Most high school students heading to college know a few basic places to find college scholarships. That said, you can find student financial aid in places other than your guidance counselor's office. Finding money for college takes skill. There are plenty of obscure, unique college scholarships available for students if you're willing to spend some time looking, and these hard-to-find scholarships for students are often much less competitive. With these obscure scholarships, you can find enough money to pay for college, even if you choose to go to an expensive private school.

First, look to community organizations for college scholarships. Many groups, like the Girl Scout and Boy Scouts, your local VFW, the Kiwanis, and the Elk's Club all offer merit scholarships and other types of student financial aid. In addition, think outside of the box to find organizations that might help you. For example, does your church have a fund for adult education? They might be willing to give you a small scholarship â€" you just have to ask for it! Small scholarships may not put a huge dent into your tuition bills right away, but they'll add up. If you find ten to twenty small scholarships, you might be able to pay off a whole semester of college.

Finding money for college takes a creative thinker. Unique college scholarships won't often fall on your lap. Instead, look for them! Think about your field of study and start talking to people who may be able to help you think of ways to find scholarships for students. Are you planning to major in business? Talk to the business teachers at your school or local business people who are involved in professional organization. While they might not be able to offer your college scholarships, they might be able to show you little-known student financial aid opportunities. Who knows? With the right contacts, you may even be able to find a work study job or internship. Networking is also a good thing!

The Internet is king when it comes to finding money for college. Start by looking at websites that are made for high school students interested in college scholarships. These websites are a wealth of information regarding financial aid, but unfortunately, so many students log on to visit these sites that the chances of getting one of the popular scholarships they advertise is not that great. No, for unique college scholarships that you actually have a chance to win, you have to dig deeper.

Scholarships for students aren't always well advertised. Instead, search online for organizations that fit your current interests or proposed field of study. For example, if you're the star of your school's drama club, search online for national, state, and local organizations that support students interested in theatre and the arts. Once you land on the organization's home page, search that specific site for scholarship opportunities. Pages with that kind of information often won't show up when you search on Google, Yahoo!, MSN, or other search engines. You really have to hunt for these college scholarships.

Remember, student financial aid isn't going to just falling into your lap. Finding money for college takes time. Starting your senior year, begin to set aside an hour or two every week to search online and offline for scholarship opportunities. Set up great interviews if these are local awards, or ask those close to you to serve as references. The most unique college scholarships will be those easiest to win, so apply even if the amount is not high or if you think the scholarship is too obscure. The more you apply for college scholarships, the more chances you have to actually be awarded some of the prizes. Don't put all of your eggs in once basket!

Student financial aid isn't just for high school seniors either. Finding money for college is just as important when you're actually in college, and unique college scholarships are your best bet for paying for the things you really need. During your spring semester, make sure you reapply for any renewable scholarships available, and then start to hunt for new ones. Scholarships for students become more readily available from the university at this point. Head to your school's financial aid office. They'll be able to tell you about any college scholarships available directly from the school.

In addition, talk to the head of your department about student financial aid. They're usually very good about finding money for college students, especially in the form of grants. College grants are usually set aside to be used for a specific educational purpose, and as an upperclassman, you may be able to help your department get grants for things you really want to do.

The bottom line? Finding scholarships for college - especially obscure, unique college scholarships - isn't easy. However, if you're committed to devoting time to your search, you will be successful.

About the Author

Kris Tang writes about student financial aid, including college scholarships, government and private grants, and federal loans for FinancialAidFinder.com. She brings unique insights from her own experiences in college and from conversations with financial aid administrators.