Scholarship Search

Navigating the world of scholarships can be overwhelming. However, securing scholarships can significantly ease the financial burden and help you achieve your academic goals. This guide aims to provide you with essential tips and strategies to effectively search for and apply to scholarships. By following these practical steps, you can maximize your chances of finding the right opportunities to fund your education and turn your academic aspirations into reality.

1. Start Early: Begin your search as soon as possible. Many scholarships have early deadlines, so the earlier you start, the more opportunities you’ll have.
2. Use Multiple Sources: Utilize various scholarship search engines and databases. Different platforms may list different opportunities.
3. Tailor Your Search: Focus on scholarships that are specific to your field of study, background, interests, or affiliations. This increases your chances of finding scholarships where the competition may be less intense.
4. Look for Local Scholarships: Community organizations, local businesses, and foundations often offer scholarships. These might be less competitive than national scholarships.
5. Stay Organized: Keep track of scholarship deadlines, requirements, and application materials. Using a spreadsheet or a dedicated scholarship application tracker can be helpful.
6. Read the Requirements Carefully: Make sure you meet all the eligibility criteria before applying. Pay attention to details like essay prompts, GPA requirements, and documentation needed.
7. Prepare a Strong Application: Take your time to write compelling essays, gather strong letters of recommendation, and ensure all parts of your application are polished and complete.
8. Beware of Scams: Avoid scholarships that require payment to apply, promise guaranteed awards, or seem too good to be true. Legitimate scholarships do not charge fees.
9. Network: Talk to professors, advisors, and peers about scholarship opportunities. Sometimes, personal recommendations or word-of-mouth can lead to discovering lesser-known scholarships.
10. Apply Widely: Apply for as many scholarships as you are eligible for. Even small awards can add up and make a significant impact on your financial situation

Private scholarship checks for Berkeley Law students should be made out to ‘UC Regents’ and can be mailed to:

Law Office of Financial Aid

226 Law Building

University of California

Berkeley, California 94720-7220

Please include the student ID, term(s) for which the scholarship is intended, and the student’s full name with any check to prevent significant delays in processing.

**Outside scholarship check processing time is currently 2-4 weeks.

Please follow the steps below to report any expected outside agency scholarships in CalCentral:

Step 1: Log into CalCentral.

Step 2: Click the “My Finances” tab.

Step 3: Under the “Awards” section, click “Report Outside Resources”.

Step 4: Input scholarship(s) by the resource name.

1. How will I know my check has arrived?
   • You will receive a notification from CalCentral when there is a new activity–which will result from your scholarship funds being posted on your account.
2. My donor said the check was sent, but I have not received the funds. What do I do now?
   • Once we receive checks from the donor agency, processing times can vary from two to four weeks. Once it has been processed, it will be disbursed to your CalCentral.
3. How will an outside award impact my financial aid package?
   • The total of your financial aid awards, including your outside awards, cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance. If you have a financial aid package and receive an outside award, your financial aid awards will be adjusted based on the conditions of the award.
   • Generally, your loans are reduced first to “make room” for an outside award. To ensure an outside award helps you as much as possible, it is our policy to replace your loans first. If the amount of your outside awards exceeds the amount of loans in your package, then other gift aid may be impacted.
4. How do I make more room in my financial aid budget for my outside awards?
   • You can try to expand your Cost of Attendance by submitting a Cost of Attendance Adjustment Request form. Review the page for a list of allowable expenses.