Home » Pay for College Scholarships
Scholarships are gifts—you do not have to pay them back. Scholarships can be based on need or merit or both. You may receive scholarships from colleges, organizations, or foundations.
Different scholarships are available for different types of students. Scholarships may be based on your grades, what you want to study in college, whether your are male or female, or your after-school activities.
You can improve your chances of getting a scholarship by:
- Getting good grades
- Doing well on the ACT or SAT tests
- Submitting your college applications early
- Meeting deadlines and eligibility criteria
- Following directions carefully
When applying for scholarships, pay attention to the deadlines and the eligibility criteria. Follow the directions carefully.
For scholarships available to Illinois students, see Illinois and Federal Financial Aid.
For tips on how to apply for scholarships, please visit The College Board’s How to Apply for a Scholarship webpage.
We list scholarship opportunities as they are publicized or we become aware of them. Your school counselor or college advisor may know about other local scholarships.
