Where can I look for outside scholarships?

Outside scholarships can come from many sources — other universities, county community foundations, veterans’ organizations, clubs, associations related to your field of study, and local community groups.

What types of criteria do scholarships often require?

Common criteria include residency (state, county, city), GPA or class rank, enrollment status (full‑ or part‑time), major, financial need, leadership, community service, talents related to major, or family/organizational affiliations.

How can I increase my chances of receiving external scholarships?

Improve your grades, maintain strong GPA, participate in extracurriculars or leadership roles, document achievements and service, use guidance‑office resources, start early, track deadlines carefully, and create a dedicated scholarship‑search email to apply broadly.

Should I pay to apply for scholarships listed on search sites?

No — legitimate scholarships should not require an upfront payment or fee. Always check that the scholarship source is reputable and review the organization’s privacy policy before applying.

Help and Resources

Financial Aid

Bursar

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Maximizing Your Scholarship Opportunities

Most students and parents are not fully informed about scholarship opportunities available to them. There are many sources for Scholarships.

Some Examples are:

All universities that the student is considering attending
County Community Foundations
Veteran’s Organizations
Clubs
Associations related to field of study

Scholarships generally have a variety of criteria that have to be met by the recipient. Criteria is what the donor (may be a person, group, company or organization) determines are important points regarding the student(s) they want to assist. Universities and organizations are interested in finding the applicant(s) who best fit the criteria for a scholarship award.

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Common Scholarship Criteria

Common University and Organization Scholarship criteria may include any or a combination of:

Resident area (state, city, county, portion of county, school corporation)
Grade point average (GPA) (may be as much as a 3.5 or a minimum of 2.0 that must be maintained at all times)
Class Ranking
Student status – Full time or Part time (typical full time is 12 credit hours or more, part time is 6-11 credit hours)
Major of study
Family affiliation with or membership in an organization
Leadership qualities
Talent in an area related to major
Financial need

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How to find scholarships

Newspapers: clip information on scholarships distributed within the community that your student meets the qualifications for.
Online: university websites (ex: vinu.edu) many websites have information about the scholarships they offer.
There are many FREE websites that offer tips and resources for scholarship searches. We suggest you create a separate email when using these scholarship search resources.
School guidance office/Senior Counselor(s): one of the best resources for local scholarships.

Visit the FastWeb site

Visit the Scholarships360 site

Indiana Community Foundation Scholarships

Local communities have scholarships available to local residents. Indiana students can check out this list of Indiana Community Foundation scholarships.

If you try other scholarships search sites, check their privacy policy, and don't ever pay anyone to look for scholarships.

To successfully qualify for scholarships, students need to begin working right away on “setting themselves apart” from the other applicants.

Improve grades and study habits.
Track extra-curricular activities (community, school, church, athletics, job) Consider leadership positions if the student is able to do so without adversely affecting grades.
Make note of awards received, offices held, responsibilities, etc.
Request letters of recommendation from those who are directly related to the activities.
Start building the student’s “resume”.
Take the SAT or ACT more than once if needed, to improve scores.
Pay attention to deadlines and application requirements.

Visit the Indiana Community Foundation Scholarships

Contact Us

Student Financial Services

Bursar & Financial Aid Offices
Offices are located in the Welsh Administration Building.

16 Indianapolis Ave, Vincennes, IN 47591 Opens in a new window

Fall and Spring Semester Office Hours:

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time)
Tuesday: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time)

Summer Office Hours:

Summer Hours will be observed May 19th through August 8th
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time)
Tuesday: 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time)