It's Not as Hard as it Seems

by Zhane Simpson
(Austin, Texas, USA)

My burden of paying for college has not yet been relieved but it has been easier. Before graduating high school I thought I wouldn’t be able to go to college because I couldn’t pay. There are ways to achieve your dreams.

I asked people to email me scholarships if they ran across them; I talked to my guidance counselor about how to pay for college. I received help because I sought it. Everyday I was in my college advocate office applying for scholarships. Don’t wait until you are a senior in high school to decide you want to apply for scholarships, start early and make sure your grades are in order.

I would search on Google for scholarships. I would use key words that fit specifically for me. When you need help ask for it, know what your strongest attribute is. I preferred to apply to scholarships that required an essay. Why? Because I wanted to tell my story, I felt that would help me. Who is best to write about me and describe how I feel other than me. I felt that those scholarships gave me an advantage. My friends, not so much, they preferred scholarships that wanted a certain G.P.A. they felt their strongest attribute was there knowledge. It worked for both of us.

Don’t get yourself stressed out if you don’t get a scholarship right off the back, give it time and they will come. Don’t give up and say whatever because you could be two scholarship applications away from getting one.

My biggest advice that I can give you is to ask for help and to never give up. Show that you are confident. Confidence will take you a long way in this world. You never know, you might be just the person someone is looking for to give a scholarship to. If I would have listened to what other people said I couldn’t do, then I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Read more Scholarship Opportunities from other students and parents who have been through process.

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Comment from your friendly team at College Financial Aid Advice

Thank you Zhane for sharing your scholarship essay about "It's Not as Hard as it Seems". Check out some Scholarship Contests and scholarship lists below. Best of luck to you.

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Appeal for Scholarship Aid

by Lindsey Dale
(Mesa, AZ 85207)

Please, please Pick Me........(Or A Less Desperate Appeal for Scholarship Aid) - As a student about to attend college in the fall I know about applying for scholarships and grants. Before I started searching I just thought that every scholarship would require either a thousand word essay or a two-thousand word essay. When I began my search I simply typed grants and scholarships. There were so many links to from which to choose.

One good tip is to try company websites. Companies and corporations often are willing to give money because they are looking for tax returns.

If you have not already, check with your school to see if they have any grant or scholarships to offer. Freshman can be offered money because the school will want them to live on campus or because of your financial situation.

Did you know about some of the more wackier scholarships out there? Are you really tall? There is a scholarship for that. Do you write with your left hand? There is a scholarship for that as well. Although when you are writing an essay do your research.

Do not just write a paper with inaccurate facts. Also be sincere with your papers. Nothing is cheesier than a made up sap story.

It is not hard to find college scholarships. You just need to use your imagination and the internet!

Lastly capitalize on your strengths and interests…..if you are an avid swimmer, try the internet for swimming scholarships.

It never hurts to “use” all of your family. My mother was in a sorority and I typed in the name of her chapter and up popped a scholarship application!

P.S. All of our family are staunch Coca-Cola supporters! My mom does not let any soda products other than Coca-Cola sully our home! During the 1985 introduction of New Coke, my grandma bought hundreds of dollars of original recipe Coca-Cola and hoarded it in her basement!

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Comment from your friendly team at College Financial Aid Advice

Thank you Lindsey for sharing your tips for finding scholarships. Good luck to you in college and your appeal for scholarship aid. Check out some of our scholarship links below, including the famous Coca Cola Scholarship.

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Time Equals Money

by Tayler Lofthouse
(Oswego, IL, USA)

Whatever you do, don’t waste your time. It will be a huge relief when you get out of college if you get as much money as possible.

I went to Waubonsee Community College my first year and since, compared to other colleges or universities, it was inexpensive I figured I didn’t need to get any scholarships or grants. Now that I’m planning on attending Carroll University, which is 35,000 dollars per year, I am in need for scholarships and grants , and I feel that I have waited too long to find them and apply. All you need to do is start looking; there is so much free money for college out there!

The first thing that you need to do is start looking as soon as possible. I would start in the middle of your junior year of high school. Some scholarships have deadlines during your senior year , so the quicker you start looking, the more scholarships you will be able to apply too! Also, some scholarships have certain qualifications, such as they will accept the first 500 people, so you want to be one of the first to get the scholarship done. Also, by finding out about the scholarships early, it will give applicants more time to put a great amount of thought into their essays so it will be the best it can be!

Another key point is there is so much free money for college out there! All you have to do is put time into searching for them. Scholarships range from being complex and having to write essays and doing other things all the way to being simple and unique. Some unique scholarships are if you’re tall you can apply for a scholarship or if you’re left handed there is a scholarship out there for you! Just find the scholarships that you qualify for and apply.

The last piece of advice I would like to give is don’t look at the amounts. Every little dollar will help pay for college in the end, whether it is 500 dollars or 5,000 dollars. Try to fill out every scholarship that will help you earn money. If you get multiple scholarships ranging from 500 to 1,000 to 4,000, in the end all the scholarship money will add up and it will help you get rid of the debt you will have to pay after college.

Overall, if you start looking early and apply for whatever scholarships you qualify for it will help you in the end. There are over 25,000 scholarships out there, so I know there is one out there for everyone. If you just put hard work and time into the scholarship process, you will get enough money to help you pay for your college experience! All I have to say is get going!

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Comment from your friendly team at College Financial Aid Advice

Thank you Tayler for encouraging others to keep going to find free money for college. There are thousands of scholarships, so apply early and often. Good luck to you. Check out some of our scholarships lists below.

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