Finding Scholarships

Answer 1

Paying for college puts a heavy financial strain on parents and students. Fortunately, financial help is available to ease this burden. Options include loans, grants, work-study and scholarships. Scholarships are usually the best option because they don't have to be paid back, though students who drop out when a scholarship is in effect may be asked to repay the money.

Millions of dollars in financial aid is available annually to help students pay for their college educations. The trick is in finding them.

Competition is Stiff for National Scholarships

National scholarships usually carry the most money, but competition for them is very fierce. Students should start their scholarship search closer to home; the scholarships may not be as big, but there will be less competition for them.

A savvy student starts his scholarship search with his high school counselor's office as the counselor will know about scholarships available to graduates of this school. He also should know about other local scholarships such as those granted by local civic organizations or alumni.

Students should ask their parents to check their employers and organizations they belong to about scholarship opportunities. For example, the Farm Bureau offers scholarships on the county, state and national levels to students whose parents belong to Farm Bureau.

Colleges Are Great Scholarship Sources

The next search for scholarships should be with colleges the student hopes to attend. Colleges sponsor scholarships that are open to all incoming freshmen, though a majority of these may be based on academic achievements in high school. Students should also check with the departments they plan to major in, as the departments are frequently an excellent source of scholarships from alumni.

When these sources have been exhausted, students can use an internet search engine to find scholarships. Just plug in a search term, such as "financial aid for agriculture majors" and see what comes up. Vary the search terms, such as "scholarships for agribusiness majors," and more scholarships will turn up. Agencies which promise to find scholarships for students for a fee also will show up, but students should not pay for this information.