ants ▁tend ▁to ▁be ▁need - based . ▁ ▁Sch olar ships , ▁similar ▁to ▁gr ants , ▁do ▁not ▁need ▁to ▁be ▁rep a id . ▁Sch olar ships ▁come ▁from ▁state , ▁educational ▁institutions , ▁and ▁private ▁ag encies . ▁ ▁Sch olar ships ▁can ▁be ▁awarded ▁based ▁on ▁mer it , ▁financial ▁need , ▁student ▁characteristics ▁( such ▁as ▁gender , ▁race , ▁religion , ▁family ▁and ▁medical ▁history , ▁and ▁the ▁like ), ▁cre ativity , ▁career ▁field , ▁college , ▁athlet ic ▁ability , ▁among ▁other ▁categories . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁search ▁engines ▁available ▁to ▁find ▁scholar ships ▁such ▁as ▁Pet erson ' s , ▁Un igo , ▁Fast web , ▁C app ex , ▁Che gg , ▁The ▁College ▁Board , ▁N iche ▁( former ly ▁known ▁as ▁College ▁P row ler ), ▁Sch olar ships . com , ▁Colleg en et . com , ▁and ▁Sch olar ship ▁Mon key . ▁ ▁Fin an cial ▁aid ▁application ▁process ▁ ▁Application ▁process ▁for ▁need - based ▁aid ▁ ▁To ▁qual ify ▁for ▁need - based ▁aid ▁a ▁student ▁must ▁have ▁a ▁significant ▁amount ▁of ▁financial ▁need , ▁which ▁is ▁determined ▁by ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁F AF SA . ▁Using ▁the ▁information ▁submitted ▁on ▁the ▁F AF SA , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁Education ▁calcul ates ▁a ▁figure ▁called ▁the ▁Ex pected ▁Family ▁Cont ribution ▁( E FC ). ▁If ▁the ▁E FC ▁is ▁less ▁than ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁att ending ▁a