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Generally speaking, start with local sources first. Check with the guidance office at the local high school--often they have a list of businesses and organizations in your area that offer scholarships. Although many of them will be limited to high school seniors, some may be open to older students as well. Check to see if there is a community foundation for your area--these are organizations who administer funds that people have donated for scholarships. Often there are dozens of scholarships that you can apply for with just one common application. Also, check with local businesses, 0particularly those that are connected to your major) and local branches of civic, fraternal and professional organizations.

After you have exhausted local sources, expand your search to national scholarships. You can find these by registering at scholarship search engines, such as College Board, Wired Scholar, Scholarships.com, etc. You put in criteria that apply to you, such as race, heritage, sex, age, religion, field of study, etc., and they will search their database for scholarships that match. Don't rely solely on internet search engines, however, because often their databases don't contain the smaller scholarships you are most likely to win. Also, every student in the nation uses them, so any scholarship they turn up for you they will also show to thousands of other students. This means that you'll probably be competing with 10,000 or more other applicants. With local scholarships, you'll probably be competing with 100 or less, so your chances of winning are much greater.

There are techniques that can greatly improve your chances of finding and winning scholarships, so it pays to invest in a scholarship hunting guide or two. A good one to start with is Ben Kaplan's "How to Go to College Almost for Free". One aspect of college funding that many students overlook is reducing costs. By choosing a college wisely, planning your finances to maximize your eligibility for financial aid, and making smart purchases, you can greatly reduce your costs and your need for scholarships. A couple of good books that talk about this are "Pay for College Without Sacrificing Your Retirement" by Tim Higgins and "Debt Free U" by Zac Bissonnette.

Good Luck!

search a college's website, and they will have forms and stuff you need to fill out when applying.