Getting a college scholarship is easier than most students and parents think. A little planning and research can help to pay for the education that you deserve without having to pay anything back.
1. Research. The earlier you start researching, the more options you'll have. And also note that a lot of scholarships have deadlines early in the fall of your senior year.
2. Read the requirements very carefully and often. Contact the sponsors for questions or application assistance.
- 3. Get all materials. Almost every scholarship has these, so make sure you have them:
- Transcripts
- Test Scores
- Financial Aid Forms
- Financial Information, w/tax returns
- Scholarship Forms
- Essays or SOP
- Letters of Recommendation
- Proof of Eligibility
- Others requested by the sponsor
- You may have an interview.
4. Complete your applications. Get a Letter of Recommendation, which focuses on your abilities, work, grades, community service, talents, and so on. Allow them 2-3 weeks and make sure they sign it. Then write up your essays. These are the most intensive and difficult, but keep writing until you have a good Final Draft. Follow the directions carefully.
5. Proofread the applications. Check the spelling and grammar and ask some friends and family to read it. Then ask for ideas and thoughts. Complete the application fully and don't go over the length limit!
6. Make sure it's legible. Type or print it. Then sign and date each thing.
7. Make copies. If you lose your documents, then at least you can send in your copies.
8. Make a nice and clean application folder. This would impress the sponsors and leaves an impression that you're organized.
9. Arrange the documents in order. If you're sending a printed application, put in order as to what's described in the form. If you're sending an online application, send it in PDF format.
10. Get your application in early. Turn them in all together. If it isn't complete with all the paper work, you may not be eligible. To be on time, consider using certified mail and/or return receipt. Be sure to use secured postal services.
11. Even after sending in your first application, keep applying for other scholarships. You'll never know if your application was accepted or not, until later.
12. If you get your scholarship, be sure to thank your sponsors. Tell how much you appreciate the award and your career goals.
13. Go to the Financial Aid Office at your college or university. There are TONS of scholarships out there available to you that financial aid counselors can introduce you to. They will help you complete applications, and tell you how to meet the criteria for specific scholarships.
14. If you have chosen a major, talk to the head of the department. They usually have a list of scholarships designed especially for students majoring in a specific field.
15. Look on the web. Many search engines exist that find scholarships suited to you. A few to try are scholarship-listings.com, fastweb.com, scholarships.com, and scholarships4me.com. After signing up with these sites they provide an organized way to apply for scholarships. Many of them also offer other alternatives for receiving college money. You may also be interested in scholarships for women - a site that specializes in women, but has scholarships for BOTH genders.
16. See if your and/or your parent's employer offers scholarships. Many companies offer tuition reimbursement for students who are employed or have a family member employed by their company.
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