Sunday, August 7, 2011

Making The Most Of Scholarship Applications

Students can get help paying for college in many ways. There are grants, scholarships, and loans available. If you are looking closely, you may get lucky enough to find a scholarship that suits you. Here are some tips to finding scholarships.

Scholarships are forms of aid that pay for college or graduate school. They are available to everyone, and the best thing about them is that they do not have to be repaid. The thing about this form of financial aid, though, is that you have to apply for it. Different scholarships have different requirements, and they may only be available to a handful of people at a time.

ONLINE APPLICATION

You can use scholarship searching sites to find them. There are many out there on the internet, and they provides assistance to many people searching for scholarships. For the most part, all you have to do is log on and add some information about yourself, such as your major and background, and you will be connected with all scholarships that apply to you. It's like creating a profile so you can be matched with the right ones.

Take a look around your school for scholarship opportunities. Often there are bulletin boards near school offices with clippings about financial aid offerings. Guidance counselors also usually have knowledge of what is available. If you are a college student, visit your financial aid office, or check out the listings posted in different departments.

Another way to receive aid is through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) which is only available online. This form may take you a few minutes to fill out, but it will determine what aid you may be eligible for. It will not give you just scholarships, but you may receive excellent grants to pay for school. The FAFSA will also hook you up with loans, but you will have to pay those back with interest.

Scholarships often have pretty specific requirements. They ask for applicants with perfect grades, or other academic skills. Students who do not have excellent grades can look for scholarships for those who excel at certain sports or other extracurricular activities. There are offerings for students who are minorities and for students who are gearing up for a certain major, such as journalism. Some may require students to write essays. It is very much like a competition.

To get noticed when you apply for scholarships, you may want to make sure you are applying to only the ones that fit you personally. It you do not have the GPA they are asking for, or the certain skills, then do not bother applying. You will get ignored. However, if you focus on the ones that are right for you, you can write your application with their goals in mind. If they want someone with specific extracurricular activities, make sure you go over yours in detail. That could help a lot to ensure your application does not get lost in the pile.

Making The Most Of Scholarship Applications

ONLINE APPLICATION

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