Outside Scholarship Information
Scholarship Search Tips
- Create a calendar: When you find a scholarship you want to apply for, but the deadline is too far out or has passed, put it on your calendar for when the application will open.
- Treat scholarship searching and preparation as a part-time, year-round job.
- Skip applications that ask for a fee or bank account information. Check here for information on Scholarship Scams and Services.
- Consider community organizations, parents’ employers or other affiliations.
- Search for things that make you unique: favorite brand of shoes, hobbies, activities, companies you want to work for, local organizations, professional organizations in your field, etc.
- Don’t disqualify yourself!: If you meet most of the criteria, but not all, apply anyway. If you are invited to apply for a scholarship, make it a priority. Don’t wait until the last minute.
- Follow instructions, meet deadlines, and proofread your application.
Scholarship Search Sites
Free Scholarship Search Engines
- College in Colorado
- Fastweb
- U.S. Department of Labor
- College Board
- College Connection
- Here are some helpful comparisons between top search engine sites
Scholarship Search for International Students
Other Sources of Financial Aid Information
- FinAid Organization
- US Department of Education – Student Guide
- Peterson’s
- Student Gateway to the US Government
Reporting Your Scholarship
Per federal regulation, students who are awarded outside, private or community scholarships must notify the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible. We can follow-up with the donor and be sure they have all the information they need to get the scholarship funds to us as soon as possible.
We are required to treat outside scholarships as an additional resource. If you have received need-based aid (grants, subsidized loan and/or work study) as part of your financial aid award, it may be reduced by your outside scholarship. Other aid may also be adjusted as necessary.
Disbursement of Funds
The Financial Aid Office will communicate with your donor on all reported scholarships to ensure payment is received. Privately funded scholarships are processed for disbursement to the student’s account after the scholarship check has been received by the Financial Aid Office. Scholarship funds will be credited half to the fall and half to the spring unless otherwise designated by the donor. Scholarship checks should be made payable to Colorado School of Mines and mailed to the following address:
Colorado School of Mines
Financial Aid Office
1301 19th Street
Golden, CO 80401
Scholarship checks made payable to both the student and the school require the student to endorse the check. Emails are sent to the student’s Mines email upon receipt of the check.
All available scholarships will credit to the student’s account three business days prior to each semester.
Students can check Trailhead regarding the status of their outside scholarship: Trailhead → Scholarships card → View Reported Outside Scholarships → Select Aid Year (i.e., 2023-2024) → Resources. Scholarships that have been paid will have “Paid” to the right of the title of the scholarship. To see the official payment go to “Award Offer” which is the tab located to the left of “Resources.”
Watch our short video about Tracking Outside Scholarship Money to see how outside scholarships show up in Trailhead.
Contact Info
Mailing address:
Colorado School of Mines
Financial Aid Office
1301 19th Street
Golden, CO 80401
Office Location:
Ben Parker Student Center, E160
1200 16th St
Golden, CO 80401
Walk-In Hours:
Monday through Friday
9am - 4pm
303-273-3301
Toll-free: 1-888-446-9489
finaid@mines.edu
For scholarship questions, email scholarship@mines.edu
More information:
For billing issues contact: Bursar's Office 303-273-3158
For health insurance waivers contact: Student Health Insurance 303-273-3388
For College Opportunity Fund contact: Registrar's Office 303-273-3200
For information on Veteran Affairs contact: Registrar's Office 303-273-3200