TIP OF THE WEEK – November 30, 2009
College Scholarships
Scholarships For College
College gets more expensive every year. Scholarships are a great way to help reduce the costs of attending a college or university. College scholarships are typically awarded based on some type of achievement or success and may contain clauses that require the student to maintain a specific grade point average.
College Scholarship Tips
Your best scholarship research sources include: The internet (try a free scholarship search engine such as: www.fastweb.com, your local community (contact your local chamber of commerce), and your high school guidance counselor and/or college financial aid officer.
It is also important to reach out to everyone you know to ask if they know of any organizations or companies that give out college scholarships. Once you have your list make sure to keep note of all of the deadlines and requirements to be eligible. This will help you stay focused and make sure you get all your scholarship applications in on time.
You can start applying for scholarships as early as your freshman year in high school. If you win a scholarship before you know which college you’ll attend, the scholarship organization usually will either write you a check, or simply give you the money when you decide where to attend college.
Create a successful scholarship application by setting yourself apart from the other applicants. Try to think what you would be looking for if you were reviewing scholarship applications. Always be honest and never bend the truth, make sure you can back up everything you say in your college scholarship application or essay.
After you are awarded your college scholarship, write a thank you note! Someone spent a lot of time reading all the college scholarship applications, and they selected you. Write a sincere thank you note to the person who saved you money on your college tuition. This will also help your chances of winning the scholarship again the following year if you are still eligible.
Types of college scholarships
- Institutional – Awarded by the college or university to a current or future student
- Merit – Usually the largest scholarships. Given for a student’s academic, artistic, or athletic abilities
- Need – Given to distinguished students who are in need of help financially
- Sociology – Only given to students that meet a certain criteria for religion race, or national origin
- General – Any other type such as scholarships given to students based on their parents affiliation with organizations or corporations (parent’s employer may offer scholarships)
Your Friends At The College Funding Advisors
