Scholarships starts in your community. Visit the local high schools and make connections with the counselors and college advisers. Many local scholarships can be accessed in the counselor's office or the college career center.

Be sure to check the websites of ALL of the local high schools. Many times different scholarships will be posted online. These scholarships are available to people in the community, including homeschoolers. 

Another source for information are the college advisers at the local community colleges. Meet with them and ask questions.

Also ask in the local stores, restaurants, businesses, police dept., fire dept. etc. of your community to see if they have a scholarship. It can never hurt to ask, the worst they can tell you is no. If they say yes, accept and complete the application ASAP. 

It is recommended to register in one or more scholarship databases to be matched for scholarships for which you are eligible. 

Community service is required by many colleges and scholarships and needs to be documented to include the following: Community service is about quality of service rather than quantity of hours. Show a commitment over time, with a minimum of one hour per month. Serve more if possible. Most scholarships require community service. Be sure to document your time.