Although it is well known that there is financial aid for students, many students do not know that scholarships are also available for those seeking a graduation diploma.

Funding amounts and availability grant for graduate students varies by program, but every dollar counts, experts say.

The application process differs by graduate scholarship, but may require completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSAwriting an essay and submitting a letter of recommendation.

For prospective professional and graduate students, here are some points to consider when finding scholarships pay for an advanced degree.

(READING: 7 Strategies to Pay for Graduate School)

The difference between grants and scholarships

Grants and scholarships are forms of financial aid which do not have to be repaid, also known as ‘gift aid’.

Scholarships are usually based on merit – such as for a certain GPA, athletic ability or Interests — or based on a student’s specific field of study or identity.

They “can come in all kinds of amounts, and students can apply for several at once to help cover the cost of tuition,” Suzanne T. Ortega, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit dedicated to improving and promoting graduate education, he wrote in an email.

Grants, however, are usually awarded to collegeat the state or federal level depending on financial needs, such as the federal one Pell Grant for low-income students. Pell Grants are generally for undergraduate students, but graduate students may be eligible for other federal grants.

“There are different resources for graduate students that aren’t available to undergraduates,” says Deanne Rivera, graduate student finance specialist at University of California, Berkeley Graduate Division. “For example, if a graduate student teaches an undergraduate course, that’s something they get a salary for, and also in some cases, like a tuition waiver or a tuition remission.”

Where to look for graduate scholarships

Different types of national higher education scholarships are listed on database search websites such as fastweb, Apply and Unique. GoGrad is another online resource that lists niche scholarships for prospective and current graduate students.

“Often what’s called a scholarship in the undergraduate sphere is often called a scholarship in the graduate sphere,” says Ortega. “So make sure you look for scholarships as well.”

(Reading: 3 Ways Graduate School Pays Off)

Students can contact their school’s financial aid office or speak with a program department chair or advisor to learn about degree-specific or research grants.

Graduate students should also look no further than applying local scholarshipswhich are typically less competitive than national exchanges, experts say. Of a student employerthe parent’s employer or even a place of worship such as a church or synagogue may offer scholarships.

Students shouldn’t have to pay to apply for scholarships, says Shannon Vasconcelos, senior director of college finance at Bright Horizons College Coach, a college admissions consulting firm.

“Exist fraudulent organizations there that will charge you and guarantee that they will find a lot of scholarship money for you,” she says. “Anytime there are guarantees and you have to pay money, I’d keep my antenna up for things like that.”

But applying for scholarships through professional associations is an exception, adds Vasconcelos.

“Sometimes you have to pay a membership fee to be a member of this scholarship organization,” she says. “I would carefully look at your chances of winning the scholarship compared to how much the membership fee is. And membership in this organization comes with other benefits that would make the membership fee worth it?”

When to Apply for Undergraduate Scholarships

Scholarship deadlines vary, but Ortega advises students to begin their search as soon as they are accepted into a graduate program, if not sooner.

“You can apply for scholarships all year round, so always be on the lookout for new ones that come out,” she says. “Even if you plan to take out a student loan, you can still apply for scholarships to help reduce the loan you need.”

(READING: A useful timeline for graduate school applications)

What is the best strategy to win a scholarship?

For private, outside scholarships, it’s important to read the award requirements and determine who’s eligible, Vasconcelos says.

“You don’t want to spend a lot of time applying for a scholarship only to find out it’s not actually available to graduate students,” she says. “I think graduate students should be a little more careful in reviewing the requirements — although of course everyone has to do that.”

Students should also understand the mission of the awarding organization, says Vasconcelos.

“Make sure you let the organization know that getting this scholarship will allow you to further their mission in some way,” she says. “I think it’s easier to do at the graduate level when you have maybe more of an established work history, you have a more specific vision of what you want your future career to be, as opposed to an undergraduate who is just start. , is less clear about a vision of the future.”

Before submitting a scholarship application, have a colleague or university advisor review the application for grammatical mistakes and other errors, experts say.

“One advantage of applying for scholarships as a graduate student versus an undergraduate is that you have more life and educational experience to draw upon when writing a scholarship essay“says Ortega. “Because graduate programs are more focused on a specific area, it’s easier to talk about why you’re pursuing that degree or area of ​​research, which can be a compelling story for your scholarship application.”

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How to find scholarships for graduate school originally appeared on usnews.com

Update 10/30/24: This article was previously published and has been updated with new information.