How To Get A College Scholarship

Many students assume that they have to be brilliant, or athletically talented, or gifted musically, to earn a scholarship for college. What they don't realize is that sometimes they just need to be persistent!

Be persistent in getting good grades. Many colleges award scholarships to students with significant financial need in the accepted applicant group - a grant that you don't need to repay, just for making the cut and getting admitted!

Good grades won't hurt if you hope to get a scholarship even if your family doesn't demonstrate financial need. When scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit, without regard for need, students who have worked hard and achieved results in high school will be the winners.

You should also be persistent in seeking out other scholarship sources. Sometimes all it takes to get a scholarship is to find out who in your area is offering them: your church, your employer, your parents' employers, local civic organizations. You'll just need to fill out any required applications or interviews on time in order to be considered.

The most important thing to do to apply for scholarships is to get accurate
information up front:

• What are the qualifications for applicants?


• Where do you get forms and how do you apply (online, by mail, etc.)?


• Are additional interviews or references required? What are the deadlines?

Once you have the information in hand, you can make a chart of what's due and
when, and follow through. Taking small steps throughout the process will help ensure you will meet all the requirements on time. Then,
you get to sit back while the sponsors make their decisions.

I wrote a short report that expands on some of the ideas on this lens.

Click here to download The Scholarship Guide