Different Types of Scholarships For College?

Answer 1

College is expensive. Ideally, you have been saving money since your child's birth to pay for his college education, but this certainly isn't always feasible. You can always apply for student loans, but student loans can quickly put your child in a debt that will take years to repay. The best way to finance your child's education is to search for scholarships for college.

Merit Based Scholarships

The most popular types of scholarships for college are merit based scholarships. Merit based scholarships give students who show exemplary academic skills money for college, and they will sometimes even pay for their entire college education.

If your child has good grades and scored well on the SAT, you are very likely to find scholarships that will pay for his college education. Merit based scholarships are competitive, so it is important to apply early. You should also apply for many merit based scholarships for college for best results.

If your student is an average student who shows exceptional skill in a certain subject, you can look for merit based scholarships for college that are based on his subject of expertise. Math and science whizzes, for instance, can typically find merit based scholarships for college.

Athletic Scholarships

Boys and girls who are good at sports can often find athletic scholarships for college. These scholarships typically require the student to play for the college's team, and the student must maintain good grades regardless of athletic ability.

Minority Scholarships

There are many minority scholarships for college out there. If you are African-American, Hispanic, Indian, Asian, you should look for scholarships for college that are only awarded to minorities. These scholarships often still focus on merit or athletic ability but since they are only awarded to minorities, the competition for these scholarships is not as vast as with regular merit based scholarships for college.

There are also plenty of scholarships for college that are only available for women. There are even scholarships for certain religious organizations.

Other

Many groups establish scholarships for college that are not based on any of the above criteria. There are plenty of scholarships out there that your child might qualify for, so it is important to do your research so that you can apply for as many scholarships as possible.