What kinds of scholarships do liberal arts colleges provide? How much aid do they offer, and how can you prepare your college application to set yourself up for as much financial aid as possible?
These are smart questions to ask. If you prepare yourself properly, you can maximize your financial aid and get a liberal arts college education for the price of a state school.
The following scholarships assume you qualify academically for consideration at a liberal arts college. To find out what GPA and college entrance exam scores are required for a college, go to that college’s official website and look at what range of scores were accepted for the previous year of applicants.
Need-Based Scholarships
If your family makes little money or has gone through a time of hardship, you may be able to get a generous scholarship or grant from a liberal arts college. Just be forewarned that you may not get this scholarship renewed the following year if your family’s financial situation improves.
Scholarships that Reward Academic Excellence
Known as merit-based scholarships, these scholarships are given to students who score above and beyond their peers. Compare your academics to the averages of this particular college’s demographic to see if you will qualify.
Scholarships Intended to Attract Students With Specific Talents
If the liberal arts school of your choice has a special focus, you may wish to highlight achievements that fit their flavor. For example, if the college of your choice has an award-winning chorus, you will want to get a letter of recommendation from your high school chorus instructor and you’ll want to mention all those awards you won for your performances. If the college has a top notch women’s lacrosse team, and you play varsity lacrosse on a team that went to State Championships, mention this.
Diversity-Based Scholarships
Liberal arts colleges want to make sure they are educating a diverse group of people, so they will often offer scholarships that are directed towards filling diversity requirements. For this reason, you will want to highlight the fact that you are representative of a minority segment of the population (if this is true.)
Regional Scholarships
Some colleges like to offer scholarships to those in a certain region or area in order to attract students from that area or to give back to the community. These scholarships are usually easier to get than others because the competition is limited.
Community Service or Purposeful Scholarships
Some liberal arts colleges are focused on bettering the world, and as a result offer scholarships to attract students with an altruistic bent to them. Make sure you get letters of recommendation from community leaders, church leaders, teachers and coaches who can attest to your dedication to serving others.
Where to Find Information on Liberal Arts College Scholarships
Each college will list their specific scholarships on their official website. Never limit yourself to the scholarships large organizations offer nation-wide. Be sure to check out what scholarships each college provides, and then apply to all scholarships for which you qualify.
