Outside Scholarships
Community Resources
You may be eligible for outside scholarships from businesses or organizations in your local community with which you have affiliations.
- Your local chamber of commerce
- Your high school
- Your parent's employers (if a dependent student)
- Your employer
- Private foundations
- Religious organizations
- Professional associations
In most cases the awarding agency is responsible for selecting the recipient and determining the value of the scholarship.
Internet Searches
The Office of Student Aid recommends the following free scholarship search engines:
Start early. Most scholarships are awarded six months to one year prior to the start of the semester or academic year of the award.
Don't pay. Penn State does not endorse any scholarship search engine that charges a fee. You should never have to pay for a scholarship search.
Notify Penn State of Your Award
If you receive scholarships or educational funds from private organizations, notify the Office of Loans and Scholarships.
The funds will be credited to your student account and applied toward your direct charges first. Any excess funds will be refunded to you.
In addition to the resources listed, please investigate this partial list of scholarships known to our office.
