by Jeanette Enriquez
(Von Ormy, Texas, 78073, US)
Some advice for earning scholarships to private schools is to start off getting good grades in high school.
by Crissy Ryun
(Kansas )
I am a college freshmen and let's just say I live paycheck to paycheck. College is very expensive, but it is worth the financial set back. I do not know if I will get to continue college after this year; however, I do know I will continue to apply for scholarships. If I could give you any advice it would be: APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS .
I have heard people say, "its like a full time job". And it should be! I spend hours out of my day filling out applications and I encourage you to! Scholarships are free money! Why would you not apply? If you are like my family and can not afford college, scholarships is the ONE way you can get to college! It takes time, effort, and it does get frustrating when you are never awarded any money, but it is the effort that counts.
Choose your college of choice. I think choosing a low cost college that you do not want to go to is TERRIBLE. Go where you want to go and APPLY APPLY APPLY for every scholarship you are eligible for! Once you get so far along in the process you can re-use your essays and just shape them to the essay questions.
Unfortunately, not all of our parents make 6 figures a year and for those of us who have to work and dedicate time to filling out scholarships will be more successful in the future! We have had to work to end up at college, work to get through college, and work to make a change in this world!
Read more Scholarship Tips from other students and parents who have been through process.
by Blaik Smith
(Marietta, Georgia )
My advice to upcoming rising freshmen’s would be to search the internet and complete one scholarship application/essay weekly. I started my scholarship search this summer and will continue my search throughout the year.
I would also suggest that you can check with located businesses in your hometown and if you’re an athletic as me the door is open. Check with your school counselor, coaches, locates churches, dealerships, hospitals, etc.
Fortunately, I have the pleasure of participating in basketball and baseball. During my travel time I have learned ask questions and look for information that can be helpful in finding out about scholarships. I have found that meeting new coaches, players and trainers can be an opportunity in finding scholarships. Don’t limit yourself just to your hometown take the risk and ask businesses in other small surrounding areas. Small scholarships are a great start. If you are able to obtain one then the move is on because normally it is the first scholarship that can be difficult to achieve. Once you have received the first scholarship you are on your way to succeeding and accomplishing several scholarships.
If you have a particular restaurant that you dine with ask them, your doctor’s office can recommend scholarship programs or another practice. Check with bookstores and the community YMCA. If you live in a large community then make the suggestion to the neighborhood president about starting a small scholarship funding program. Opportunities are not limited to people that are willing to reach and think outside of the box. Locating scholarships can be just like finding sponsors when you need funding for sports programs.
Finally to achieve a successful search for scholarships an individual must think outside of the box and remember the sky is the limit. Approach your search as a new job and you would like to convince your new boss that you are the right candidate for the job!
Read more Scholarship SearchingTips from other students and parents who have been through process.
by Brenda
(Los Angeles )
Financial aid and organization go hand and hand. The financial aid world is based on forms, deadlines, and requirements.
To keep up with deadlines make sure that you have a calendar handy, and make a list of all the financial aid opportunities you qualify for. For example, I like making a Google excel where I can list all my Scholarships and Grants for College. In this excel I write down the due date, requirements, and the website link. The best thing about this document is that I can organize all my financial aid opportunities by due date, and I can access the document at any time simply by logging into my email account.
When I have free time I simply start to look for scholarships and I add to my virtual list. In addition, I like to create my own deadlines so that I complete each financial aid opportunity well before the real deadline. This is really important, because it will seem that a month or even two weeks is plenty of time to finish an application; however, things come up and deadlines are easily missed. To avoid this problem always fill out applications as soon as you can.
Finally, keep in mind that many of these financial aid opportunities will require letters of recommendation, and transcripts. Therefore, have multiple copies of these documents at hand so that you can easily meet tight deadlines. Good luck!
Read more College Financial Aid Advice from other students and parents who have been through process.
Scholarships for 2023 and 2024 - It is never too early or too late to work on your scholarship searches. If you are part of the high school class of 2024, you should work on your scholarship and college search now. See our list of Scholarships for High School Seniors
FAFSA - The official 2023 - 2024 FAFSA is now available. See information about FAFSA.
Scholarship Lists An overview of the different types of Scholarship Money for College.
Grants Learn more about grants, the other free money for college.
Need Tuition Help? Reduce the cost of tuition with these college Tuition Assistance Programs.
Tax Credit Claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit.
College Savings Plans Save money for college with these College Savings Plans.
Need a Student Loan? Yes, you qualify for these college Student Loans.
Scholarships for High School Students