In fact, in 2014, $2.9 billion of federal grant money went unused. And many scholarships got only a handful of applicants, if any.
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And, you don’t have to be a straight-A student with a perfect SAT score to win money for college.
You can win a scholarship for giving a good speech, submitting an essay on the book Atlas Shrugged, getting a lot of likes, writing about your love for coffee, or even donating feminine hygiene products to women’s homeless shelters, among millions of other ways.
Take it from a former admissions officer at both public and private universities – there is a lot of FREE MONEY out there, and you almost surely qualify for at least some of it. All you need is dedication and a little creativity. Here are some tips for getting started.
1. Do what you love – and keep track of it.Of course, you need to be active in high school. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to take all the hardest math courses and join clubs that don’t interest you. Instead, get involved in things you love.
When students ask me what courses look best on their application, I always tell them to do two things:
Challenge yourself – If you’re deciding between different courses or activities – say, advanced literature and advanced chemistry – pick the one that excites you most!
The truth is, you want your application to show passion more than anything else. And
If you can fail at something you don’t like, you might as well pursue something you do. Also:
Keep a running list of everything you are doing throughout highschool – volunteering, work, activities, athletics, but also awards and achievements. this may are available handy for scholarship applications.
2. Get a summer job that gives scholarships.
If you’re considering getting a summer job, or a part-time job while you’re in class , search for employers that provide scholarships or tuition assistance.
Many nutriment chains and retail stores offer scholarships to employees. National chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, Walmart, and Taco Bell all have scholarships for workers , as do local chains like the Seattle-based Dick’s Drive-In.
Many other companies offer tuition reimbursement or assistance programs for his or her employees. These include UPS, Starbucks, and Publix.
3. Volunteer for organizations that provide scholarships
Helping others are often good for you too.
Many volunteer programs and philanthropic organizations also offer scholarships for college kids . Find those in your area that do, and log some extra volunteer hours there. By doing so, you’re getting your foot within the door to a possible scholarship.
4. Build a relationship together with your university’s admissions officer
Admissions departments keep records of each interaction you've got with them. They log your phone calls, emails, visits, and campus tours.
When you show interest during a university, they assign you an admissions officer. find out who that person is, and provides them a call. attempt to stay in-tuned with them regularly in order that they can get to understand you, and if you'll visit, found out a meeting to satisfy them face to face . While they don’t have total power over your admission and scholarships, they assist make the choice . you ought to view them not as your judge, but as your advocate.
Let me tell you a story a few colleague of mine in admissions. He had a student apply from Pakistan. This student chatted with him regularly, talking about his dreams of becoming a writer and fighting for freedom of the press in his country, and showing him a portfolio of his exceptional work.
My colleague truly believed during this student and pushed for him to win a full tuition scholarship, which he did. Since the scholarship didn’t cover room and board, my colleague went the additional mile to assist his student found out and promote a Kickstarter account, which raised $10,000 to assist him study within the us .
5. Ask your teachers
Build good relationships together with your teachers also , and ask each and each one among them about scholarship opportunities.
One of my past applicants was a woman who, after receiving her aid and scholarship packages from the university, still had a funding gap of several thousand dollars. She visited her AP Physics teacher to ask about any scholarships, and therefore the teacher informed her of a Women in Science scholarship. The girl was hesitant because she planned to major in English Literature. However, she’d excelled in AP Physics and had a recommendation from her teacher, so she applied. She won the scholarship.
6. Spend a while in your college and career center
Visit your college and career center. they ought to have an inventory of local and national scholarships available. Sort the list by deadline, and apply to each scholarship you qualify for. After you exhaust these, you'll try calling other local high schools and asking their college counselor if they need any lists. Try checking at your local library too.
7. Ask your community
Local scholarships are often the smallest amount competitive and easiest to urge . albeit they’re for little amounts, a couple of smaller scholarships can add up quickly.
Research your area, and ask around. Many community organizations, community leaders, alumni of your school, local businesses, and churches offer scholarships.
Ask your family to try to to an equivalent for you. Some employers offer scholarships for youngsters of employees.
Check out community foundations in your area. Often times they supply scholarship money for community members.
8. look for specialized scholarships
If you haven’t figured it out already, there’s a scholarship for everything. search for specialized scholarships supported your personal experiences or identity, whether it's a talent you hold, your ethnicity, your career path, your gender, your status as a first-generation university student , or a language you speak.
Create a Google search alert supported these terms also – for instance , “scholarships for Cherokees”, “scholarships for ladies in engineering”, or “scholarships for people from Springfield, Ohio”.
9. Use scholarship search engines
Frequent both popular and alternative scholarship search engines. the favored ones usually have more to supply but are more competitive. Search through both.
Popular scholarship search engines:
- College Board
- Fastweb
- Scholarships.com
- Cappex
Alternative scholarship search engines:
- Zinch
- Scholarship Experts
- Peterson’s
- FindTuition.com
10. If you qualify, APPLY!
Don’t self-select! Many students defeat themselves before they even apply by arising with reasons they won’t win. Let the scholarship committee do their job!
Make sure to create the strongest application file possible, applying early, completing all optional items, tailoring each application to the precise scholarship opportunity, and having family and teachers proofread your application.
Most importantly, never buy scholarship and aid information. This information is free, and programs that ask you to pay are often scams.
What techniques does one use to extend your chances of getting a scholarship?