College Scholarships

Find college scholarships to help fund your higher education

By Jeff McGuire

It seems that each year, the cost of funding a higher education increases, and as the importance of a college education continues to grow alongside this increased cost, parents and students are often forced to explore multiple financial aid options. The good news: the number of financial aid options available to students and their families is also on the rise.

Financial aid comes in two primary forms: federal financial aid, and college scholarships and grants. The difference between the two is that federal financial aid comes in the form of loans which must be repaid, while college scholarships and grants are funding does not need to be repaid.

There are several scholarship options available to college-bound students and their families that are worth exploring. Below I will review some of these options to hopefully help make your search to find college scholarships a little easier.

Sources of College Scholarships & Grants

A common misconception is that college-bound students must be extremely gifted either academically or athletically in order to find college scholarships. The truth is that there are a multitude of available college resources for student grants and scholarships, and each resource should be investigated to help ensure you alleviate as much of the cost of tuition as possible.

Below are some common sources for college scholarships and grants:

U.S. Government
The U.S. government allocates more money for college tuition each year than any other financial aid resource in the country. The amount of need-based college scholarships awarded from the federal government vary from student to student and are dependant on a number of factors, including family assests, state-funded programs, and tax decisions made by the government.

In order to qualify for college scholarships from the federal government, you must first fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA provides the government with important tax-related information to determine how much aid a student is eligible for. It is crucial that meet deadlines when you file for FAFSA financial aid.
Local Organizations
Another source of worthwhile exploration for college scholarships are local organizations, such as the American Legion, Boosters chapters, and the Rotary Club. Organization such as these frequently set aside funds for local college-bound students and it is often only a matter of digging into a number of local options to find college scholarships. A good place to start when trying to tap into this college resource for student grants is at your high school's career office.
Merit-Based Scholarships
College scholarships based on merit can be awarded for either academic or athletic achievements, as well as for certain categories, such as ethnicity, religion, club memberships, career plans, and talent (e.g. music or dance). To discover what's available for you and your family, your high school's career office is also a great place to start your search to find merit-based college scholarships.
Employers
In addition to these options, another potential college resource for student grants and scholarships is your employer. Often times, companies will award the children of employees with college scholarships and grants.

While there are several possibilities worth exploring when trying to alleviate the cost of a higher education, it is important to remember that, more often than not, college scholarships will only supplement a portion of tuition costs. It is a common misapprehension that scholarships and grants will be able to fund all, or the majority of, a college education. In reality, most college scholarships and grants will only supplement a portion of your college costs.

While you make an effort to find multiple college scholarships to help alleviate as much of the cost of tuition as possible, it is important to keep in mind the various scholarship scams out there. Below I will identify some common scams you may come across during your search.

Common Scholarship Cons

The first thing to note when searching for college scholarships is that you should never have to pay to fill out an application. Every so often you may come across such an application which requires you to pay a processing fee and may even guarantee winnings. Avoid submitting these applications.

Another common scam you may run into is the guarantee of college scholarships. Typically these scams will claim that you will receive money for your tuition "or your money back". This is a classic sign of a scholarship scam and should also be avoided.

You should also be cautious of college scholarships awarded without entry. It is extremely rare that a student will receive any sort of funding without having to submit an application.

In addition to these scams, the Federal Trade Commission has deemed the following as warning signs to be wary of when trying to find college scholarships:

applications requiring your credit card information
a claim that you are a finalist in a contest you never entered
a statement saying that you can't find the information elsewhere

During your search, you will likely come across an offer claiming to be a legitimate college resource for student grants or scholarships. If such an offer includes any of the warning signs listed above, it should raise a red flag. Your high school counselor or financial aid office will have an ample amount of legitimate scholarship information.

You can also start your search for legitimate college scholarships online. Save yourself time while trying to find money for a higher education: begin your online college scholarship search today.

College-Bound Student Information

CollegeView offers an extensive amount of valuable information and resources for the college-bound student. Please follow these links to discover how our publishings can help you in your choice for an educational pathway:

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