When do colleges let you know about scholarships?

I'm applying to several colleges and I’m curious about when I’ll be notified if I receive any scholarships. Is there a typical timeframe for this, or does it vary by school?

Typically, information about scholarships tends to vary by institution and may be notified at different times during the admissions process.

For most merit-based scholarships provided by colleges, you would usually hear about those in your acceptance letter or shortly thereafter. These are automatic scholarships based on your application materials like GPA, test scores, and extracurriculars.

On the other hand, if the scholarship requires a separate application, the timeline could be different. There might be an interview process or additional steps, which can delay notification. It's always a good idea to check the scholarship page of the college's website or contact the financial aid office directly to get the most accurate information.

Some schools also have scholarship weekends or similar events in the late winter or early spring where finalists are invited to compete for limited awards. In this case, you would likely find out whether you’ve won any of these awards a few weeks after the event.

Additionally, how need-based financial aid or grants are packaged can also vary. Some schools provide a financial aid package (including any need-based grants) along with the acceptance letter. In other cases, this information arrives a weeks later, once the FAFSA and any other required documents have been processed.

Remember to also take into consideration any outside scholarships you might apply for—providers of these scholarships typically have their own discrete timelines and could notify you at any point in the year.

Overall, there is quite some variability in when you might hear back about scholarships. Just remember to keep track of any dates/deadlines provided by the colleges, as well as any external scholarship bodies.