How Do I Find Scholarships?
With thousands of scholarships available, how do you find those where you have the
best chance of success? The rest of this page helps guide you, with a special focus
on:
- Scholarship Universe, a scholarship matching service provided by OCC
- Scholarships in your community
- Scholarships of special interest to OCC students
- National Scholarship Databases
Scholarship Universe
OCC has teamed up with Scholarship Universe to provide easy access to thousands of internal and external scholarship opportunities.
Scholarship Universe can match you with scholarships provided by:
For more information, see How to Use Scholarship Universe.
Scholarships in Your Community
The community where you live can be a great source for scholarships. Businesses, labor
unions, community organizations, churches, and others may provide scholarships to
local residents. These scholarships typically have much less competition than state
or national scholarships.
You can learn about community scholarships from your high school guidance counselor.
You also should check MI Student Aid, a service of the Michigan Department of Treasury. Simply select the county where
you live from the pull-down menu. The site returns a list of local scholarships with
links for more information.
Scholarships of Special Interest to OCC Students
Each year OCC, the OCC Foundation, and various state agencies in Michigan provide
hundreds of scholarships to OCC students. While many scholarships listed here are
included in Scholarship Universe, it’s helpful to know about some of the most important
scholarships available to OCC students:
- Chancellor’s Scholarships: High school seniors in Oakland County who meet GPA requirements can receive this
$3,500 scholarship, which honors academic excellence. You apply through Scholarship Universe.
- Summer Momentum Scholarship: This OCC scholarship covers your tuition for up to six credit hours and your Student
Support Fee for summer semester. You may qualify if you pay in-district tuition and
take at least 18 credit hours during the previous fall and winter semesters where
you receive a “C” or better. You apply through Scholarship Universe.
- OCC Foundation Scholarships: Thanks to gifts from generous donors, the OCC Foundation awards hundreds of scholarships
each year to OCC students. Most of the scholarships are awarded based on criteria
set by the donor. You apply through Scholarship Universe.
- Michigan Competitive Scholarship: High school graduates who score at least 1200 on the SAT and have financial need
can get up to $1,500 per academic year. The scholarship is open to U.S. citizens,
permanent residents, and approved refugees.
- Fostering Futures Scholarship: Students who were in foster care in Michigan after age 12 and have financial need
can receive up to $3,000 per academic year.
- Michigan Reconnect: Michigan residents who are at least 25, have a high school diploma or GED, and don’t
have a college or university degree can get free tuition at OCC. More information...
- Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver: Students who are at least 25 percent Native American blood quantum and are enrolled
citizens of a U.S. Federally Recognized Tribe qualify for free tuition at OCC.
- Dual Enrollment: Students in grades 9-12 can take up to 10 classes at OCC for free through Dual Enrollment.
The Michigan Department of Education funds the program. More information...
National Scholarship Databases
While OCC’s Scholarship Universe is a great tool for matching you to relevant local, state, and national scholarships,
it’s a good idea to search other national scholarship databases, too. They offer a
variety of methods for finding scholarships matching your background.
The national databases listed here are among those most commonly cited for being excellent
scholarship sources. You can find other national databases with an Internet search.
All of these sites offer at least some free information, and most are entirely free: