I graduated from college with over $20,000 in student loan debt. I have learned so many secrets about scholarships now that I wish I knew 10 years ago ( I can’t believe it’s been that long!). I could have entered adulthood without all of that debt hanging over my head!
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If you are trying to save for your child’s college education or maybe you are going to be starting college in a few years, there are some things you need to know about scholarships. This can make college more affordable and may even have an impact on which school you choose.
I was lucky enough to get half of my tuition payed for with scholarships. This helped tremendously but I wish I could have gotten more so that the full tuition would have been covered.
I would have been able to afford a house sooner, bought a better car sooner, etc. without having to worry about paying off my student loans.
You don’t have to be an athlete or a genius
Some people think that they won’t be able to get a full ride to college because they aren’t the star quarterback or the valedictorian. It may be a bit easier for them to get scholarships but that doesn’t mean that the average student can’t win some money as well.
You have to know where to look to find the scholarships that are lesser known so you can increase your chances of winning. There are scholarships out there for some crazy things, like: being tall, writing an essay on your love of coffee, promoting vegetarianism, etc.
If you take the time to look for lesser known scholarships, you may find yourself with even more notable odds of winning if you are able to seize the opportunities.
The Scholarship System holds a free 45-minute online live training that shows you the exact steps your child needs to take to find hidden scholarships that have less competition. They’ve helped students secure over $624,000 in scholarships, which is kind of crazy. So I thought I’d share the training with you. Click here to see when their next one is being held!
Start Applying Early
You don’t have to be a senior in high school to start applying for these scholarships. In fact, the earlier you apply, the better chances you have at winning. If you don’t get it one year, make a note of when the application is open again and try for it the next year.
There are scholarships available for elementary and middle school students. Some are only eligible if you are 6-12 years old. Start taking advantage of those if you have younger kids because the competition for them is a lot lower!
Don’t Stop Applying
I really wish I had known this when I was in college, but I never thought about it. I thought that once I was in college, applying for scholarships was over.
Just because you graduated high school doesn’t mean that you can’t apply for scholarships. Some scholarships are open to any college student, freshman through seniors. They are sometimes even eligible for graduate students!
Until you are completely finished with college, don’t stop looking for those scholarship opportunities.
Scholarships can be used for more than just tuition
If you were able to cover most of your college tuition with scholarships, congrats! That doesn’t mean that you are done yet, though.
Some scholarships are strictly for tuition but others can be used toward any college cost, that can include:
- room and board
- textbooks
- computer and software equipment
- dorm room supplies
- bus fare to get to class
- parking passes
- etc.
Think of all of the expenses that you will acquire over the next 4 years (or more) and that adds up quickly. Scholarship money can help with some of that burden.
It’s Hard Work
Searching for scholarships can be a lot of work but it is well worth it when you don’t have to work 2 jobs and go to school full time (like I did)!
If you want to help your child learn how to find the right scholarships and make the application process as easy as possible, check out The Scholarship System’s free webinar for parents, “6 Steps to Quickly Secure Scholarships for College .”
In her training, Jocelyn will talk about the process she used to secure over $126,000 in scholarships, graduate debt free, and now help thousands of families around the country secure money for college. Some of things she will talk about include:
- How your child can get paid to go to college, even if they aren’t Einstein, nor the next Tom Brady
- How millions of students miss out on thousands of dollars in funding every day without realizing it (and how to avoid that happening to your child.)
- How the click of a button could cost you over $27k extra for college
- The most powerful search trick that the founder of The Scholarship System used to bypass all the scams out there, saving hundreds of hours, and having a list of scholarships (they are actually eligible for) nearly handed to your student.
Click here to see when they are having their next free online training.
Let us know of any tips or secrets about scholarships that you wish you had known.
Ikunda says
How can i get help,i am in Tanzania