of 10-23, all this video contest scholarship requires is that you record a video on one of the four topics listed on their website. The scholarship committee encourages students to think outside of the box. This scholarship awards up to $2,500.
- “Unboxing your life” Video Scholarship
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Deadline: March 31, 2024
Open to high school seniors, undergrad students, and graduate students, this unboxing video scholarship from Sttark requires you to create a five-minute video to apply. The video should address the prompt “This Is Who I Am: Unboxing My Life.” The scholarship awards one recipient up to $4,000.
- CBCF Reducing the Financial Barrier Scholarship
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Deadline: March 31, 2024
This scholarship from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation is open to Black college students who are U.S. Citizens or permanent residents. It requires a resume, transcript, video essay response, and professional photograph. Applicants are required to have a GPA minimum of 2.5. It awards $10,000.
- Kailee Mills Foundation Scholarship Program
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Deadline: April 1, 2024
The KMF scholarship is a bit unique in comparison to the others listed above. Since this foundation’s goal is to educate teens on seatbelt awareness, they are requiring applicants to start a seatbelt awareness campaign in their schools or communities. Students could receive up to $5,000 or more for their efforts.
As you can see, there are multiple different scholarships that serve different purposes for students looking to get extra help in paying for college next year. Good luck!
