Finding College Scholarships - Part 2

In Part 1 I shared some great tips on finding college scholarships which is usually defined as money that you do not have to pay back Scholarships include both institutional money awarded directly by the school and private scholarships from various sources. Scholarships are awarded for many reasons including: academic merit, athletics, visual and performing arts, leadership, and community service. Keep in mind that scholarship money could in fact reduce the amount of institutional need based aid given to a family. It will not decrease the family’s Expected Family Contribution as defined on the financial aid forms that families complete as part of the process.Therefore families that are not eligible for need-based aid benefit the most from scholarships because every dollar they receive goes directly toward the cost of tuition. In part one I reviewed scholarships awarded directly by the college. In part two I share four strategies related to obtaining private scholarships. Private scholarships can be a good source of relatively small amounts of money. Apply for them after you have met all of your application deadlines and prioritize which ones are most worthwhile to spend your time and effort on.

1.Start Early – Some scholarships are available to students as early

as sophomore year of high school.

2. Stay Late - Students already enrolled in college or transferring can still apply

for certain scholarships.

3. Be Creative – Showcase your talent at producing videos or writing essays to win a variety of scholarships including creating prom outfits out of duct tape: http://www.duckbrand.com/promotions/stuck-at-prom

4. Band Together – Form a scholarship club and work as a team to find scholarships for members of the group, increasing the chances for all!

Good luck with your scholarship search.