Tips For Getting Scholarships

By Chris Stout

College isn’t cheap. It’s a serious investment that can have a wonderful return. If you are concerned about finding money for college, you have options. You can apply for grants, grab yourself a loan or two, or look for scholarships.

Looking for scholarships can be a challenge, because there are so many out there, and the application processes are usually pretty involving. It takes work to track down a scholarship that you qualify for. Once you find one, you have to put together an application package with essays, forms and transcripts. This whole process can seem a bit tedious, but when you consider the possible benefits, it really makes sense try.

Here are some tips for getting scholarship money for college:

Start early. Begin applying for college scholarships immediately after you complete the seventh grade. Okay, so that might be a little bit to early to start applying, but it’s never to early to start pondering. If you have athletic abilities, hone them and use them as a tool to pay for school. If you’re good at music or art or writing or making films or anything, find a way to get paid for being special and creative.

Use the Internet to search the world for scholarships. There’s millions of dollars in aid to be had, but you have to apply for it. Look a little bit everyday, and if you find a scholarship that you can apply for, don’t hesitate. Get your application in immediately.

Look for scholarships while in high school. You’re going to need to have funding lined up for you when you get to college. Utilize your time in high school wisely, so that by the time you get to school, you already have plenty of funding options on the table.

Check out your universities scholarship programs. Find out what scholarships are specific to your college and major. If a former student set up a fund to help kids in your situation, you better know about it and turn in an application.

See if your employer offers any scholarships. Get a job at a fast food place and apply for their corporate dollars. The business will have nice press, and you will have a nice check.

If you don’t get to go to school for free, it’s not the end of the world, but it’s also not the end of your scholarship search. Keep looking for ways to reduce the financial burdens of college. Always keep searching, and you’re bound to find something that you qualify for. If you apply and get rejected, use it as motivation. If you let the disappointment get to you, you’ll forget how proactive bout your life this whole scholarship search has made you.

The Growth Of The Scholarship Search Service

Author: Thaddeus Collins

When the Internet was first introduced for public use, there seemed no need for search engines or directories because of its limited size. But, as more and more people started logging-on and the ability to create and post a webpage became simplified, there came a need to index all of these new sites. Thus the need for, and the usefulness of the search engine. These sites started out as just directories to list websites under different categories, these included sites like Yahoo.com or dmoz.org. But, now they include “true” search engines like Google.com that search for sites using inputted text.

Well scholarship services like Online Scouting Network, are just like the original search engines. With the increase in the number of new high schools and students now enrolled, due to the population growth and new developments, it has become harder for colleges to scout all of them. The scholarship service is like one big search engine, giving these athletes a place to post their resumes. These services catalog athletes in one convenient location for college coaches and scouts to find, and they can have access to at anytime, just like the search engine.

And, as evidence over time, these services become just as necessary to college coaches as the search engine is in every ones daily life. The fact is that these services give athletes a chance to get an education while playing a sport they love. The scholarship service does more than just list the player and what sport they play, they provide a complete online profile of their athletic and academic achievements. The information contained in the profile is then displayed on a secure site where coaches have to log-in at this point they are given access to view the profile which is categorized by sport and position.

The success rate for these services is dependent on the information gathered by the scholarship service, and the number of coaches that utilize the service. But, for the student-athlete it can be the proverbial “foot in the door” that gets them noticed by scouts and recruiters. The goals of these services are to provide the student that might otherwise not get evaluated by colleges, a chance to present to them in a formatted system their profile. Because of this system, scholarship services are replacing the old fax and mail system, plus it relieves the coaches and their staff of all the paperwork associated with faxing or mailing profiles for them to view.

Scholarship search services are growing in part to the need of students wanting to attend college for a better education, and eventually a better career. The services of companies like Online Scouting Network whose website is http://www.onlinescoutingnetwork.com, and others will continue to grow like the original search engine, as long is there is a consumer need for this service.

Scholarship Money For College!

By Eric Tomas

Scholarship Money For College - Plus, tips to help fund your education! So, it's getting to be that time of year again and I thought I would offer my recommendations on a few different avenues to pursue for funding your child's college expenses. It's no secret that the cost of a college education is getting higher and higher by the year. Not to mention, the cost of living and functioning on a college campus is becoming inflated also.

Some students are already receiving acceptance letters and starting to commit to their school of choice. In alot of cases, families make their decision based on the price tag of the college to determine the best fit. I can't stress enough how this is the wrong way to go about it. Don't let the price tag of your top choice school scare you off! This is a big mistake that many students and parents make. There ARE ways to make ends meet, thus allowing your student best college experience he/she deserves.

Let's discuss a few options...

1. Work Study Programs - Many colleges have work study programs in place for students that need to make some extra money to put toward their tuition. Check each college that you're interested in for these. Students basically work for money toward their tuition bill, or a regular paycheck. The vast majority of these jobs are located on campus, working for the university. So, it's a win-win situation!

2. Local Scholarships - Check with businesses in your area and/or the local high school. In alot of communities, the businesses donate money to the high school to be awarded to students that are college bound and deserving of it! The advantage is that the students aren't competing with others on a national level for the money, like other scholarships.

3. Scholarship Websites - Sites like fastweb.com or wiredscholar.com are free, and are good places to start. These scholarships are national, which means there is a level of competition, but each scholarship has certain criteria to be met making it a great opportunity for a variety of students. Some sites offer a pay service, and can literally "pay" for itself with one scholarship!

4. Summer Job - Yep, good old fashioned work can provide some of the best income for college students. A good summer job can pull in close to 5k, and even more in some cases.

5. University Grants - These are less popular, but the reason is that most of the university funded grant money goes to students that had a high level of academic achievement in high school. However, check with the school of your choice to see what they offer.

As you can see, there are many different options when looking to fund a college education. Be creative, and don't let that price tag scare you. You'll regret not giving your student the best possible opportunity for higher education.

I hope these resources helped! You CAN find scholarship money for your unique student needs. It's out there, waiting for a unique student! If you're interested in a site that offers a free scholarship report, check out my blog here: http://needthe411.blogspot.com/2006/11/find-money-for-college.html Thanks for taking a look! Eric