Before conducting your search, you should take a look at the Federal Trade Commission's site called Don't Get Scammed on Your Way to College. Finaid links to database searches on the Internet. In addition, U.S. News Online has a free scholarship search. If you are interested in college-based scholarships, that should be part of your research on the colleges. You should start looking into schools, and what kinds of funding they provide, no later than your junior year.
Some colleges publish booklets or Web pages that outline all the scholarships they offer.
Check with colleges you are considering to see if they have such information. To indicate interest in student employment, student loans, and parent loans, you should check the appropriate boxes. Checking these boxes does not commit you to accepting these types of aid. You will have the opportunity to accept or decline each part of your aid package later. Leaving these boxes unchecked will not increase the amount of grants you receive.