Scholarship Applications

Applying for Scholarships

With the rising cost of college, applying to a variety of scholarships can help increase your chances of winning money to pay for school. The amount of money you can win to pay for school has no cap, so taking advantage of as many scholarship opportunities where you meet the eligibility requirements isn’t a bad idea. Scholarship’s award free money that can help lower or completely cover the cost of attending a college, university, or trade school and other education related expenses. With that being said, each scholarship has its own application requirements and due dates. It’s important to be diligent in the scholarship application processes to ensure you qualify for the scholarship and submit it on time for consideration.

Apply Early for Scholarships

Have you decided that you’re ready to attend college, university, or technical school? If the answer is yes, begin applying for scholarship programs as soon as possible. Scholarships aren’t only for high school seniors. From kindergarten to high school, it’s never too early or too late to begin a scholarship search. There are plenty of scholarship opportunities for current college students and graduate students as well. Of course, make sure you read the terms of each scholarship you apply for, so you can ensure you are applying for scholarships you are eligible for and not wasting any time.

Staying organized during your scholarship search will be important and help you not miss any due dates or winner announcements. Keeping a simple word document with the scholarship name, application due date, and final announcement can help you stay on top of things.

A great place to find scholarship opportunities  is with a scholarship search engine like StudentScholarshipSearch.com. By choosing a scholarship search tool like StudentScholarshipSearch.com you can spend time applying to scholarships you have the best chances to win making your scholarship search a more seamless process.

When looking for scholarships, time is money. You want to be sure that you have the best chances of winning each scholarship you apply for. One of the first steps you can take do during your search to ensure making the most with your time on scholarships applications is to make sure you meet all of the necessary eligibility requirements. 

Additionally, for students in high school, speaking with your high school counselor about scholarship opportunities, can assist you in your scholarship search and even help identify local opportunities that may be available to you. Local scholarships can be easier to win than national scholarships due to fewer application submissions.

If you’re a current college student, speaking with the financial aid office of your university may help you find opportunities that align with the school you’re hoping to attend. You may also be able to qualify for merit-based scholarships based off test scores or GPA on top of other opportunities you’re applying for.

Scholarship Application Tips

Don’t look at applying for scholarships as something that’s a chore, look at is as an opportunity to win free money that can help relieve the costs of education and propel your future by allowing you to graduate with less debt or even debt-free.

Any prize will be worthwhile to win, even the scholarship only pays for a few expenses like books or a single class. Free money given to you for college is money you don’t have to pay. Keep in mind, scholarship committees are searching for students to invest their money in, and you want that student to be you

When it comes to filling out scholarship applications, general information like name, email, and location are required for most scholarships. Though not all scholarships will require everything we share below, some documents to have handy when beginning to fill out scholarship applications that will make the process a bit easier are:

- Your ID, passport, or other proof of identification
- Your high school transcripts (have copies of both official and unofficial transcripts)
- Any letters of recommendation, with the names and contact information of those who had written them for you
- Your ACT/SAT scores
- A personal resume
- A scholarship essay if that is a part of a particular scholarship

The good thing is, most organizations have made their scholarships fully digital. Submissions are no longer just essays, but may include videos, art, and other ways you can showcase some of the different skills you may have to the various application committees.

While it’s still worthwhile to dedicate your time and effort to the high paying scholarships, they are also extremely competitive. Applying for smaller scholarships can add up as well and can have less applicants, which can also increase your chances of winning. 

Completing Scholarship Applications

Scholarship applications are your time to show scholarship committees what you’re made of!

Focus on qualities and skills that are specific and individual to you and include topics or movements you’re passionate about. Include sports, talents, interests, unique skills, and anything else you have passion and interest in. Use these as a way to set yourself apart from other applicants and stand out from the crowd for highly competitive scholarships.

Application committees want to see excitement, energy, and enthusiasm in your essays and interview. Sharing details and experiences with your interests can give the committee deeper insight into who you are and what you bring to the table. Showcase your character and involvement in your community. 

Take time to create well thought-out responses to any questions you’re asked so you can show committees your hard-work and dedication to causes and interests that are important to you. Demonstrate your resilience by sharing things you’ve overcome and grown from. Giving examples of lessons you’ve learned and how you have applied it in your life are great to share. The committee reviewing your application will want to know that they’re investing their time and money on a worthy student like yourself.

Double-Check Your Application

Completing scholarship applications shouldn’t be stressful. Even applying to 2-3 scholarships a week leading up to the first day at college or back to college will pay off. If your eyes have glazed over after completing your scholarship applications have a trusted parent, teacher, coach, or mentor read over your application and help you confirm everything looks good to go. They can provide helpful feedback or catch something you missed so you can ensure your scholarship application is fully completed and ready to go.

Submission Deadlines

Know the deadlines of every single scholarship you are applying for. Set reminders to make sure you have your scholarship submissions in on time. Applications that are not submitted on time generally are not accepted after the due date. When in doubt, double check deadlines, due dates, and announcement times if you’re unsure about a certain scholarship application. This will be especially important if you applied for more than one scholarship. Taking the steps we shared in this article to ensure your scholarship search process goes smooth will increase your chances of winning and saving money on your path to higher education.