Plan Early, Follow Thru, Succeed

by Rebecca Whited
(Springfield, OH)

Scholarships for children- Scholarships can be easy, odd, exclusive and most of all intimidating. I am a 26 year old mother who is looking to go back to school to become a paralegal. As I began my search for Scholarships and Grants for College, I discovered something so unexpected that it brought on a new mission to my life: getting my daughter ready for scholarships.

I am fortunate enough that my child is only two years old and has many years to go until we start planning where she is going to go to college and what major she will be working towards. What I am most fortunate for is that she has 16 years to start earning scholarships. That’s right US bonds and cash are awarded to children as young as kindergarten (the youngest I have seen). I also now know what these foundations are looking for. I can now make sure that my child does community services and is well versed in mathematics, science, spelling, geography and personality to increase her eligibility.

I like most parents want nothing more than for my daughter to be happy in life, and successful people are happy. I will work hard to give my daughter the advantage she needs to be successful in life. Why not, it’s right there at our fingertips. You simply must take the time while your child is still a child, and not wait until they are juniors and seniors in high school.

Scholarships for children 13 and under are a little more difficult to find compared to high school age and beyond scholarships because of the Children’s Privacy Protection Act of 1998. This website however doesn’t collect any information from you, so here you can find many different scholarships for children under the age of 13. www.finaid.org/scholarships/age13.phtml

Most scholarships are based on community service, and how your child has helped his or her community or school. Simple things such as helping out at local food bank is considered community service and also an enlightening and humbling experience for children and adults alike. Cleaning up trash from a local park, donating toys or jackets to a shelter are other ways children can get involved in their community. Getting them involved will really increase your child’s scholarship eligibility.

Continuously checking the web can also help increase your child’s chances of getting a scholarship because scholarships go year round. Once a year checks will limit your opportunities. Jan thru March however is a prime time for scholarships in my experience.

When it comes to our children, we must prepare them for the world ahead by giving them the best chance to succeed. This is especially true if you don’t have the money to give them the best education they truly deserve. Please take the time to plan early, follow thru, and in the end have your child succeed.

Read more tips about available Scholarships and Grants for College 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 Rebecca for sharing your advice about planning for scholarships early, and thinking about scholarships for children. Be sure to check out our lists of college scholarships. We have some scholarships for children, including the Cuties Clementine scholarship on our Scholarship Contests page, the Peanut Butter scholarship on our Weird Scholarships page, and Kohls Scholarship . Best of luck to you.

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Scholarship Applications are No Joke!

by Desiree
(Xenia, Ohio, United States)

From the time I was in middle school, I believed that if I did well in school and appeared to be a well-rounded person, paying for college would be a breeze. So, I got good grades, became involved in various extra- curricular activities, and got a job. Before I knew it, it was time to apply for college.

I applied to The Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University, and the University of Cincinnati. Within no time, I was accepted and confirmed admission to the University of Cincinnati.
I was so excited to have been accepted into college, but the stress soon kicked in when I realized how expensive it is, and scholarships are hard to come by. Especially, when one procrastinates on applying for them, as I did.

As a 17 year old girl with tons of AP and honors work, a part- time job, and several school productions to maintain, I had no interest in spending my free time applying for scholarships and writing essays. I finally got my head into the game a few months ago and began to spend every weekend searching for scholarships, but unfortunately most of the scholarship deadlines had already passed so I was stuck at square one.

I had to take out federal student loans . They are more forgiving than private ones, but I’ll still leave college in debt. The loans still didn’t cover my tuition and books, so my mother had to take out a loan on her 401k, which still will not be enough for both books and tuition costs.

I regret not taking scholarship applications seriously. If I could go back in time and do it all again, I would spend my Sundays writing scholarship essays rather than watching Law and Order SVU marathons. I would also save money out of my paychecks to help pay for books and other expenses instead of spending my money on online shopping sprees.

Because I was irresponsible, I will have a significant amount of debt to pay off and my mother had to dig into her retirement to help me. Scholarship applications are no joke.

Read more scholarship applications advice 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 Desiree for sharing your advice about scholarship applications. Yes, you are correct, these are no joke. It is hard for high school juniors and seniors to find the time to search for scholarships and complete those applications and essays. Check out our scholarship lists and deadlines for Scholarships for High School Seniors and Scholarships for College Students. Best of luck to you.

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Start Early!

by Julie Jozenville
(orlando fl usa)

Finding scholarships and grants for college can be tough but there are resources and people to help you everywhere you turn.

When trying to find a scholarship or a grant, the number one advice I can offer is start filling out those applications early and as much as possible. Almost all scholarships and grants have a deadline and it is very upsetting to find a scholarship you had a chance to win but miss the deadline. Also, when you start filling out applications for scholarships and grants early, you have time to fill out plenty which better your chance to win.

When finding scholarships and grants, checking online will be your biggest friend. Using the web offers you a wide range of options and information about different scholarships and grants. There are also websites that will email you different scholarships and grants available and also their deadlines. Some of these websites includes fastweb.com and scholarships.com.

Another option you have is check the college you attend for scholarships. You can easily visit your school’s website for different scholarships and grants your school offers or you can visit your school’s financial aid office. Your school’s financial aid office should be able to provide all the scholarships and grants offered and all the information you need to know.

When finding scholarships and grants, do not be afraid of completing the applications that ask you for an essay. It may take up a little more time than other applications but less people tend to complete those applications, which betters your chances to win.

Last but not least, make sure you check your email frequently. You may receive emails about a possible scholarship or grant winner. You may also receive emails about other scholarships and grants that are available to you and their deadlines that maybe near.

Read more tips about available Scholarships and Grants for College 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 Julie for sharing your advice to start early looking for scholarships and grants for college. That is excellent advice, because there are many scholarships with early deadlines, and also many that aren’t posted online until shortly before their due date. Best of luck to you.

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