Scholarships 101
A Professional Development Program for New Scholarship Administrators
Does this sound like you?
You know there's a way for your scholarship program to have a greater impact, but you're uncertain about what that looks like or how to implement it.
You're missing a comprehensive plan for your program that could streamline and simplify your work.
You need answers to highly specific questions about the dos and don'ts and the cans and can'ts of scholarship administration.
You're unsure how to effectively manage all the relationships—with donors, volunteers, community partners, colleges and universities, students, and your internal teams.
You know you could benefit from a network of peers who truly understand your job, the challenges you're facing, and who can inspire you.
You’re struggling to navigate or find solutions to the most difficult, complicated, or frustrating aspects of your work.
We get it. We’ve been there.
That’s why we created Scholarships 101. Helping students achieve their dreams—it’s an incredible job! But managing multiple scholarships, timelines, regulations, and stakeholders is hard.
Imagine having a group of industry experts teaching you, those who understand the complexities of your role and can help you navigate it. Imagine building skills and knowledge quickly. Imagine real-time answers to the questions that stump you. Imagine having a group of scholarship colleagues, whom you can support and who are excited to support you. That's what Scholarships 101 offers.
The weekly scholarships dispatch.
Sample our expertise with our weekly scholarship insights. Subscribe now to get to know us better before enrolling.
100% of past participants would recommend our Scholarships 101 course to others in scholarship administration.
What's Included
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Expert-Led Training Sessions
Participate in six one-hour professional development sessions facilitated by Students First Consulting's expert consultants. Sessions cover essential topics from strategic planning to impact evaluation, ensuring you build comprehensive scholarship management skills.
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Comprehensive Resource Collection
Access our proprietary collection of user-friendly worksheets, templates, sample documents, and practical guides covering every aspect of scholarship management—from program strategy to stakeholder communications and administrative best practices.
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Practical Implementation Tools
Receive customizable resources for immediate application, including evaluation rubrics, timeline templates, donor meeting agendas, and program assessment frameworks that have been field-tested by scholarship professionals.
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Peer Community Network
Connect with a community of near-peer scholarship professionals facing similar challenges. Build relationships with colleagues who understand your work and can offer support and insights beyond the formal program.
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Ongoing Support Channel
Engage in continuous learning through our dedicated communications platform where cohort members can ask questions, share successes, troubleshoot challenges, and exchange ideas throughout the program.
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Flexible Learning Structure
Benefit from our blended learning approach with materials released bi-weekly for self-paced review, followed by live discussion sessions where you can deepen your understanding and apply concepts to your specific program.
“This course provided increased macro understanding of the work, reference documents to guide our own process improvement, and increased confidence in driving change based on the information gained from sessions.”
—Scholarships 101 Participant
Results You Can Expect
For you
Increased knowledge about the industry.
Increased understanding of how scholarships operate.
Increased understanding of students - and how your programming can respond.
Skills to advance your administration, strategy-setting, and work with stakeholders.
Functional resources to use right away, whether by adapting or copy-and-paste magic.
A supportive community of scholarship colleagues to learn from and collaborate with.
Greater confidence in your role.
A renewed enthusiasm for your work.
Reduced onboarding time, getting you up to speed quickly, without draining internal team resources.
Organizational cost-savings from the streamlining you'll do and the efficiencies you'll create.
Opportunities for new and expanded student-centric approaches.
An increased understanding of your scholarships' outputs, outcomes, and impact.
An increased ability to communicate that work to existing and new donors.
Greater potential for increased revenue.
Organization retention of top talent (YOU!).
For your organization
"The most valuable aspect of the course was how applicable and relevant the topics were to what we are currently working on in our program. It was great to hear other perspectives and relevant information to help me accomplish the things we do every day in the best ways possible."
—Scholarships 101 Participant
“Making connections with other scholarship professionals and having a network of trusted people to go to with any questions that might arise was invaluable.”
—Scholarships 101 Participant
Training Schedule
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Zooming Out: The Big Picture for Your Scholarship Program
Develop a clear and compelling mission statement for your scholarship program, which will drive all you do.
Materials Posted June 2
Group Discussion June 11
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From Chaos to Calendar: Mastering Your Scholarship Cycle
Understand the scholarship cycle from start to finish and discover time-saving strategies for year-round efficiency.
Materials Posted June 16
Group Discussion June 25
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Scholarship Speed Session: Application & Selection Best Practices
Optimize scholarship application and selection with proven strategies and best practices.
Materials Posted June 30
Group Discussion July 9
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Laws, Taxes, & Ethics: Accountability in Scholarships
Gain the knowledge and tools to ensure your scholarship program is compliant and effective.
Materials Posted July 14
Group Discussion July 23
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Managing Up: Working with Donors & Leadership
Build strong relationships with donors, advocate for your programs, and maintain work-life balance.
Materials Posted July 28
Group Discussion August 6
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Evaluation Made Easy: How to Measure Your Scholarship Impact
Learn practical, straightforward methods to measure your scholarship program's impact and demonstrate its value to stakeholders.
Materials Posted August 11
Group Discussion August 20
Course materials and resources were rated 'Extremely well' or 'Very well' by 100% of participants.
"My leadership recognized that scholarships are more than just processing data, and they decided to make my position a content expert, so this training fit naturally into this plan."
—Scholarships 101 Participant
Your Faculty
Hey there!
We’re Erika, Sarah, and Julia. We’re scholarship experts and your mentors on the exciting journey that is scholarship administration.
We’ve been in the industry for a combined 30-plus years and, most importantly, we’ve walked in your shoes! We started our careers as administrators, and have since worked with dozens of scholarship-providing organizations to create impactful programs that run like well-oiled machines.
Along with some of our other scholarship friends, we’ll guide you through your early days as an administrator to get you leveled up, fast, so that you can better support students, streamline and simplify, and experience more joy in what you do!
FAQs
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Scholarships 101 is designed for new and early-career scholarship administrators seeking to enhance their skills and knowledge. Scholarship providers from all types of entities–foundations, colleges or universities, nonprofits, or others–are welcome.
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The program isn't a good fit for seasoned professionals with extensive experience in managing complex scholarship programs.
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Scholarships 101 stands out due to its comprehensive curriculum, focus on practical application, emphasis on peer support, expert guidance, and innovative learning formats. It offers a tailored experience for new administrators to thrive in their roles. There’s nothing in the industry like it!
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Participants gain access to an exclusive and comprehensive portfolio of resources that includes worksheets, templates, guides, and interactive tools to streamline daily operations and improve efficiency. All align with industry best practices and student-centric approaches. Use them right away to make an immediate impact.
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Each training session provides practical knowledge, actionable strategies, and opportunities to connect with peers. The curriculum covers essential topics like program development, management, compliance, communication, and much more.
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The peer community fosters a supportive network where participants can share experiences, learn from each other, and build lasting relationships.
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Scholarships 101 is a fully virtual program, offering flexibility and accessibility for participants. An optional in-person meet-up will be hosted at the National Scholarship Providers Association conference in September 2025 in Atlanta.
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Sessions are held monthly, with recordings provided for those unable to attend live. Materials are provided a week in advance for your review.
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Our clients consistently praise our expertise, collaborative approach, and exceptional results. We build strong partnerships and deliver tailored solutions to optimize scholarship programs and achieve organizational goals.
In the words of one of our current clients, "We love working with you!" We're proud to say that we hear feedback like that all the time. We hope you'll be saying that to us soon!
Participants highlighted dual benefits: increased expertise in specific topics and valuable connections to industry colleagues.
Participants report continuing to use the practical templates and resources after the course ends.
Investment
You get:
Expert-led monthly training sessions with scholarship consultants
Comprehensive collection of ready-to-use templates and guides
Practical implementation tools tested by scholarship professionals
Peer community network of scholarship administrators
Ongoing communication channel for continuous learning
Flexible structure with self-paced materials and live discussions
Cost: $2,997
Special 2025 Relief Pricing: We know it's been an exceptionally challenging year for scholarships and students. To support your professional growth during these demanding times, we're offering Scholarships 101 at 50% off our standard $2,997 rate.
Discounted cost: $1,497
Join the community of scholarship professionals who are elevating their expertise and transforming their programs.
Hurry—Scholarships 101 is filling up quickly!
We keep Scholarships 101 small to ensure personalized attention and meaningful cohort connections.
Registration closes May 25th or when cohort fills—this cohort may reach capacity before the deadline.
Secure your spot today to join scholarship professionals from leading organizations nationwide in this transformative professional development opportunity!
Questions about Scholarships 101?
Email us at info@studentsfirstconsulting.org or schedule a complimentary 30-minute call with us.