As a service to students, Dakota County Technical College posts scholarship opportunities from organizations not affiliated with the college. We refer to these as "Outside Scholarships". Please keep in mind these scholarship opportunities have NOT been researched or vetted by the college. We are simply passing along information and the college in no way endorses the organizations offering these scholarships.
We also want students to be aware of the following important tips when applying for scholarships from organizations outside the college:
Create a new free email address solely for submitting scholarship applications.
Many of the scholarships are offered by companies that want to promote their goods, or services to you. They do award the scholarships, so the opportunity is valid, but they are interested in getting your contact information for marketing activities. Having a separate email account will prevent your primary email box from filling up.
Never pay a fee to apply for a scholarship.
No legitimate scholarship program will ever charge a fee. If the organization wants you to pay a fee to apply, walk away.
An essay may be required and you want to make certain this is a good piece of writing.
Have a trusted person review your essay and provide feedback. The good news is that if you have a solid essay, you can use this as a core document and edit it to fit specific application requirement.
Numbers matter.
Scholarship opportunities are a numbers game. The more applications you submit, the greater chance you have of being awarded a scholarship. If you develop an organized packet of standard information, you will make the process relatively easy and be able to submit multiple applications. If it takes you 15 minutes to apply and you receive a $250 scholarship, you will have been paid $1000 per hour!
If you have questions about Outside Scholarships, please contact the Office of Financial Aid Help Desk at 651-423-8299, or finaid@dctc.edu. We will do our best to answer your questions and provide financial aid information needed for the application. We wish you the best of luck in your scholarship search.
