College is expensive. Whether you are planning on attending a trade school, community college, or four year university applying for scholarships is a must! Researching scholarships opportunities as early as freshman year helps you get off to a great start. Believe it or not, but there are numerous scholarships available for underclassmen that you may be qualified for. By starting to apply for scholarships earlier, you are increasing your chances of winning more money for college. Also, by looking into scholarships early, you will have the opportunity to take the right classes or get involved in certain activities that will bolster your resume to ensure you have the best chance of winning scholarships.
Scholarships come from a variety of sources as they are offered by schools, private companies, non profits, employers, religious groups, individuals, and various social or professional organizations. You DO NOT need to be a top scholar or amazing athlete to win scholarships. There are plenty of scholarships that do not take grades or athletic ability into consideration. Many will consider GPA but the minimum GPA might be 2.5 and not 4.0.
Don't bypass scholarship awards that are small and you think might not be worth the time or effort. If you win several small scholarships, that adds up quickly. Every dollar you are awarded helps reduce the cost of your education.
Scholarships are competitive and it takes time to research and apply, but the end results could be very worthwhile. Think of it this way. Spending 40 hours researching and applying to several scholarships where you win 2 to 3 different scholarships that total $2000 means that you have earned $50 per hour! That is at least 4-5 times more than you can expect to be paid from any part time job.
Don't let the scholarship search and application process scare you. Come talk to your college and career coach, Sarah Muir in room 125 for help.