One of the best ways to pay for the investment of a college degree upfront is to earn scholarships that help cover your cost of attendance and living expenses. Applying for scholarships is very similar to applying for college admission — you’ll market your academic and personal accomplishments to universities, organization leaders and other movers and shakers.
You may be wondering, “How do scholarships work?” Scholarships are an amazing way to pay for college and the specifics of them differ. Some are just a one-time check that you can apply to your first year of tuition; some are 4-year scholarships that give you part of the total award for your first four years.
Scholarships differ from other forms of financial aid like federal or private loans because they don’t have to be paid back. Some scholarship money can technically be spent on any education expense, as they come in the form of a check, but you should spend it on tuition and fees, books and school supplies and housing, in that order.
Finding and applying for scholarships takes time, but making college more affordable is worth the extra effort. Let’s start by distinguishing the different types of scholarships that will be available to you.
University scholarships are scholarships available to you from the colleges you’re applying to. You’re usually able to automatically apply for these scholarships using whatever application tool the school uses. For instance, Texas A&M University applicants are able to apply for university scholarships through the admissions application. Grades are only one aspect of what universities will look at; other factors include leadership, community service, special talents, first generation college status, and academic achievement under difficult circumstances.
Explore Texas A&M’s list of scholarships here.
Private scholarships are any scholarship that doesn’t come from the university. Organizations in your local community or national headquarters of nationwide groups may give out scholarships to college freshmen. Again, grades are only part of the equation for private scholarships and things like leadership, community service and other factors will be taken into consideration.
Tips for Finding and Getting Scholarships
It’s crucial that you start early, as early as the August of your senior year of high school. If that timeframe has already passed for you, the second-best time to start is right now. Use the tuition calculators available from your preferred universities to get an estimate of how much you will owe. Factor in any financial aid, like loans and grants, you may have already received, and then start browsing for scholarships that can cover what’s left.
Like mentioned earlier, most colleges and universities have a list of scholarships available even after you’ve completed the general application process. For example, students can apply to scholarships based on their academic major, military tenure, region of the country/state, etc. Make sure you check their websites for the most current opportunities.
Your high school advisor likely has a good idea of your academic achievements, extracurricular involvement and leadership experience. Using this information and a network of other high school and college advisors, they might be able to help you find scholarships you didn’t know existed or you would qualify for.
Local communities are usually willing to give scholarship money to high achievers, including you! Remember, getting into college is a big accomplishment. Check with your local churches, rotary clubs, your parents’ jobs, the Chamber of Commerce and anything else specific to your hometown. Texas A&M’s Prospective Student Centers have compiled a list of some of the more prominent scholarships available to students in their areas.
Fire up Google and get to searching. There is a whole wide world of people out there looking to celebrate high school graduates by providing them with the means to attend college and make the world a better place. All you have to do is start searching. Think of things that you have accomplished or extracurricular activities you’ve participated in, and add “scholarships” onto the end. Search for niche scholarships and be as specific as possible. For example, scholarships for women in STEM, scholarships in Texas, scholarships for Hispanic students, etc.
Remember, never pay money to get access to scholarships. These are likely scams and will not result in you getting larger scholarships.
You won’t get any scholarships if you don’t meet the deadlines. Each scholarship has a different deadline, so as soon as you find one you qualify for, write the deadline in a planner or calendar, or just apply on the spot. You don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to make college more affordable just because you mistook the deadline or missed it completely. Be diligent!
Some scholarships require essays and letters of recommendation. These are a score for you. For an essay, take the prompt and break it down based on how you’d answer the question. Write down an outline and sleep on it. When you come back to it, write the essay. When you’re finished, read it aloud to yourself to catching and spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors. Then, have a family member, teacher or other trusted adult edit it and give you feedback.
Letters of recommendation can really make you an outstanding candidate for scholarships. Good people to ask are teachers, church leaders, managers at work or adult advisors in your extracurriculars. Make sure you ask them for the letter with enough time for them to write it — imagine a teacher giving you homework that’s due by the end of the day.
Essays and recommendation letters are great for giving a chance to show who you really are — a resume can only say so much.
A wise man once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” If you find scholarships that even remotely relate to you, apply for them! Even if you think someone else is more deserving, apply. Don’t miss out on thousands of dollars just because your self-talk gets in the way.
Lastly, good luck. College is an amazing experience and an even better opportunity to change the world and build a great life for yourself. Making the upfront cost even a little more affordable can make a difference. Start your search for scholarships for college today.
Students interested in getting an amazing education and college experience should look into Texas A&M University. Recently rated the Best Value in Texas, No. 4 in the country Social Mobility and the Best Public University in Texas, Texas A&M can provide you opportunities that other schools simply can’t. Join the Fightin’ Texas Aggies — apply today!
You may be wondering, “How do scholarships work?” Scholarships are an amazing way to pay for college and the specifics of them differ. Some are just a one-time check that you can apply to your first year of tuition; some are 4-year scholarships that give you part of the total award for your first four years.
Scholarships differ from other forms of financial aid like federal or private loans because they don’t have to be paid back. Some scholarship money can technically be spent on any education expense, as they come in the form of a check, but you should spend it on tuition and fees, books and school supplies and housing, in that order.
Finding and applying for scholarships takes time, but making college more affordable is worth the extra effort. Let’s start by distinguishing the different types of scholarships that will be available to you.
- University Scholarships
University scholarships are scholarships available to you from the colleges you’re applying to. You’re usually able to automatically apply for these scholarships using whatever application tool the school uses. For instance, Texas A&M University applicants are able to apply for university scholarships through the admissions application. Grades are only one aspect of what universities will look at; other factors include leadership, community service, special talents, first generation college status, and academic achievement under difficult circumstances.
Explore Texas A&M’s list of scholarships here.
- Private Scholarships
Private scholarships are any scholarship that doesn’t come from the university. Organizations in your local community or national headquarters of nationwide groups may give out scholarships to college freshmen. Again, grades are only part of the equation for private scholarships and things like leadership, community service and other factors will be taken into consideration.
Tips for Finding and Getting Scholarships
- Start early and know how much you need
It’s crucial that you start early, as early as the August of your senior year of high school. If that timeframe has already passed for you, the second-best time to start is right now. Use the tuition calculators available from your preferred universities to get an estimate of how much you will owe. Factor in any financial aid, like loans and grants, you may have already received, and then start browsing for scholarships that can cover what’s left.
- Check your prospective schools’ websites
Like mentioned earlier, most colleges and universities have a list of scholarships available even after you’ve completed the general application process. For example, students can apply to scholarships based on their academic major, military tenure, region of the country/state, etc. Make sure you check their websites for the most current opportunities.
- Talk to your high school advisor
Your high school advisor likely has a good idea of your academic achievements, extracurricular involvement and leadership experience. Using this information and a network of other high school and college advisors, they might be able to help you find scholarships you didn’t know existed or you would qualify for.
- Look locally
Local communities are usually willing to give scholarship money to high achievers, including you! Remember, getting into college is a big accomplishment. Check with your local churches, rotary clubs, your parents’ jobs, the Chamber of Commerce and anything else specific to your hometown. Texas A&M’s Prospective Student Centers have compiled a list of some of the more prominent scholarships available to students in their areas.
- Search online
Fire up Google and get to searching. There is a whole wide world of people out there looking to celebrate high school graduates by providing them with the means to attend college and make the world a better place. All you have to do is start searching. Think of things that you have accomplished or extracurricular activities you’ve participated in, and add “scholarships” onto the end. Search for niche scholarships and be as specific as possible. For example, scholarships for women in STEM, scholarships in Texas, scholarships for Hispanic students, etc.
Remember, never pay money to get access to scholarships. These are likely scams and will not result in you getting larger scholarships.
- Keep track of deadlines
You won’t get any scholarships if you don’t meet the deadlines. Each scholarship has a different deadline, so as soon as you find one you qualify for, write the deadline in a planner or calendar, or just apply on the spot. You don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to make college more affordable just because you mistook the deadline or missed it completely. Be diligent!
- Put your best foot forward with the essay/letters of recommendation
Some scholarships require essays and letters of recommendation. These are a score for you. For an essay, take the prompt and break it down based on how you’d answer the question. Write down an outline and sleep on it. When you come back to it, write the essay. When you’re finished, read it aloud to yourself to catching and spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors. Then, have a family member, teacher or other trusted adult edit it and give you feedback.
Letters of recommendation can really make you an outstanding candidate for scholarships. Good people to ask are teachers, church leaders, managers at work or adult advisors in your extracurriculars. Make sure you ask them for the letter with enough time for them to write it — imagine a teacher giving you homework that’s due by the end of the day.
Essays and recommendation letters are great for giving a chance to show who you really are — a resume can only say so much.
- Apply even if you think you won’t get it
A wise man once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” If you find scholarships that even remotely relate to you, apply for them! Even if you think someone else is more deserving, apply. Don’t miss out on thousands of dollars just because your self-talk gets in the way.
Lastly, good luck. College is an amazing experience and an even better opportunity to change the world and build a great life for yourself. Making the upfront cost even a little more affordable can make a difference. Start your search for scholarships for college today.
Students interested in getting an amazing education and college experience should look into Texas A&M University. Recently rated the Best Value in Texas, No. 4 in the country Social Mobility and the Best Public University in Texas, Texas A&M can provide you opportunities that other schools simply can’t. Join the Fightin’ Texas Aggies — apply today!