One of the most frustrating challenges for many high school seniors is the search for college scholarships. There is no single source for scholarship information, but there are key places to look for scholarships.

First, check your applicant and accepted student portals to search for competitive scholarships at your colleges. Some schools will connect accepted students with large scholarship platforms; for example, Ohio State University, the University of Kentucky, and many other schools use Scholarship Universe. 

Next, talk with family members to understand your eligibility for possible employer sponsored scholarships, family legacy scholarships (ie. organizations like Masons or alumni scholarships from parents and grandparents), or credit union scholarships. (Check out the Universal Credit Union Scholarship at https://www.u1cu.org/scholarship.) Military families should explore the scholarship opportunities listed by Fisher House as well as local scholarships from Wright Patterson Air Force Base. 

Local and regional scholarships offer smaller application pools and generous awards; here are the community foundations that list several scholarships for seniors in our area. 

Hamilton Community Foundation
Application Due 1/7/24
https://www.hamiltonfoundation.org/scholarships/scholarships-for-graduating-seniors/

Middletown Community Foundation
Application Due 2/1/24
https://mcfoundation.org/scholarships-for-high-school-seniors/

Northern Cincinnati Foundation
Application Due 2/9/24
https://www.northerncincinnati.foundation/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/

The Dayton Foundation
Application Due 3/8/24
https://www.daytonfoundation.org/scholars.html

Greene Co. Community Foundation. This site provides a list of local scholarships for Beavercreek, Bellbrook, Fairborn, and  Xenia Seniors: https://greenegiving.org/scholarships/

There is no magic formula for scholarships, so we recommend a regular cadence of research and applications. Class 101 – Dayton will post several scholarships on social media channels (Instagram and Facebook), and area high schools post local scholarship applications in January or February for their students. Class 101 scholarship information will be posted in February for the 101 Scholar National Award, 101 Scholar Local Award, and the Class 101- Dayton Find Your Voice Scholarship for students in the performing arts.