The Gates Scholarship

You'll typically need to create an account to apply for a scholarship, and submit your application through their website—this is called a scholarship application portal. Not all scholarship providers use portals—some will just require that the application materials be sent via email. Tip: it's a good idea to write down your usernames and passwords to keep track of all your applications!

Financial need is determined by the information you enter into your FAFSA. It's the difference between how much it's going to cost you to go to college, your 'cost of attendance (COA)', minus how much of this cost can you / your family cover, your 'Expected Family Contribution (EFC)'. If your EFC is lower than your COA, you have financial need! If you're not sure about your EFC or COA, reach out to a Mos advisor for help!

To prioritize your scholarship applications, think about which scholarships you have the best chance of getting (the most specific ones, with more than one winner), the ones due the soonest, and the ones that are awarding the most money.

Tip: We recommend you make a schedule for yourself to follow to stay organized and on track throughout the scholarship application season! You can always ask a Mos advisor for help.