Searching for Scholarships
Likely, you’ve heard that every year millions of dollars in scholarships go unclaimed. It’s the truth — because many students deem the scholarship search process too daunting, the opportunities to win scholarships are better than you think.
We strongly encourage our students to search for outside scholarships to reduce the need to borrow! Here at UNE, our policy is to let outside scholarships fill any unmet financial need as part of your financial aid award. In the event award adjustments are in fact necessary, we will first attempt to reduce loans and/or work-study funding so the scholarship is as advantageous to you as possible!
Yes, applying for scholarships takes effort, organization, and time, but this time investment can pay off big. Scholarships are an important means of reducing borrowing through your college career. Treat your scholarship search like you would a part-time job — schedule time weekly to search and stay informed of important deadlines, and organize yourself for success by tracking your scholarship applications. Every scholarship — no matter how small — helps pay for college and ultimately reduces your student loan debt.
While your first scholarship application will require the most time and effort — maybe a few hours — you can reuse around 70% of your scholarship application materials for future applications. Don’t get discouraged. It typically takes 10 scholarship applications to equal 1 scholarship award. While free money requires effort, your search does not have to be labor intensive. Organization and persistence are the keys to a fruitful search.
Kyle Borges ’18
As a sophomore, Kyle received local scholarships from his hometown in Seabrook, NH as well as national scholarships including the Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship and the Unitil Energy Systems Scholarship. His heartfelt advice to students is to, “…make sure to send thank you notes and show your appreciation.” Kyle is studying Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies at UNE and hopes to be an occupational therapist after he graduates. He uses his scholarship monies to help reduce the cost of tuition.
Make sure to send thank you notes and show your appreciation.
Scholarship Search Tools
UNE Search Tools
UNE has created a Scholarship Search Tool to keep you informed of the different scholarship opportunities available to you. We monitor and update this database regularly to keep you in the know about deadlines and requirements. The scholarship search engines listed below are also good resources. We recommend creating accounts with a few of these search engines to get regular updates on opportunities that match your criteria. Many tools, resources and people are here to assist you. Please reach out if we can help, and stay in tune with the informational opportunities offered by our Tuition Planning and Outreach Team.
Check out UNE's Scholarship Search Tool to explore outside scholarship opportunities.
Study Abroad Scholarship Opportunities
Traveling the world and studying abroad is an incredible opportunity. We encourage all UNE students to take advantage of our international programs in Morocco or Spain, other study abroad programs, or travel study courses. If you are considering studying abroad, there are resources to help like check out UNE study abroad scholarship opportunities.
Explore UNE study abroad opportunities
External Search Tools
Additional Guidance
The U.S. Department of Education breaks down the terms and questions you may have about scholarships. They offer some great tips on how to apply for scholarships and where you should be looking for your next opportunity. This site also offers guidance on avoiding scholarship scams and protecting your identity.