Outside Scholarships

We think it's worth the time and effort to apply for outside scholarships, and we do everything we can to let those funds benefit you.
Are outside scholarships worth it? Learn more from Katie Galletta '21.

Outside scholarships are funds that do not need to be repaid and come from organizations outside of an academic institution or government entity.

Bowdoin's policy is to allow students to benefit from their outside scholarships as much as possible. We only reduce your Bowdoin scholarship when the outside scholarships, in addition to other resources, exceed the total cost of attendance or would otherwise violate federal rules. Our office will often incorporate your outside scholarships into your student financial aid award when the Bursar’s Office receives the check. Please refer to our tip sheet for additional details.

Please contact us by email or by phone at 207-725-3144 if you have questions about your particular situation.

Outside scholarship tipsheet
Learn more from this outside scholarships tip sheet.

Finding Outside Scholarships

Outside scholarships exist on local, state, regional, and national levels, and we encourage you to seek out a wide variety. Your high school guidance counselor will likely be your best resource for finding out about local and state scholarships. Your parents’ employers, religious organizations, or other community organizations may offer scholarships, as well. We also recommend using free scholarship search engines such as FastWeb, Big Future by the College Board, or Going Merry.

Please contact us by email or by phone at (207) 725-3144 if you have questions about your particular situation.

Avoiding scholarship scams

The following resources may help you to avoid outside scholarship scams:

Never pay a fee to apply for an outside scholarship, and do not provide sensitive information such as your Social Security number.