Financial-Aid Opportunities Turned Into Realities

by Larissa Larson
(Murrieta, CA, USA)

‘In this economy, there is no way I will be able to pay for college.’

‘Grants are only helpful if my parents have a low income, and we’re a middle class family.’

‘My grades aren’t good enough to win a scholarship.’

Perhaps you have heard, thought, or voiced some of these trivial ideas about scholarships, grants, and other financial-aid opportunities. I will be honest with you, even I used to believe that my mediocre grades and slightly above average extra-curricular involvement would serve me no advantage in the scholarship world –especially since you have to be an absolute, preferably indigenous, genius to qualify for scholarships, or on the verge of poverty to qualify for government grants—until my ignorance was replaced with knowledge of the possibilities to acquire “free money.”

Amazingly enough, I learned that the possibilities are endless for myself, and for anyone else who needs assistance with paying for college; and let’s face it, the majority of us –meaning college bound kids—are in need of such assistance. Even if you’re not, why pass up the chance to not only expose your personal works to several parts of the nation, but also to get some college fees paid for?

With the number of scholarships and government grants floating around in this country, anyone can escape paying out of pocket for several college fees. The key is to search.

Ask a counselor: believe it or not, these folks are professionally trained to know and pass on information of the college world unto students. Simply asking if there are any scholarships or grants open for entry may be a good start; however, being specific about the scholarship type you want (i.e. writing, sports, ethnicity, talents, etc…) will prove to be more efficient.

Use a scholarship search engine: now, as fond as you may be of Google, Bing, or other search engines, there are actually websites where the search is strictly for “free money” hunters. In fact, you can even use your habitual search engine to look up ‘scholarship search engines.’ Yes, there will be more you had even thought to exist –like Fastweb.com, Zinch.com, CollegeBoard.org, etc. — choosing a few sites will expose you to various scholarships.

Use FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): not only is this the most efficient and simple way to inform yourself as to whether or not you qualify for government-aid, but it also is a gateway to several other financial-aid options (i.e. student and parent loans, work-study programs, etc.). Applying for a FAFSA account will take away practically all the stress of wondering if you qualify for grants, and inform you of other options to pay for college.

Searching for scholarships and grants can be a challenge, but don’t get discouraged! Your grades may not be perfect and sports may not be your thing; however, this in no way means that you are incapable of receiving financial help. Will every scholarship be the perfect fit for you? No. However, chances are there will be some out there for you. Why? Because there are scholarships for practically anything! Are you left handed? Do you delight in surfing? Have any collectible items? Do you sing, dance, act, or perform on a stage in any way? Are you a human who is pursuing college? Good news! There is a scholarship out there waiting for you to apply for.

So while you are searching for ways to pay for college, through the resourceful administrators at your school and the World Wide Web, always be specific. The chances of finding a perfect fit and a guarantee to win “free money” will become more favorable when you are.

There really is no end to the possibilities of receiving financial-aid for college fees. As long as there is willingness to search, embrace talents, and expose unique qualities, finding the right scholarship, grants, and other financial-aid opportunities can become a tangible reality for anyone.

Read more Financial Aid 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 Larissa for sharing your advice about Financial Aid Opportunities. Check out some Scholarship Contests and scholarship lists below. Best of luck to you.

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More Financial Aid Opportunities

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Searching and Finding Scholarships

by Mehgan Raab
(Robertsville, Missouri, USA)

Finding scholarships almost feels like diving into a deep pool and not quite having the whole “swimming thing” down, at least that’s how it felt to me when I first started searching.

When I did my first scholarship search on my own before I started school, honestly, I gave up. I thought that my school and FAFSA would never find anything that I would qualify for. WRONG. They do help find financial help, but there is a lot more in loans than anything.

You have to search on your own to find them. Google will become your best friend. You may get frustrated after having no luck for a few hours, you may have to continue searching for days, but you will find them; you just can’t give up on it. Simply Googling or using any search engine is personally what helped me find tens of scholarship search sites, which help you specify things about yourself, your interests, your major(s), clubs, organizations, hobbies, or anything to help you find scholarships you’ve never even heard of.

I have personally entered at least 100 scholarship contests. Doesn’t mean I will get them all, or even half, but I can’t even get one dollar of help until I actually apply and try. After you have used any and all legitimate scholarship searches, do your own search. Pull up your favorite search engine (Google, Bing, etc.) and type in “scholarships for…” and then just add something you like, something you do, your major, woman , man, kids, contests , writing, being left handed, tall, short, art lover, photographer, even if you are a descendant of someone who was in the Civil War; the list just goes on and on. Your employer may even have scholarships available to employees.

Remember, think hard and use your imagination. There are so many thousands of scholarships available and the only way you will have any chance at getting them is to search and actually apply. Don’t give up!

Read more Finding Scholarships 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 Mehgan for sharing your advice about finding scholarships. It really is that easy – search and apply. Good luck to you.

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Finding Scholarships Lists

Scholarships for High School Students | Scholarships for College Students | Scholarship Money for College | Scholarship Contests | Merit Based Scholarships | Easy Scholarships | Scholarships for Minorities | Federal Pell Grants | College Financial Aid Advice | Weird Unknown Scholarships

Submit your entry in our College Essay Contest:

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Scholarships and Grants are just a click away

by Sanders.
(Ga, United States)

I am a female African American high school senior who is currently in the process of looking for colleges of my interest and scholarships or grants . As a well rounded and well known senior you may look at me and think “her GPA must be awesome!” and then come to find out I have a 2.9 GPA. As a freshman I, like many others, became caught up in a popularity contest and did not think my classes were that important. Little did I know that I was going to spend the rest of my three years in high school trying to make up for my mistakes freshman year.

Although it is time to start submitted applications to colleges I have not lost hope that a well accredited college will accept me. When the college of my choice does accept me another thing I have worried about is money. Money like water is scarce in some places you just have to know where to look and apply yourself.

The steps of getting to where you need to be are simple; there are a plethora of scholarships and grants that are willing to give you free money in response to an essay that portrays your whole four years through out high, your life, anything. In the last year the average college student came out of school in debt $25,250.

Why would you not want to apply for as many scholarships and grants that come your way? It’s simple, when applying, have some determination and courage about yourself, do not be afraid to flaunt and brag on your talents.

Whenever you feel like hope is lost just think about how long it will take you to finish an essay explaining a scenario versus the many years you will spend paying off your student loans .

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 Sanders for encouraging others to apply for scholarships and grants. Check out some of our scholarships lists below. Best of luck to you.

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Scholarships and Grants – Free Money for College

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FAFSA Hints | Scholarships and Grants for College | Paying off Student Loans | Scholarship Essay Samples | Other College Financial Aid Advice