Want to Win a Lot of Scholarship Money? Beginning in junior high/middle school is a great time to start. I’m serious. A winning scholarship effort always requires a plan. And assembling a plan of action requires time. After one of my talks a happy couple asked me “Why do you think starting in the 8th grade is the best time?” Before I could answer they said, “We are telling our children in the fifth grade to start working on winning scholarship contests and any other contests that we find out about.”

They Got Results! Before they left I discovered their first child had already graduated from college with 50% paid by scholarships only because they got a late start; or it would have been 100%. They weren’t going to make the same mistake with their other student. I asked them what they thought was the hardest part of a search. Their answer surprised me. “NOTHING! There’s just a lot to think about. We really didn’t have a plan then. Now we do. And now that we have heard your College Scholarship Plan we’re going to eliminate some things and add others. We’re glad we came to your seminar” (more…)

There are several sources of financial aid available for college students. Grants and scholarships are best because the money is generally tax-free and never has to be repaid. Although this sounds promising, obtaining scholarships for college can be challenging. Prospective college students seeking scholarships should conduct research on scholarships available from local businesses, non-profit organizations and foundations, as well as options available from the U.S. government.

Local Businesses

First and foremost, exploring your direct location and surrounding areas would be a good place to start as finding funding and aid in and around your local area is more likely than applying further away or even abroad. Local contacts, businesses, individuals and institutions will typically be your first point of call. It is easier to gain access to and the competition pool is that much smaller. So, in a sense, you are stacking the odds in your favor, making the most of what your local hometown and area has to offer.

Non-profit Organizations and Foundations

Most non-profit organizations and foundations have scholarships for prospective college students. Following are some examples of where scholarship sourcing might come from: (more…)

The first step to qualify for all types of federal college grants is to fill out a FAFSA form. This form is used for establishing your financial need, as well as used to establish how much federal financial aid you qualify for. To fill out this form you will need tax return information, personal identification information, as well as the code for the college, or colleges that you are interested in attending.

Federal college grants use the information from your FAFSA to determine which grant programs you qualify for. Government grants generally are distributed based on financial need or on scholastic aptitude. If you don’t have a lot of money available to fund your college education then you should submit your application for both of these types of grants. (more…)