Not all scholarships consider financial need when evaluating applicants, some focus on other things, such as community service, school involvement or your intended field of study. Additionally, scholarships give a varying degree of weight to financial need. For example, financial need is 50 percent of the total score for some scholarships, but only 5 percent of the total score for others. Furthermore, other factors help determine financial need, including the number of people living in your home, the cost of the college and any unexpected financial hardships your family has faced in the last few years.