Scholarships

Scholarships are gift-aid awarded on the basis of merit, academic excellence, and in some cases, additional criteria such as study in a particular major, leadership, or financial need.

Scholarships opportunities for Pierce College students:

• AJ Wang Foundation - Scholarship Fund -- this scholarship is targeting graduating high school seniors from an accredited high school with the goal to attend a community college and earn a degree or certificate and/or meet transfer requirements.  Awards is $2,000 a year for up to three years.  Click HERE for the scholarship criteria and application.  Application materials must be received or postmarked no later than June 1 of each year, notification of awards will be provided between July 1 and July 31.

Scholarship Search Engines

There are hundreds of thousands of scholarship opportunities.  The best way to seek and apply for scholarships is through the World Wide Web, which is free.  Students may use the computers in the Financial Aid Lobby during business hours to search for scholarships.  Below are free scholarship search engines you may use:

• FastWeb - www.fastweb.com
• Wired Scholar - www.wiredscholar.com
• Sallie Mae - www.salliemae.com/freemoney
• College Board - http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
• Next Student - http://www.nextstudent.com/scholarship-search/scholarship-search.asp
• CollegeNet MACH25 - www.collegenet.com/mach25/app

Scholarships are also offered by outside agencies and foundations and are awarded on the basis of merit, academic excellence, and in some cases, additional criteria.

Scholarship Scam Alert

There are many businesses who would like to sell you the opportunity for them to search for scholarships for you.  They will promise to locate several sources of scholarships which you qualify for.  Be aware!  We discourage paying anyone to search scholarships on your behalf.  Below are scholarship scam warning signs:

• The fee.  The best rule of thumb:  financial aid should never cost you.  Never invest anything beyond the cost of a postage stamp in seach for scholarships.
• The "money-back guarantee" - especially if the company tries to 'guarantee' that you will win an award.
• Credit card verification - if they ask for a checking account or credit card information for 'verification' or to 'confirm eligibility', stop listening.  Scammers use this ploy to get your financial information and then drain your account or run up charges on your credit card.

Disclaimer:  Some websites to which the Financial Aid Office provide links are for the convenience of users and are not managed or maintained by Pierce College Financial Aid Office.  The college and the Financial Aid Office do not review, control, or take responsibility for the contents of those sites.