Tag Archives: scholarship

How to find scholarships for college
College is an ever-more expensive proposition these days. Paying for college can be a headache to figure out. We all hear about scholarships, but while there’s $3.4 billion available in college scholarships, there are thousands that under-applied for…meaning the competition isn’t too tough.

Part of the reason why many scholarships aren’t very competitive is that a lot of students go for the big-name scholarships for big-time money, while they neglect to take the time to apply to smaller scholarships.

Think about it, you can get five $1,000 scholarships with a little time and effort or take a stab at one big $5,000 scholarship. Everyone is looking to save time and energy, but at a time when people are debt-wary and U.S. student loan debt is soaring above $850 billion, scholarships are a long-standing way to help fund your education.

Thankfully, researching scholarships is easier today than it’s ever been before. There are a few great sites for helping you with your scholarship search. We’ll share some links for sites that can help you find scholarships below.

Before you start your scholarship search, here are a few pointers to help improve your chances of actually landing the scholarships you apply for:

1. Apply early! Different scholarships have different deadlines, so beyond checking on individual deadlines, a general rule is to get your applications in early. For example, if you’re a high school senior, now is the time to apply for scholarship money for next fall.
2. Broaden your search. Think scholarships are just for students with a 4.0 GPA or football prospects? Think again. There are scholarships based on merit and sports, sure, but also for extracurricular activities, community service, volunteering, special interests and even based on your planned subject of study.
3. Search for local scholarships. From local businesses and organizations to state-funded scholarships, there’s a lot higher likelihood of landing a scholarship in your own backyard. Again, this is an instance of looking for more realistic scholarships, and local by definition is more limited than national, meaning your odds are much better.
4. Be accurate and professional. Make sure you’re including everything the scholarship application calls for. Any errors can get your application disqualified from the start. Also, don’t be afraid to print your application on higher-grade paper. If you want to take it one step further, ship your application first class or FedEx to make an impression right off the bat.
5. Meet with your school counselor or advisor. College students typically don’t take advantage of their career services office. Or, they didn’t until this recession hit the U.S. economy. Now students are flooding CSOs. Whether you’re in high school or college, check with a counselor or advisor to help you find scholarships. They can be an invaluable resource in letting you know which scholarships might be easier to get.

Now that you have some tips on how to have a more fruitful scholarship search and application process, here are some great sites for helping you find the right scholarship for you:

• Collegescholarships.org
• Collegenet.com’s “Mach 25″
• Petersons.com