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It takes more than one Saturday afternoon to find college scholarships! Scholarship applications and requirements may differ from year to year, but it's never too early to start. Here are some steps you can take to get your search started and make college more affordable.
Free money for college? Sign me up, right? With Scholarships you can win FREE money. Scholarships are a type of financial aid that might be based on need, merit, or academic achievement. Scholarships are not repaid and are considered gifts. Some scholarships are automatically renewed each year you attend school, while others are awarded only once.
Whether you're a student planning for the future or a parent trying to figure out how to pay for college, scholarships should be a part of your college funding strategy.
The more scholarships you apply for, the more money you can earn for education. That is why it is critical to search for scholarships from many sources. Scholarship search engines, which gather thousands of scholarships and allow you to filter by specified criteria. If you're a high school senior planning to attend college next year, the following websites are the greatest places to look for scholarships:
Local scholarships have fewer applicants than national scholarships and are often targeted at specific members of your community. Scholarships for persons from your high school who have a specific major, for example, may be available. Your guidance counselor can help you identify scholarship options in your area, and you can also look for them on the internet.
Here’s 18 Best Scholarship Websites to bookmark and explore for your college funding needs.
You can apply for as many scholarships as you want. The goal would be the more you apply for, the larger the contribution towards your educational costs. Furthermore, some students may overlook minor awards in favor of bigger, flashier incentives, resulting in a lower level of competitiveness.
To identify potential possibilities, refer to the search tool or other online private scholarship databases. Make sure you filter that information according to the precise criteria that apply to you; for example, you may be a member of a mental health awareness group and thus qualify for a service-based scholarship.
You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year of high school, so start early and prepare a list of all the scholarships you believe you could be eligible for. Even if you've graduated from high school, you should keep applying for scholarships because many are open to students of all ages. Every year, block off time on your calendar to look for scholarships, as you never know what fresh chances will arise.
Making a spreadsheet with information on the scholarships you're applying for is a brilliant idea. This could include the scholarship's name, the amount of the award, the required paperwork, and the application deadline. This spreadsheet might be color-coded, organized by date, or sorted by applications that require essays against those that do not.
Note: Make sure to submit your scholarship applications on time, as most organizations will not consider applications that are submitted late.
If you can set aside some time to apply for scholarships with more stringent standards, you'll likely face less competition for funding than if you apply for "easy apply" awards. Importantly, this does not imply that you must start over with each application! Repurposing essays for different scholarships isn't cheating; just make sure you're still responding to each specific prompt.
Schools award scholarships for a variety of reasons, but the most prevalent are merit-based and athletic scholarships.
Merit-based scholarships are awarded to students who meet or surpass specified academic requirements. They may be awarded based on their field of study, GPA, ACT or SAT score, or other academic achievement. To persuade high-achieving students to attend their schools, colleges frequently provide merit-based scholarships.
Athletic scholarships are frequently awarded in recognition of exceptional athletic success, and they normally require you to participate in one or more specific sports to be eligible. Athletic scholarships have varying requirements based on the school. Depending on the sport, schools may have varied amounts of money available.
Learn to recognize the warning signs of fraud. They're a lot easier to spot than you might imagine! Here are some warning indicators of a scholarship scam you should be aware of:
I hope this was helpful! And remember… YOU can go to the school of YOUR choice at a reasonable price. You just need guidance and the right tools.
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