Winning scholarships is hard, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

There are effective strategies you can use NOW to significantly boost your chances of winning scholarships!

In this article, you’ll learn why small scholarships matter and how they can make a difference in your scholarship search.

What are “small” scholarships?

Like micro-scholarships, “small” scholarships are worth up to $2,000 per award and are offered by many types of organizations (small businesses, non-profits, corporations, and government agencies).

Related: “What are Micro-Scholarships?”

Why is applying to small scholarships a winning strategy?

There are three main reasons why applying for small scholarships is one of the most effective strategies to win scholarships.

First, there are significantly more small scholarships than those with a higher payout so they tend to be less saturated with applicants (further increasing your chances of winning). 

Second, small scholarships are rarely promoted outside of an organization’s email list or newsletter. This means few people learn about this opportunity, which translates to less competition and is, therefore, easier to win.

Lastly, small numbers quickly add up. It is much easier to win two $500 scholarships than a single $1,000 scholarship so don’t avoid small scholarships just because of their face value!

Where can I find small scholarships?

The best place to find scholarships is your scholarship/financial aid office at your high school or college since they are often the first to hear about scholarships offered by their community partners.

Tip: Ask whether your campus manages a scholarship master list and how you can access it.

It’s also a good idea to check online scholarship databases (ex: BigFuture, Chegg), and narrow your search to small scholarships. Check out this article to learn which databases ranked high on our list.