Have you ever thought about how difficult it might be to pay for a college education? There are good resources that you can use to earn scholarships for college. Tuition is a large ticket item; however, your chances are good with some careful planning and applying early for scholarships.
There are many resources to help with college scholarships. There are more than five, and they grant billions of dollars every year. There are scholarships for everyone, and you have to put forth the effort to earn them. Finding the right scholarship should be treated like a job where the goal is to earn money for college.
There are many college scholarship resources for you to utilize; your best course to take would be researching. Start your quest early, so you have enough time to apply by the submittal date required. Check out the information below, and you will have an excellent base to begin your research.
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How Do You Get Scholarships for College?
There are various ways that you will be able to earn a scholarship to help you with your college tuition. There are various types of scholarships, and there are thousands of them. These gifts are given by many grantors, including but not limited to:
- Schools – This can be your high school or the college where you are going
- Employers
- Private Companies
- Non-Profit Organizations
- Religious Groups
- Professional and Social Organizations
These entities give scholarships. However, there are different types of scholarships. The merit-based scholarship is earned by meeting or exceeding specific criteria set by the scholarship giver. These are awarded based on academic achievement or a combination of special talents.
Some are based on financial needs. Your expected family contribution is computed through an application process, and it is always the same figure. The financial need would be the difference between the cost of attendance and the expected family contribution.
For Example:
| Cost of college for one semester | $ 50,000.00 |
| Expected Family Contribution | $ 20,000.00 |
| Balance Due from other sources | $ 30,000.00 |
You can calculate your expected contribution by using a calculation program that is internet-based. This page will help you understand the ins and outs of funding college and will help you calculate what you would have to pay and help you apply for grants and scholarship funds.
Financial aid is offered to military personnel and their families. The armed forces pay a portion of tuition expenses for active duty service persons. The benefits of this program are extended to the service person’s family in exchange for additional service commitments.
They also offer a loan repayment program in which they help you repay student loans prior to military service. Students are at times recruited for their particular sport or talent. An excellent way to find scholarships is through your high school counselor, who will have that information.
How will you get help to apply for a scholarship:
- The college’s Financial Aid Office
- High School Counselor
- Department of Labors Scholarship Search Tool
- Federal Agencies
- State Grant Agency
- Local Library
- Organizations related to your field of study
- Your employer or your parent’s employer
You can get help from various places when applying for a scholarship. There are also different ways to earn a scholarship. Some are based on financial situations, while others are based on your abilities or talents. There are scholarship and grant applications accessible to you by the thousands.
Is it Hard to Get Scholarships for College?
It is difficult to win a scholarship because there is so much competition involved. You must make your application stand out to get attention from the judges. You should apply at the end of your junior year. Each scholarship has an individual list of requirements you need to fulfill.
If you check out the scholarship’s website, it will give you criteria to follow. Be sure you fill out the application in its entirety. Adhering to guidelines is critical. Make sure you file it by the due date, if not before.
Once the grantor receives your scholarship packet, your application will be reviewed. This stage is the phase that is like a job application where the potential employer decides if they want to go to the next step. The judges will check for:
- Is your name correct?
- What is your GPA?
- Qualifications
- Mistakes
Some packets never make it past this initial review stage, depending upon misinformation and errors. You would be surprised that some people forget to fill in their names. The SAT exam gives you 200 points for just filling in your name
If you make it past the first cut, the judging becomes more in-depth. Next, your application will be closely scrutinized, and the judges will take a look at:
- Essays – Mostly about things that influence you, how you have lived, and what you would change
- Recommendations – Usually given by teachers, councilors, employers
- Extracurricular Activities – Your participation in student government, the arts, and internships
- Volunteer Experience – Senior centers, animal shelters, child care
After the second round of review, more packets will hit the circular file.
When the judges have reviewed all applications, the remaining grantees are compared against one another. This final review compares apples to apples, and these items are why you must begin when you enter high school. They will review:
- GPA – Your grade point average for three or four years of high school
- Test Scores – Were they consistent for your high school years?
- Experiences – Did you participate in an extracurricular activity, and what were they?
- Essays – Your essay, something personal to you regarding how you evolved into who you are today
Once they pick the most suited to receive their scholarship award or awards, they notify the winning student(s).
It is challenging to put together the perfect packet. Judges will typically first look for easy reasons to throw out an application. The whole process is subjective. The result is based on how they interpret the application. Even if you do everything right, you still might not get the scholarship.
5 Great Resources to Get Scholarships for College
There are many great resources to help you get college scholarships. Take a glance at the resources listed below. The first resource will help you apply for federal grants and give you information on the types of scholarships and student aid available.
Each resource is linked to the internet page for access.
Federal Student Aid
Before you do anything, fill out and submit a FAFSA. Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a great site that will help you see if your student is eligible for a grant. The site also tells the reader about many kinds of:
- Loans
- Scholarships
- Gants
- Military aid
The site also has information regarding financial aid eligibility, how to handle repayment of a loan, and how to complete the financial aid process. You will also find information regarding the difference between the types of assistance. The FAFSA must be renewed yearly by the due date.
Scholarship America
An excellent place to look for scholarships, this site is user-friendly, containing many scholarship opportunities. Some of the grantors are:
- Corporations
- Banks
- Technical companies
- Pharmaceutical companies
The type of companies on the site are many, and the above is just a sampling of your choices. The list can be sorted by state, and it is also alphabetical.
Your Highschool Counselor
Sometimes your counselor will have the inside track on scholarship opportunities that have not yet been posted. If you start small with local donors who will ask for teacher recommendation and a resume that tells about your activities, along with an essay. Look to organizations in your city:
- Boy Scouts
- Elks club
- Rotary club
- Churches
- Non Profit organizations
Finally, you should explore and apply for national scholarships. There are several large sites that have listings of nationwide scholarships available. You could also Google scholarships, and you will get a listing of sites with actual scholarships to apply for in the listings.
More Web-Based Sites
Niche and Discover are both straightforward sites with lists of scholarships and the ability to apply for them. The sizes of the awards are varied from $250.00 up to $100,000.00. Niche offers small to medium scholarships or will guide you to a source for scholarships.
You will see diversity in the grantors like:
- Coca Cola
- Pepper
- ROTC – Reserve Officers Training Corps
- ROTC – Navy
- ROTC – Nurse
- Scholarship for Athletes
These scholarships do not require essays, minimum GPA, and some will help you put together a free recruiting profile for sports scholarships.
Discover offers many scholarships and can help with student loans if needed. You will see grantors like:
- Burger King Scholars Program
- Medical Supply Companies
- Mensa Education and Research Foundation
- Most Valuable Student Scholarships
- Voice of Democracy Audio Essay Contests
This site offers various financial aid and scholarship packages. When you are looking through the list, you select one that interests you, and when you open it, you will see what is needed to apply.
Scholarship Help from SallieMae
SallieMae is a lending company that can help you with paying for school. Your student loan can help you cover the cost of:
- Books
- Housing
- Tuition
- Food
SallieMae also helps with scholarships, gives you tips for essays, can explain the different scholarships, and can help you apply. They will work with you to try to get financial aid. They also have a line of credit cards they offer. They even help you start a savings account.
They offer savings accounts including:
- “SmartyPig” – Online Piggybank
- Money Market Account
- Certificates of Deposit
- High-Yield Savings Account
Each account has different benefits. There are no monthly fees to have these accounts. These bank accounts will help teach the student the advantages of saving for future purchases and possible emergencies.
This website explains the different types of loans and scholarships that are available to you. SallieMae has partnerships with specific scholarship grantors. They offer:
- First-year college – for high school seniors entering college
- Current college – for students that may need extra funds at the end of college
- Graduate Students – for post-college graduation studies
Scholarships are offered through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. This grantor is Sallie Mae’s scholarship partner. These funds are made available throughout all phases of your college career.
Conclusion
Gathering funds to pay for college can be a difficult task. However, there are many resources that you can use to help gather scholarships, grants, and student loans. Begin your quest early to get ahead of the game. Start preparing in high school to give you a chance to have a positive outcome.
