Guide to Outside Scholarships
Outside Scholarships are awards that come from agencies outside the University of Arkansas. There are thousands of scholarship agencies in the world, and UA students typically bring in $2.5 million in outside scholarships each year. The average Outside Scholarship received by U of A students is over $1,700.
Scholarship agencies vary widely by scholarship amount and eligibility criteria, such as college major, intended career, research interests, academic excellence, volunteer experience, race/ethnicity, home town/state, or parent's employers.
The University of Arkansas Office of Academic Scholarships has created a webpage dedicated to Outside Scholarship Listings. The site includes agencies that have provided scholarship funds to UA students in recent years, as well as those that have directly contacted UA to publicize their awards. These agencies have all demonstrated interested in UA students. This resource should help you to navigate the vast amount of scholarship information available on the web.
Other reputable scholarship search sites include www.FastWeb.com, a nation-wide scholarship search engine, and www.ArkansasScholarshipConnection.org, a site dedicated to Arkansas college students.
Be cautious regarding organizations that charge a fee to help you find scholarships. Most legitimate scholarship searches are free. However, some professional organizations require membership in their organization as part of the eligibility requirements. In this case, the membership fee should allow you many benefits in addition to scholarship eligibility.
If you have questions about the legitimacy of an organization, contact the relevant academic department. For example, if you are uncertain about a chemical society, contact the Chemistry Department.
If you receive an outside scholarship, the Processing Information Page will guide you through the steps to get your outside scholarship applied to your student account here at the University of Arkansas.
Many outside agencies will refer students to the Financial Aid Office. However, the University of Arkansas has a separate scholarship office that will assist you regarding all academic scholarships. Students who have questions about Outside Scholarships, or need a form completed, are encouraged to contact the Office of Academic Scholarships.