Office of

Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards

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Student Services Office at the University of Washington

• The Office of Student Financial Aid
  Most local scholarships which take need into account are rolled into the financial aid application and award processes coordinated by the Office of Student Financial Aid.
• The Undergraduate Scholarship Office
  The Undergraduate Scholarship Office serves as the campus resource for merit-based scholarship opportunities.
• The Fellowship and Assistantship Division of the Graduate School
  Use services offered by this office to locate funding for graduate school.
• Disabled Student Services
  This office has several strategies listed to assist students with disabilities in finding scholarship opportunities.

Academic Advisors

Your departmental academic advisers may receive information on scholarship competitions for students in your major. Keep an eye out for postings on departmental bulletin boards, and read any departmental newsletters. Attend meetings for undergraduates in your major held by your advisers and/or department chair. Subscribe to your department's email distribution list (if such a thing exists).

Professors

As you get to know your professors, inquire about scholarships. Sometimes professors hear about undergraduate funding opportunities offered by professional groups or advisory boards. Keep in mind--some departments give awards to undergraduates based solely on faculty nominations. They can't nominate you if they don't know you...

World Wide Web

Use Internet sites to search through many, many scholarship opportunities in a short amount of time. (It sure beats the alternative of sitting in a library for hours, searching through many sources.)

The Financial Aid Information Page offers a wide variety of scholarship information including study abroad/exchange funding, grants, loans, college planning, information for special interest groups, and much more.

• Pacific Northwest Scholarship Guide
• fastWEB
• collegeNET
• SRNExpress
• EXPAN Scholarship Search
• Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board
• College Board
• Broke Scholar

U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education's 1996-97 resource book titled "Preparing Your Child for College" is designed to help prepare students academically,and families financially, for college.

Hometown Organizations

Professional groups like the Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, Elks, etc. in your hometown may offer scholarships. Phone these groups during business hours, or check the possibility when you are at home during quarter breaks. Some groups restrict their awards to graduating high school seniors, but don't assume this is the case for every group. Give them a call.

Employers

Large companies often offer scholarships to employees and/or their families. Watch for these opportunities in company newsletters and on bulletin boards, or contact the personnel department. No doubt you have seen them:

• Flyers stating "Money Goes Unclaimed!"
• Posters announcing "Free Money!"
• Postcards mailed to you claiming "You Have Won a Scholarship!"

In your desperation to find scholarship money, these offers may seem appealing. But, before you decide to pay the up-front fee, read the Federal Trade Commission's $cholarship $cam page for information about fraudulent companies trying to feed off of students and their families.

University of Washington
Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards is part of The Center for Experiential Learning
Mailing Address: 120 Mary Gates Hall, Box 352803
Phone: 206-221-6023 E-mail: scholarq@u.washington.edu