To say that college is expensive would be a vast understatement. In fact, each year, it takes the average indebted graduate 20 years to pay off their student loans.
While it would take at least another few posts to cover all the available options for reducing those costs, one option for alleviating some of the burden is a scholarship (or multiple!).
Some students have even had success covering the entire cost of their degrees. In this post, we’ll teach you how you can increase your chances of winning those funds yourself.
How to Apply for a Scholarship
Below are 6 tips that will help you find and apply for scholarships so you can alleviate some of the financial burden associated with higher education.
1. Explore all your options.
Some of the most obvious places to look for scholarships are directly through your university, which might offer a few types of scholarships of its own, or through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which issues federal grants, work-study programs, and loans.
However, those are far from your only options. There are literally hundreds of thousands of organizations out there that offer unique scholarships for pretty much every type of student.
For example, your church or local youth organization might have scholarships reserved for local students. The companies where your parents work might offer scholarship programs specifically for children of their employees. Or, you might browse scholarship websites (more on those below) and find offerings for students who love traveling, photography, gaming, or some other hobby.
So don’t underestimate the options available to you, and apply for as many as you can. The important thing is that you also learn how to avoid scholarship scams, and remember that you should never have to pay to find scholarships.
2. Sign up for scholarship websites.
Scholarship database websites will help you cast the widest net possible so you can find the most scholarships available to you.
These sites allow you to create profiles based on your interests, grades, hobbies, and more so you can be matched with awards you qualify for and apply ASAP.
- Scholarships.com: This scholarship directory allows high school, college, nontraditional, and adult-learner students to complete a free profile and get matched with scholarships and grants they qualify for from a wide variety of sources. Students who sign up will be emailed matches, deadline reminders, and newsletters
- Cappex.com: Cappex’s database includes over $11 billion in scholarships. You can also research schools and use a calculator that will help you gauge your chances of getting into prospective schools based on user-generated data.
- Fastweb.com: Owned by Monster.com, Fastweb is a free scholarship search provider tool that claims to have over 1.5 million scholarships in its database. Like scholarships.com, you can create a profile and receive emails with matches.
- College Board: The College Board’s BigFuture site features a scholarship search engine that offers information on over $6 billion in scholarships, financial aid, and internship opportunities.
- CollegeXpress: This site offers a comprehensive search engine that allows you to search for scholarships based on your interests, such as engineering, dancing, or writing. You can also use academic filters to refine your search results, or search by category for common scholarship areas.
3. Talk to your school counselor or teachers.
It’s never too early to start building a relationship with your school’s guidance counselor or academic advisor, but doing so is especially critical during your college and scholarship search.
Counselors are available to most high school, community college, and university students, so whether you’re applying for the first time or planning to transfer to a different college, don’t underestimate the free wisdom you can get from these folks.
Once you establish a relationship and they know a little bit about you and your interests, they’ll be able to suggest scholarship opportunities that are great matches for you, and can even write letters of recommendation if they know you well enough.
4. Read and follow instructions thoroughly.
As with anything you submit, you should carefully review the application’s instructions and follow them to a tee.
Make sure you’ve gathered all the required materials. This varies by scholarship, but commonly requested items include transcripts, letters of recommendation, and essays. If you are asked to write an essay, be sure to read the prompt carefully and address it clearly in your writing.
Take note of any deadlines or other details regarding how you should submit your application. Mark deadlines in your calendar and set reminders!
5. Ask for letters of recommendation early.
If you are required to submit a letter (or letters) of recommendation, make sure you give the person you’re requesting the letter from plenty of time to write it (at least two weeks is a good target).
Carefully choose the sources you want to ask for letters, and provide them with all the information they need to write the recommendation. You can find more tips on our post that details how to ask for a letter of recommendation, which also includes a free template.
Transcripts are another common requirement for scholarship applications. Make sure you allow adequate time to obtain these too, as you’ll probably have to get the official record from your school’s registrar office.
6. Be proactive and keep it up.
Students who have the most success earning scholarship funds know that it’s a constant effort. Don’t just apply during your senior year of high school; in many cases, you can apply as early as your sophomore year.
At the same time, the game isn’t over once you’ve started your studies. Lots of scholarships are available to university students, including for graduate level studies, so make sure you keep applying every year. And if you’ve won a particular award once, check to see if you’re eligible to win again.
There are lots of scholarships to be won out there, but don’t let the numbers overwhelm you. Try applying for a different scholarship once a week or every few days.
Writing a Scholarship Essay
Many scholarships require you to write an essay as part of the application process. While each individual scholarship comes with its own specific prompt and guidelines, here are some general tips to help you write a killer essay while making your case:
- Be yourself. Open with a strong hook that will get and keep your reader interested, and set the tone for your essay, which should be carefully planned but also true to your personality.
- Create an outline before you jump into writing your essay. Make sure you have a plan for directly addressing the prompt so you can avoid getting off topic. Brainstorm specific examples you can reference to back up any claims you make in your essay.
- Always proofread your writing. Even seemingly insignificant typos can make the difference between getting selected or not.
How Do You Qualify for Scholarships?
While many scholarships are awarded based on academic merit, there really are scholarships out there for everyone, regardless of whether you’re a math whiz, a varsity athlete, or a member of the chess club.
Below are some examples of what could be qualifications for scholarships:
- academic merit
- financial need
- athletic performance
- special skills (bilingual capabilities, coding experience, excellent writing, etc.)
- membership in particular clubs or extracurricular activities
- a family member’s employer sponsors scholarships for families of employees
Again, there are lots of scholarships and literally billions of dollars up for grabs out there, so don’t put off your search any longer. Start using the search tools outlined above to find scholarships you’re eligible for and apply today.
Scholarships for Writers
If you’ve got a knack for writing, put your talent to work and start earning money for your education by appling for scholarships for writers.
We’ve goat a complete list of writing scholarships that you can check out and start applying for ASAP.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- List of Writing Scholarships Available in 2021
- How to Volunteer: 7 Steps for Making a Difference in Your Community
- How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation: 6 Steps and a Template for Getting Endorsements
- How to Write a Personal Statement: 7 Tips for Standing Out on College Applications
As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
