Are you college bound? Are you a graduating senior looking for financial aid options including scholarships and grants available at the federal, state and county level? Have you considered informational outlets for career education and advancement? You may start your search by looking at your degree program, local non-profits and community foundations or by asking for advice from your high school counselor or recruiter. Other options include college financial aid offices, professional associations for the discipline or area of interest, ethnic-based organizations, your employer, and last but not least, the Crawfordsville District Public Library Reference collection.
The CDPL offers information on financial aid opportunities in the form of scholarships and grants. Here you may find resources on several types of scholarships and grants available to incoming and returning college students (including adults). Come learn about options that are merit-based, or financial need-based awards by searching the various books in our collection.
If you are new to the search for financial aid, we offer a wide selection of materials suited for this process. You may start with “Getting Financial Aid” by College Board (371.224 Get) to learn about the basics — including step-by-step instructions on how to fill out your FAFSA form. Next, “Peterson’s Scholarships, Grants and Prizes” (378.3 Pet) provides up-to-date information on more than 1.6 million privately funded awards worth over 10 billion dollars. Looking for scholarships in specific areas? “The Ultimate Scholarship Book” by Gen Tanabe (378.34 Tan) features awards indexed by career goal, major, academics, public service, talent, athletics, religion, ethnicity and more.
Additionally, for inside information on how to pay less for college, try “8 Steps to Paying Less for College: A Crash Course in Scholarships, Grants, and Financial Aid” (378.30973 Eig) or “1001 Ways to Pay for College: Strategies to Maximize Financial Aid, Scholarships and Grants” by Gen Tanabe (378.3 Tan). Adults seeking to return to school will find a helpful resource in 5”01 Ways for Adult Students to Pay for College” by Gen Tanabe (378.3 Tan). These easy-to-follow-guides will help students and parents find ways to fund their pursuit of knowledge.
Included in our collection are books specific to grants, such as “Winning Grants Step by Step” by Tori O’Neal-McElrath (658.15 O’Ne) and “Grant Writing for Dummies” by Beverly Browning (658.15 Bro); both resources will guide you through planning and writing successful proposals. The “Annual Register of Grant Support: A Directory of Funding Sources” (REF 361.7 Ann 2022) is the definitive resource for researching and uncovering a full range of available grant sources including little-known, nontraditional sources such as educational associations. Two additional titles that might prove helpful in the process of searching and applying for grants are “Foundation Fundamentals: A Guide for Grant Seekers” (361.7 Fou), and “The Nuts and Bolts of Grant Writing” by Cynthia Carr (658.15 Car).
Help your college student to get off on the right foot with the information they need to be successful in college, starting with financial decisions. Awards can go a long way, as some are renewable from year to year and various items qualify as being covered under the scholarship or grant, such as room and board, books, and of course tuition.
Let us assist you in finding resources to support your college funding needs. We can offer a selection of titles to get you off to a good start in finding where the money is, and how to access it. Don’t forget, our reference department is here to help you locate information that best suits your financial aid situation. Please stop by the Reference desk on the second floor for assistance, or give us a call at 765-362-2242, ext. 117. CDPL is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1-5 Sundays.
Stephanie Morrissette is a library assistant at the Reference and Local History Department at the Crawfordsville District Public Library.
