We can’t all be Tiffany Pollard. We weren’t just born in the “know”. Applying for scholarships can be quite easy, but time consuming. However, if you or your family has no experience with college this task gets so much harder. Or maybe you are too shy to ask for help. Here’s an easy guide to applying to college.

​

How:

• Make your scholarship search easy by registering for a scholarship search resource. You will have access to approximately $24 Billion worth of scholarships. These sites will alert you when you qualify for new scholarships and when deadlines are approaching.

  • Fast Web

  • Cappex

  • College Board

  • Unigo

  • Scholarship

• Talk with your school advisor. Find out what your school has to offer for you.

​

• Look locally. Your community may have scholarship options for you. It could come from a grocery store, your job, your parent’s job or a church. There are plenty of places that have scholarships for local students.

​

• If you are a minority, apply for minority scholarships.

​

When:

• You should always be applying for scholarships. Some people are under the impression that scholarships are for people who are leaving high school and going to college. That’s not true. You can apply for scholarships all the way though graduate school.

​

• Some scholarships need to be applied for at least a year before college. Some scholarships can be applied for right before a college semester. It’s important to look at least once a month as long as you are in school. Try scheduling time on the last day of each month to see what you can apply for.

​

App Tips:

• Be Honest!!! Never exaggerate your grades, GPA, skills or qualifications. Getting called out for scholarship fraud is very embarrassing and it can cause a smear on your reputation for a long time.

​

• Don’t skip the small scholarships. Everyone is going to go for the $10,000+ scholarships. A lot of people skip the scholarships that are $200-$1,000. Those scholarships can make the difference between being able to afford your books for college and being unprepared.

​

• Submit well before the deadline. It’s easy to try and leave everything until the day before an application is due but that is how you make mistakes and lose money. Have everything finalized at least a week before.

​

• Proofread! Misspelled words and inaccurate information can cost you a scholarship.

​

• Follow instructions. Whatever the scholarship requires, you must provide or you will not qualify.

​

• Red Flag: You should never ever have to pay for a scholarship or for a scholarship search.

​

• Avoid Sweepstakes. These are a scam.

 

Fun Fact:

Your hobbies and unique attributes qualify you for a scholarship. Everyone isn’t a straight A+ student try using other things to your advantage.

​

You can get a scholarship for:

Being tall

Being left handed

Having unusual talent