Scholarship Application Tips

By getting information about the scholarship application tips, you will plan for a successful college and university experience.

It’s no secret that scholarships are one of the absolute best ways to pay for college. Unlike student loans, scholarships don’t need to be paid back and they offer free no-strings-attached money.

With nearly every scholarship application requiring an essay, letters of recommendation, and a plethora of personal information, starting the process and figuring out how to get scholarships for college can be overwhelming.

You likely already know the basics: Apply on time, complete the application, don’t make spelling or grammar mistakes and meet the eligibility requirements.

Kinds of Scholarships

Scholarships are gifts. They don’t need to be repaid. There are thousands of them, offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups, and professional and social organizations.

• Some scholarships for college are merit-based: You earn them by meeting or exceeding certain standards set by the scholarship-giver
• Many scholarships are geared toward particular groups of people like women or graduate students. Some are available because of where you or your parents work, or because you come from a certain background.
• A scholarship might cover the entire cost of your tuition
• A scholarship might be a one-time award of a few hundred dollars

Finding Scholarship Opportunities

Here are some ways to find scholarship opportunities:

Look at your hobbies in a new way

Most people think that only educational skills can help them get scholarships; they may not think of their hobbies and interests as a way to help pay for college or university. There are college scholarships out there for everyone: crafters, gamers, vegans, green thumbs, Trekkies—you name it. Scholarships aren’t just for straight-A students or all-star athletes.

Scholarship search

There are some free sources of information you can use to find scholarships opportunities:

• com college scholarship search: will give you access to 2.7 million scholarships and grants worth over $19 billion
• Financial aid offices at a college or career school
• High school or TRIO counselor
• Departments of Labor’s FREE scholarship search tool
• Federal agencies
• your state grant agency
• your library’s reference section
• foundations, religious or community organizations, local businesses, or civic groups
• organizations (including professional associations) related to your field of interest
• ethnicity-based organizations
• your employer or your parents’ employers

Meet with your school counselor and others

Discuss your plan to pay for college with your school counselor and ask about scholarship opportunities that might be right for you. Also, keep your eyes and ears open in your community. You might hear of college scholarship opportunities through your church, your job, or your parents’ jobs.

Scholarship Application Tips

Each scholarship has its own requirements.  These tips can help as you choose which scholarships to apply for:

• Be careful: don’t spend money to make money; scholarship search is free; school counselors and school financial aid offices can recommend reputable options.
• Be thorough: don’t overlook smaller scholarships. Even a few hundred dollars can help offset the cost of textbooks and supplies.
• Be committed to your education.
• Go into the process with a strategy.
• Be honest: Apply for scholarships that really match your interests and skills and don’t be dishonest about your grades, memberships, skills, or qualifications.
• Be proactive: Apply for scholarships every year you’re in college. Approximately 50 percent of available scholarships are for students already enrolled in college.
• Be diligent: pay attention to details. Some scholarships require you to write an essay while others may want letters of recommendation.
• Make sure your email address is appropriate.
• Be on time: don’t wait until the last minute; some scholarships are very quick and easy to apply for. Others take a little more time.
• Don’t underestimate the power of a recommendation.
• Don’t ignore small awards.

Whatever you do, don’t lose hope during the application process! Figuring out how to get scholarships can seem overwhelming and time-consuming, but it’s 100% worth it in the end. Don’t be discouraged if you find that you’re not winning as many scholarships as you had hoped.