How to Find and Win a Scholarship
Monday, September 12th, 2011Maybe you can’t throw a football fifty yards. Perhaps the most athletic thing you do is play with your pet.
Maybe you are not in the top ten percent of your class. Perhaps you have enjoyed your teen years more than some of your more academically focused classmates.
And, maybe you can’t point to any major co-curricular achievements. Maybe you did not even participate in school clubs and activities.
So, you’re a pretty bad bet for a college scholarship, right?
Don’t be so sure. In reality, there may be lots of scholarships for which you may qualify. But, you’ll have to actively look for them.
First, go to your guidance counselor. Chances are, he or she will have information on dozens of scholarships (or more) offered by businesses and organizations in and near your hometown, and how to apply for them.
Next, make a list of your family’s affiliations. Where do your family members work? Where do they worship? To what clubs and organizations do they belong? Check out all of them and you may find more scholarships, including some totally unrelated to grades or test scores.
Then go on the net and try a few of the many free scholarship searches.
By doing some research you will find not only scholarships for high academic performance, but also for particular talents, family affiliations, students wishing to major in specific areas, and dozens of other categories.
There are even scholarships you can win by writing an essay or participating in an academic competition.
There is no shortage of scholarship money out there for ambitious students of all ages. But, you have to spend some time and energy finding them, you must fill out your scholarship applications carefully, and you must be aware of and adhere to deadlines.
Good luck on your scholarship search!
Daniel Kane has created and maintained several websites on online degrees and online colleges. He has been a college and university dean for more than 25 years.
