There has never been a dearth of scholarships. Even the most capitalistic of societies recognizes the role of education in its progress. And yet, the abundance of a thing isn’t always a positive. For the uninitiated effort, to find scholarships that match their credentials could be akin to finding a needle in, well, a stack of needles.

Each scholarship has its own criteria. Some are awarded based on need, while others purely on merit. For others yet, you must be a member of an organization, be studying a certain field, or fit whatever guidelines the group awarding the money decides upon.

There are scholarships intended for students living in a particular state or town, or even for being a left-hander, being tall, or a vegan!

To guide you in your quest to find scholarships matching your credentials, we at Buddy4Study have prepared a set of helpful tips for you to follow:

WHAT ARE SCHOLARSHIPS?: CATEGORIES AND KEY POINTERS

As mentioned, to scholarships come with eligibility criteria an applicant must pass before they’re considered for the award. Most of these criteria can be divided by common categories. You should, thus, focus your your efforts to find scholarships based on the categories you fall under. The most common categories you can define your search around are:

1. By social class – If you belong to a minority religion, or to a scheduled caste or tribe, chances are great you would find scholarships in numbers to suit your eligiblity.
2. By economic status – Need based scholarships set their eligibility criteria according to the annual household income of the applicant. If your household income falls below the scholarship’s threshold, you are eligible to apply.
3. By merit – This is based directly on your academic performance. If your marks are above the prescribed limit, you stand a chance to win the award.
4. By gender – The objective for certain scholarships is to promote gender equality. If you are a female candidate, you should find scholarships likewise. You’d be amazed to find how many scholarships are available to promote female education.
5. By domicile – You can qualify for some scholarships only if you are a domicile of the particular state or region for which the fund has been set up. Check by your domicile if there are any scholarships you would be eligible for.
6. By country – Finally, if you are looking for International scholarships, you would do well to check whether the country you’re looking to study in has scholarships for Indian citizens, as several nations do in a reciprocal arrangement with the Indian government.

WHERE TO FIND SCHOLARSHIPS

Now that you know what to search for, the next thing you need to know is where to find scholarships. A few good places to start for your search are listed below:

1. National Scholarship Portal –  The National Scholarship Portal, launched as part of the Digital India initiative, contains all available information on various state-sponsored scholarships under a single umbrella. You can find all Indian central and state government scholarships launched under the auspices of various ministries listed here.
2. At your university – One of the first places you should look for a scholarship is at the University where you’ve been admitted or are planning to apply to. Check if the student counsellor’s office at the University has all the information about any scholarships offered by the university. Also check if the same details apply to the course you’ve applied for, with your scholarship.
3. Online search engines – The internet is a wonderful tool for research and since you now know what you are specifically looking for, it should give you tons of focussed results for scholarships you may be eligible for. Much better than physically rummaging and scouring hundreds of newspapers daily to look for scholarship announcements.

HOW TO FIND SCHOLARSHIPS

Once you’ve narrowed down your search to find scholarships that you’re eligible for, you need to determine which one’s are worth applying for. In terms of the efforts you need to put in, versus the chances of winning the scholarship and in terms of benefits as well. It would do you good to spread your eggs in as many baskets as possible. At the outset, it is advisable for you to create a scholarship calendar.

Enter all the scholarship details you’ve narrowed down, including the award money and the deadline. There are scholarships that are exclusionary, you can only apply to it if you haven’t applied to any other. In such cases you should choose the one with the highest award, or the one with the least additional requirements. By excluding scholarships that are not worth your effort, you can focus your energies for better results. You should also not waste your time with scholarships that are too tough to land for any reasons (short deadline, excessive requirements).

THE EASIER ALTERNATIVE TO FIND SCHOLARSHIPS

The easiest way by far to find scholarships and apply for them, is to register yourself at Buddy4Study. Entering your personal and academic information at Buddy4Study, helps you find scholarships most suited to your requirements. By becoming a member, you get access to all Indian and International scholarships for Indian students. Find the best-fit scholarship and apply for the right scholarships at the right time. We also help you with all your scholarship related queries and send you regular updates via SMS or email. We even provide expert support to help you through the application process.

So what are you waiting for? Register yourself today and find scholarships matching your credentials in a jiffy!