Scholarship Corner for Parents
Many of the most successful students in the scholarship race are those that work closely with their parents. In College Survival & Success Skills 101, when asked about tasks for college preparation, one student stated, “if you’re going to do all this and still excel in school—get a secretary! My mom was my ever devoted fan and personal assistant!—Just kidding, we were a team!”
Marianne Ragins and her mother were also a team in the scholarship search. Her mother pitched in wholeheartedly when it came to addressing and stuffing envelopes, organizing folders, and other repetitive tasks that didn’t require Marianne’s specific input. With this team based strategy, Marianne was able to apply for every scholarship available to her, a practice which eventually resulted in her $400,000 mega scholarship total.
With the widespread use of online applications, stuffing and stamping envelopes is mostly unnecessary in today’s modern times. Now, parents can help their teen succeed in the scholarship process in even more ways. For example, you can scour the Internet in tandem with your son or daughter, proofread essays and applications, conduct mock interviews, review scholarship directories and books, motivate a frustrated teenager, suggesting winning strategies, and contact community and state organizations for local opportunities. See Winning Scholarships for College, 10 Steps for Using the Internet in Your Scholarship Search, The Scholarship Monthly Planner or The Scholarship Workshop CD Tutorial for help. You can also try an online class with Marianne Ragins with your son or daughter.
Review the following sections for more scholarship information for parents:
- Free Scholarship Searches
- Estimating College Costs
- Finding Scholarships for High School Students
- Finding Scholarships for College Students
- Scholarship Books & Resources
Once you’ve finished helping your teen or young adult to navigate the scholarship process, you can also help yourself with Scholarships for Adult, Transfer & Return to College Students or Scholarships & Financial Aid for Graduate Students.