Scholarships can seem easy to find but hard to get. The truth is, there are so many opportunities for scholarships that can add up to what you need. The question you should be asking is not necessarily where but how. You could look up a website that collects scholarships for you in a heartbeat, but it can get overwhelming with little payoff. In this article, we will explore ways actually to chip away at your tuition successfully.
Why Put In The Effort?
Pew Research Center stated in a 2019 study that “college graduates ages 25 to 39 with loans are more likely than graduates without loans to say they are either finding it difficult to get by financially or are just getting by.” Furthermore, the same study shows that 34% of the same age group do not believe their degree was worth the cost.
There are many reasons to get a college degree, but you probably want to value the work you put into this investment. It is essential to avoid student loans as much as possible to clear your financial path in your life after college. Let’s get you better opportunities with the least strings attached.
Look Around You
Be resourceful. Looking for aid through interactions will be the most helpful in bringing in financial aid you are more likely to get. Here are some suggestions on how to take advantage of opportunities nearby.
- Ask family/friends/institutions: The people around you may know of some scholarships available or suggest aid they had in college. Leads to tangible opportunities are always beneficial in your search. Organizations around you may also be willing to help you based on how your vision aligns with theirs.
- Consider your hobbies, skills, and interests:
- Look for matches: Sometimes, you can make a deal with your job, volunteer organization, or church to match funds with your college for a scholarship.
- Talk to your academic counselor: Whether you’re going into school or already in college, you should get a hold of the person responsible for helping you with your academic experience. They may let you know about certain scholarships for a specific major, specific student (transfer, good grades, etc.), possibilities for the school to create a scholarship, student leadership, or special scholarships that pertain to that school specifically.
Look a Little Farther
Once you’ve used all the opportunities close by, you should start looking at other options. Here are the best roads to take.
- FAFSA/Federal Grants: If you didn’t know, federal aid is offered to anyone to apply through FAFSA. This goes out on a first-come-first-serve basis and financial need. Other than FAFSA, however, you may find other federal grants for circumstances, nationality, etc.
- Consider your circumstances: It may be good to take a DNA test to see what blood you have in you. If you have a large enough percentage of a certain nationality, you may apply for specific grants. There are also all types of scholarships for specific circumstances. People love to donate to help people in particular situations.
- Look at your interests: People also love to donate funds to causes they believe in. This could range from a more serious cause your heart aligns with or something like you love Star Wars. The possibilities go on forever with these types of things. These usually offer less, though.
Use online resources: Although you shouldn’t consider it over these other options, it may help you snag a couple of scholarships that are a good fit for you. The benefit of these websites is that they gather a bunch of scholarship opportunities in one place for you to skim through. Once you see a few, you think you have a good chance for, you can spend your time there.
What Are The Differences Between Student Loans, Grants, and Scholarships?
