Students now can search for scholarships more efficiently at NIU’s new Web site. The site, created this fall, replaced a version that was around for six years.

“This Web site was launched in September of 2005, and it has been designed to be more specific to an individual student’s needs,” scholarship coordinator Dana Gautcher said.

The site allows students to fill out various categories, including gender, race, academic area of interest in school, etc. After the survey is filled out, the student is redirected to a list of scholarships to choose from.

“This new Web site is more personalized, more manageable and it is also searchable, so if a student is looking for a specific scholarship he or she can search for it,” Gautcher said.

Students also can look for scholarships they will be able to apply for in the future. For example, it is possible for a freshman to look for a scholarship for junior or senior year. The Web site is not limited to scholarships only available to the specific year the student is in.

Gautcher places each scholarship on the Web site. The recipient of the scholarship is determined by the scholarship’s department. Depending on the scholarship, the student can apply directly online or go to the specific department and apply there.

“I am actually really excited that there is a Web site that has scholarship information,” said Laura Clark, a sophomore business management major. “I need to find scholarships, and I am glad that there is a Web site that has them all laid out for me.”

The new site was designed in order to make finding scholarships easier and more time efficient, Gautcher said. It is updated regularly and students are encouraged to give feedback about the site.

The site can be accessed at www.scholarships.niu.edu.