Hunting For College Scholarships
Can you imagine if someone came up and handed you $1,000 to put toward your college education, with no, “You owe me for this,” at the end? Sounds pretty fantastic, right? That isn’t going to happen (probably), but winning college scholarships can also get you tuition money without the stress of repayment. Depending on your strengths, your interests, your background, your needs, and so on, you can apply for college scholarships that will help ease the financial burden of college.
One of the most confusing tasks in the college scholarship application process is actually finding the scholarship opportunities. Luckily, there are plenty of free resources that can help you out. First, speak with both your high school college counselor and an advisor at your future college (if you’ve already been accepted). These will be the best resources for you because they know your specific situation and can point you in the right direction.
Another excellent way to find potential scholarships is through the CareerOneStop’s Scholarship Finder, which is sponsored by the US. Department of Labor. There, you can filter through scholarships depending on your level of study, where you live, your gender, and so on. There are college scholarships for activists, students interested in the humanities, theater kids, and so on. As of today, there are 8,322 awards listed on this site that are up for grabs, ranging in amounts.
If you’re active in your community, there may be a treasure trove of college scholarship information right under your nose. Foundations, religious organizations, clubs, businesses, and professional associations often have the 4-1-1 on different college scholarships that would benefit people in their particular community. Talk to the people – especially the leaders – within your circles, and they may be able to provide you with some invaluable leads.
If you’re hopeful to win scholarship money, don’t wait to start investigating. Every scholarship has its own deadline, and some are even a year before college begins. Besides, you don’t want to scramble to meet the deadline. Each scholarship has its own requirements and application process. The earlier you find and research the scholarships you want, the better chance you have at crafting that winning application.
