FAFSA
Begin with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The application begins on October 1st every year on a first come, first serve basis. KHEAA has some good information on the FAFSA application.
University Level Scholarships
Also look at the colleges’ websites that you are interested in. Many colleges give scholarships for academic excellence and for financial need.
University of Kentucky Scholarships
Eastern Kentucky University Scholarships
Asbury University Scholarships
Department Level Scholarships
Next, consider scholarships specific to your intended major. If you want to study Engineering at the University of Kentucky, look at the College of Engineering for scholarships. Both the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture give scholarships to freshman at UK, but the application deadlines are usually the previous December 1st. Check here for your area of interest at UK.
Scholarship Search Tools
Be prepared to laugh at some of the scholarships you will find in the following lists. There is a scholarship for red-heads, a scholarship for coffee-lovers, and other interesting categories you might not have suspected. Many of these are essay-based, but not all of them. Check back every couple of weeks, as new scholarships are always being added.
Kentucky-Specific Scholarships
These Kentucky-specific scholarships are worth looking through, especially if you come from a rural county. You may find money to pay for nursing school, veterinarian school, etc. Look for your specific county.
The Community Foundation of Louisville gives 60 scholarships out to Kentucky residents. Their application window is December through March.
The Kentucky Farm Bureau gives away scholarships to its members. (It doesn’t cost much to join.) The Fayette County Farm Bureau also gives away multiple $10,000 scholarships. Check your county’s Farm Bureau branch to see if your county also has local scholarships.
You may have heard about Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES), which is funded through the Kentucky lottery. Public high school students in Kentucky earn scholarship money for every A on a report card and for their ACT or SAT scores. Private school and homeschool students can earn the money for the ACT or SAT scores. Currently a score of 28 or higher earns $500 per year in scholarships. See the website for details.
Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) has some additional ideas for helping with tuition costs. Be sure to look over their website. If you are interested in Civil Engineering and wish to work for the Kentucky Department of Transportation after you graduate, check out this scholarship.
Civic Clubs and Community Groups Scholarships
The Daughters of the American Revolution gives out a wide variety of scholarships. Their 2018-2019 application opens August 1st and ends on February 15th.
The Elks Foundation also gives out 500 four-year scholarships. You do not have to know a member. . .just apply!
Scholarships from Businesses
I know about a dozen homeschool seniors who have received $1,000 scholarships from the Burger King Scholars program. Apply your senior year from mid-October to November. Thank you, Burger King!
Sonlight Curriculum awards scholarships.
Rush Limbaugh also gives away scholarships to kids 18 and younger, as well as free stuff. Thanks, Rush, for including homeschoolers!
Homeschool Sharp 