Student Scholarships

Preparing for college can be incredibly stressful. Leaving behind all that is familiar and plunging headfirst into adulthood is frightening, especially when one has to worry how he or she is going to afford it. Believe it or not, most parents don’t have secret Swiss bank accounts stocked with extra money for their college bound teenagers. Most people that go to college have to work to stay there. Unfortunately, on-campus jobs usually don’t pay very much, and college is much too demanding, especially in the first year, to have off-campus work. While financial aid is available to most struggling students, student scholarships are also a way to help lighten the financial burden. And don’t worry, one needn’t be a rocket scientist to obtain a student scholarship.

• Student scholarships are available for an impossibly large number of things. There are traditional academic and athletic scholarships, as well as scholarships for things as obscure as expert duck-calling and designing a prom dress out of Duct tape. There are scholarships available for being especially tall, especially short, and even being born left-handed. A good practice when searching for student scholarships is to make a list of everything that makes one stand out. If one index finger is slightly longer than the other, add it to the list because there just may be a scholarship available. People are just as eager to give money to students who are suffering from the same disadvantages that they suffered from as they are to give money to students who have the same advantages. Talents and brains are just as important as weaknesses. Exploit everything that makes one special.

• Some companies are actually willing to donate money to students who are seeking careers in similar fields. If a student decides that he or she would love a career in bank management, it doesn’t hurt to go around to different banks in the area and ask if they offer student scholarships or educational reimbursement. Ask local businesses if they have a scholarship program, and if they say no, tell them that by donating to one’s college fund they will be helping a member of their community become a qualified professional. Businesses will donate funds to college students as a means of advertisement. People love to do business with a company that helps out members of its local community. Prepare a booster book and ask businesses for donations in order to be considered in the book; then make copies and distribute them around the community.

• After compiling a list of scholarships to apply to, it is time to think about how to make those applications stand out amongst the hundreds of thousands of others. Student scholarship judges use a variety of criteria when selecting recipients. Mostly, they tend to favor people who are hardworking and have plenty of interests. Make sure when filling out those applications to mention everything done with spare time. If a student babysits after school for extra cash, make sure that information finds its way to the application because it shows money management and responsibility. Get a part time job on the weekends instead of hanging out with friends. It will not only earn extra college money, but will also add to one’s work experience. The more ways a student can demonstrate to a scholarship committee that he or she is serious about working to achieve goals, the more likely the committee will consider donating funds.

• Include a cover letter or essay when submitting student scholarship applications. Scholarship committees review applications in an attempt to discover the potential of the applicant; no one wants to back someone who isn’t going to be a success. So, help them out a little by demonstrating that not only is one serious about attending school, but one can write as well. Talk about the goals one wishes to achieve in college. Mention the type of degree one wishes to earn, and how that degree will be applied to a potential career in the future. Explain how that career will benefit the world, and how a student scholarship will make it easier to accomplish all these goals. If one isn’t quite sure yet what to major in, or what career one might like in the future, then write about the things that one is considering doing. Student scholarship committees want to know that applicants are thinking about the future, about the things they might want to do. Everyone has to take the same general education classes anyway, so don’t worry if it takes some time to decide since the first year is basically more or less an introduction period.

• Finally, it is important not to limit oneself in choosing which scholarships to apply for. There’s no harm in sending out an application, and there’s no way to predict what about an application will make it stand out. Don’t worry about not having a 4.0 GPA when applying for an academic student scholarship as there may be things about a particular application that may cause a committee to lean towards one over the other. While one student may have maintained a 4.0 while on the yearbook committee, another may have maintained a 3.8 with a full time job while in the band and on the student council. Keeping up with a variety activities and portraying oneself as well-rounded is more impressive than simply having an outstanding academic record.

Student scholarships are definitely attainable by anyone who is interested in furthering his or her education. Joining clubs and pursuing hobbies is a good way to tilt the scales in one’s favor. Make sure that no matter what, it is demonstrated in the application that one intends to work hard throughout the college career. A good work ethic is important to have no matter what one’s goals are, and scholarship committees know that just as well as employers. A good attitude, an organized application, and a decent essay are three things which will help ensure the success of any student scholarship seeker.