1 - Private and institutional scholarships can be lucrative.
While universities provide the bulk of scholarship awards to college students, there are still thousands of dollars up for grabs through private scholarships. Around $6 billion in nonfederal scholarships was paid out to undergraduates in 2015-2016, with average awards of $6,900 awarded by states, institutions, employers and private sources, according to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. To win a private or institutional scholarship, follow these 12 tips.

2 - Use a free scholarship search site.
Students can take advantage of scholarship databases, such as Chegg, FastWeb.com or the U.S. News Scholarship Finder, to explore scholarship awards for which they are eligible. The more information a student enters, the increased odds of landing one or more scholarships, experts say. It's important to answer all the optional questions to increase the odds of matching with a scholarship – especially for the lesser-known ones, says Mark Kantrowitz, a financial aid expert and author of "How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid."

3 - Check out local organizations and nonprofits.
Students don't always have to look far to find a great college scholarship. Organizations and nonprofits located in a student's hometown such as his or her church, synagogue or faith community may offer scholarships to their members. Local scholarships are often less competitive than national scholarships, experts say, offering students better odds of capturing the awards.

4 - Contact colleges about institutional scholarships.
Applying early is one way to improve the odds of receiving grant aid from an institution, financial aid experts say. And it's important that prospective students not underestimate the power of institutional aid, says James W. Lewis, president of the National Society of High School Scholars. "A lot of people don’t realize there are great institutions that have very generous scholarship offerings," he says. "Some families select not to apply because they think they would not qualify for financial reasons, but that's often not the case."

5 - Earn a merit scholarship.
Merit aid, which can take the form of scholarships or grants, is linked to academic performance and other accomplishments and is not based on financial need. Academic scholarships are often awarded by a school or private organization, sometimes based on a student's GPA or performance on a standardized test such as the ACT or SAT.

6 - Apply to scholarships based on majors.
There are scholarships available for students pursuing a specific college major, from education and biology to engineering. For instance, students pursuing a career in STEM – which encompasses the fields of science, technology, engineering and math – can apply for a range of awards, such as the Generation Google Scholarship, which provides U.S. undergraduate and graduate students studying computer science, computer engineering or a closely related technical field the opportunity to win $10,000.

7 - Take advantage of employer scholarships.
This type of scholarship has been around for some time, but can be forgotten in the era of online scholarship searches. Many companies – from Taco Bell to ExxonMobil – offer scholarships to employees or a child of an employee. And these types of programs aren't limited to the private sector. If a parent works for the federal government, the child may be eligible for the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund, a national scholarship competition.

8 - Try for an athletic scholarship.
Not all athletic scholarships are provided directly by a NCAA Division school. High school athletes can also find money to support their studies through private scholarships. One example, the Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program, offers a $20,000 scholarship award to 20 student-athletes for their academic abilities and strong leadership skills in sports, school and within their communities.

9 - Use creativity and talent for nontraditional scholarships.
For students who enjoy the spotlight, there are specialized scholarships for acting, dancing and music. Musicians, for example, can compete in many ways for a scholarship, sending samples of their vocal or instrumental talent to competitions. And for students who don't participate in the performing arts, there are scholarships available for other extracurricular activities.

10 - Explore personal passions.
Lewis says students can use their life experiences, especially in times of personal hardship, to win a scholarship. "Because of COVID, individual passions have probably changed," Lewis says of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Students should ask themselves, "Who am I? What am I passionate about? What do I want to study? What do I want to do with my life?" he says. "Those passions will ignite experiences and learning opportunities, and scholarship providers are looking for highly motivated individuals with a passion for something."

11 - Lean on a mentor.
Finding a great mentor can help students locate and successfully win scholarships for college. A mentor could be anyone working in a student's career field of interest who can answer questions, talk about the industry and even support students in their scholarship search. Plus, scholarships often require a letter of recommendation, and having a great one can help an applicant stand out.

12 - Write an award-winning essay.
Essay competitions with small prizes are less competitive because most students don't like applying for these scholarships, Kantrowitz says. "Consider the odds of only 10 applications for a $500 prize," he says. "That work comes out to $50 an hour if the student spent 10 hours on it."

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