We all know college is expensive. There are a ton of scholarships out there and someone has to win them right?
Challenge your child to apply to one new scholarship every week to see what additional money he or she can get for college.
College scholarships are free money that do not need to be paid back.
There’s no limit to the amount of scholarships kids can apply for so apply to many.
Even if your child is not yet a senior in school, have her or him start creating lists of scholarships they can apply to next year along with the deadline dates.
Some scholarship deadlines are
as early as a year before starting college and don’t require a final decision about which school your child will be attending.
Scholarship Application Tips
- As your child gets ready to apply, keep in mind that
different scholarships have their own qualifying criteria and require
certain documents.
- Do not pay for scholarships or for scholarship searches.
These should be free. School counselors and school financial aid offices can recommend
reputable resources.
- Don’t skip smaller scholarships. Every dollar counts and adds up.
- Don't exaggerate grades, memberships, skills, or qualifications. Kids are more likely to receive scholarships if they apply for the ones
that match their interests and skills.
- Pay attention to details. Some scholarships require writing an
essay while others may want letters of recommendation. Send in what’s
requested and proofread everything. Typos and missing materials can be
the difference between winning or losing a scholarship.
- Some scholarships are very quick and easy to apply for. Others take a
little more time. Meet all deadlines. If the scholarship application
can’t be submitted electronically, use certified mail. Missing a
deadline could be disqualifying.
Here are some online scholarship search engines to get started:
https://www.chegg.com/scholarships
https://www.scholarships.com
https://www.fastweb.com
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search
