As in-house scholarships become more competitive and lessen their awards, students may be looking for outside scholarships to help supplement their finances for their time at Eastern.

With the help of Jone Zieren, director of financial aid, here is a list of Web resources for outside scholarship searches:

1) State Higher Education Agency and federal searches: This Web site gives information about state aid, such as scholarship and grant programs as well as student loans.

The federal link allows students to search for scholarships for free under the safety of the Federal Trade Commission.

2) AmeriCorps: This Web site has applications for full-time scholarships awarded for community service.

They are given to students and graduates to pay for tuition or student loans.

3) Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship: This scholarship is given to students with high academic achievement such as high GPAs and honors course work.

4) Internet sites: Sites like Fastweb.com, Scholarships.com, Students.gov, Fedmoney.org and Apps.collegeboard.com all have servers that link you to scholarships.

Some, like Fastweb, allow you to curb the results to find scholarships that specifically pertain to you and your major. Do not pay for the information.

Go to Google and search “scholarships and grants.”

5) Local Business and Unions: Companies around town may offer scholarships for students who go to the schools in the area. Unions, like the faculty unions and other labor organizations, also have scholarships available.

To find these takes calling around to the businesses or unions.

Ask if they have one and how you can apply.

6) Outside organizations: Religious organizations, foundations and cause groups, fraternities and sororities and Charleston area clubs offer scholarships. Groups like the YMCA, Lion’s Club, and others all distribute financial aid to students.

Ask if they have one and how you can apply.

For more information go to www.students.gov. This Web site offers first-hand accounts from students who have had success in fiscal planning for college.

Visit this site if you are skeptical of a scholarship you find online.

Eastern also has a scholarship search site, which can be located by searching scholarships in the search bar on the university’s homepage.

Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.