It is one thing to say that there are scholarships and grants available for graduate students, but it is another thing altogether to be able to successfully apply for and be awarded these scholarships and grants.  So is there a secret for successfully finding these sorts of graduate funding?

Five Secrets for Finding Scholarships and Grants for Graduate Students

1. Know your Field.  If you know the ins and outs of your particular field of study you will know the different names that your program falls under and so will be able to fine tune your grant and scholarship search.  For example, you will not always find grants or scholarships specifically designed for “Graduate Studies in French Literature”, but there may be graduate level grants and scholarships available under “literature studies” or “foreign literature studies” or even “foreign language studies” that could be applied to your particular program.
2. Broaden Your Horizons.  If you are keeping your searches on the local or state level you may be limiting your potential funding.  Expand your searches to include national organizations and foundations as well as locally based programs.
3. Narrow Your Approach.  Conversely, if you have only been looking at the national level programs and scholarships you may be missing large chunks of potential funding.  Try looking closer to home.  Chances are that if you are a native of the state or are attending a state-sponsored school there may be money available to you that you didn’t realize was there.
4. Pad Your Resume.  If you are having problems qualifying for scholarships or loans based on grades or on the school that you attended you may want to consider a fellowship or internship with an organization in your field.  While these don’t pay particularly well they look good on your resume and can make the difference in being awarded that hard-to-get funding.
5. Look at All Your Options.  There are a variety of programs that are looking for a commitment from students before they will give out funds.  If you don’t mind paying back the loans or grants given to you with time served in a particular area or community you may be able to get your entire graduate degree paid for.

Secrets for Successful Applications

Of course finding the grant or scholarship is only part of your job.  Once found it then has to be applied for, and that can be a harrowing process.  There are several things that you should keep in mind when applying for graduate level scholarships or grants:

Pay attention to the details!  Those awarding the funds ask questions for a reason; to determine if you are worth giving the money to; if it will be money well-invested.  Be certain to pay attention to ALL the details when submitting your applications.  Pat attention to spelling and punctuation and make sure that you include all the documentation that they require.

When applying for graduate level grants you may want to consider hiring a professional grant proposal writer.  While educational grants are not usually treated the same as business type grants, it still looks good to have a professional document being submitted and shows good initiative on your part.

With a little attention to detail and careful consideration of the options available you should be finding funding for your graduate education far sooner than you thought possible!