5 Steps to Help Students Win College Money + Scholarship Deadlines

• Start researching NOW – Many of the largest scholarship programs have deadlines starting in early fall. For the best chance at meeting deadlines and actually winning scholarships, students shouldn’t wait until they actually get accepted to the school of their dreams to apply. In fact, they don’t even have to wait until senior year. They can win money for college as early as age 6 (learn more in Senior Year Head Start). Even if a student is getting ready to start their freshman year or another year in college this fall, they should start researching now to get ready for early fall deadlines. Once a student gets a list of scholarship programs, web sites, and deadlines, they should create a monthly planner to stay on track and apply for every scholarship available to them. See chapter 2, 3, 4 and 6 of Winning Scholarships for College (5th edition) for help with finding scholarships and getting organized. You can also see The Scholarship Monthly Planner .
• Review the activities you’ve been involved in since 9th grade. If you aren’t on pace to exceed any required community service hours OR if your school does not have a requirement, immediately begin to participate in at least two community service activities. Community service hours can help students become more competitive for scholarship programs AND for acceptance into colleges and universities. Not only can some scholarships be won on the basis of community service alone; nearly all scholarship programs want to see students who get involved in activities that benefit others. They also love students who can recognize a school or community issue and successfully come up with a way to solve it. Community service can really make the difference between winning and losing a scholarship competition. See chapter 14 of Winning Scholarships for College (5th edition) for more about the role of community service and scholarships.
• Register for Google Alerts to get e-mail updates about recently written articles concerning scholarships, college, and financial aid. New scholarship programs can be introduced at any time. Using Google Alerts and choosing to “Like” The Scholarship Workshop on www.facebook.com/scholarshipworkshop or follow us on Twitter @ScholarshipWork and instagram.com/scholarshipworkshop can help keep students informed about current and newly created scholarship programs for which they might be able to apply. See chapter 3 of Winning Scholarships for College (5th edition) for more about using the Internet and social media in a scholarship search.
• Find programs that earn students and parents free cash for college – Although they don’t offer scholarships, programs such as upromise.com can help with the tuition bill. These are free programs that allow individuals to register credit and frequent shopper cards to earn rebates into a college savings account. If someone eats out at restaurants or shops online, they can get money for college with these programs. See chapter 31 of Winning Scholarships for College (5th edition) for the section on “Getting Free Money for Things You Already Buy.”
• Begin working on a student activities résumé. Even if a student has already started a résumé; they should update it, and highlight any areas that need attention. For example, perhaps they need more community service or leadership (which can also include mentoring or tutoring). Extracurricular and community service activities will help students stand out among a crowd of other scholarship applicants. The résumé should showcase their qualities as a well-rounded and involved student who has engaged in several meaningful activities. See chapter 9 of Winning Scholarships for College (5th edition) for more information about writing a student résumé.

I started putting my scholarship strategies from Senior Year Head Start and Winning Scholarships for College into practice with my own kids last weekend. As a proud FAMU graduate, I took my kids to FAMU’s homecoming. And my husband (a graduate of Southern University) joined us. This was the first university experience for my daughter (12) and my son (10).

After watching the game, at dinner and in the car, my daughter wanted to discuss scholarships and how they could help pay for college. My son wanted to know how much 4 years would cost and to understand the difference between the cost of a private vs a public institution.

Our FAMU homecoming visit is helping me continue to build awareness, interest, and the desire to attend college, understand the costs, AND win college money with my kids at an early age. So far, my daughter has already won one small scholarship at age 7.

 

October 15 – Scholarship America Dream Award (open to college sophomores, juniors and seniors. Students can win up to $15,000)

 

November 5 – Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship Contest – $4,000 to $50,000 scholarships open to high school seniors.

To get more upcoming deadlines, see