How to find upcoming scholarships for college students?

I'm starting the college application process and want to stay informed about upcoming scholarships I can apply for. What are the best resources or strategies to track new scholarship opportunities for college students?

One helpful resource for finding scholarships is Appily, formerly known as Cappex. It has a large database of scholarships and a feature where you can create a profile so that it can match you with scholarships based on your interests and academic profile. Another great resource is Fastweb, which also requires making a profile. Fastweb also includes internships and part-time job listings which might be helpful as you plan ahead.

For more manually intensive but also beneficial approaches, consider consistently looking at websites of professional organizations tied to your prospective field of study. They often sponsor scholarships. For example, if you are considering STEM, checking the Society of Women Engineers or American Chemical Society can yield opportunities. Many local community organizations, businesses, and foundations also offer scholarships, so it might be worth exploring those avenues.

Another option is setting up Google alerts for scholarships so that you'll be kept abreast of new scholarships as they're posted. Include specific demographic, academic, or other distinguishing features to narrow your results. For instance, you could set an alert for "Robotics Scholarship High School Senior” if that fits your profile.

Also, you should talk to your school counselor or financial aid adviser as they might know of unique local scholarships. Remember to start applying early and look out for both big and small scholarships - they all add up! Remember to also take advantage of the free resources available to you and be wary of services that require payment in exchange for scholarship access.