Some issues about school scholarships are apparent – specifically, that free cash to assist pay for school is an effective factor. However for one thing everybody is aware of about, there are literally numerous misconceptions and myths on the market about how scholarships work and the way college students can qualify for them.
Try these six frequent myths about scholarships and learn how to make these large instruments enable you to pay in your school schooling.
Fable 1: It’s a must to be a star pupil (or a jock, creative virtuoso, and many others.) to win scholarships
We’re not going to lie: if you happen to’re the varsity valedictorian, already gained a Pulitzer, and certified for the Olympics, it’s true you’ll have a better time getting school scholarships. However you don’t need to be any of these issues to earn vital quantities of scholarship cash.
All it’s important to be is resourceful.
Seems, there are numerous scholarships on the market based mostly on all kinds of standards. Whereas government- and school-issued scholarships normally have no less than modest tutorial standards for candidates, non-public scholarships may be based mostly on no matter standards the donor chooses.
There are scholarships based mostly on demographics reminiscent of your faith, gender, or ethnicity, hobbies, creative pursuits, your supposed profession path, and plenty of extra. There are even scholarships on the market for super-tall folks, or these with a sure uncommon surname. If you happen to look, likelihood is you’ll discover no less than just a few which are an ideal match for you.
To make that course of simpler, verify our scholarship database that allows you to search by varied standards so you may residence in on the choices which are the perfect match for you.
Fable 2: School scholarships are good for all for 4 years of faculty
Some scholarships are granted as four-year awards, however many aren’t. Once you apply for a scholarship — and particularly if you happen to win it — be sure you perceive if you happen to’ll have to reapply yearly to proceed to obtain the scholarship.
You also needs to verify to see what standards you have to meet every year to remain eligible for the scholarship — it will not essentially keep the identical. Frequent methods you might grow to be ineligible for a scholarship you’ve already gained is that if your grades drop, you progress, or if you happen to change majors.
Fable 3: It’s a must to apply in highschool
Whilst you definitely ought to begin searching for school scholarships when you’re nonetheless in highschool, you may proceed to use for scholarships for so long as you’re at school. Some scholarships are particularly geared toward college students who’re already enrolled in school or pursuing graduate schooling.
And bear in mind: Simply since you didn’t qualify for a selected scholarship in highschool doesn’t essentially imply you don’t have an opportunity to win it later after you’ve confirmed your capability in school. If you happen to see a scholarship that you simply nonetheless suppose is an effective match, go for it!
Fable 4: It takes a ton of effort to win a scholarship
It’s true, some scholarships do take a good quantity of effort to earn, together with writing an essay and gathering reference letters and different documentation. However that’s not the case for all scholarships. Tons of scholarships don’t require an essay; some take little greater than a filling out a short type. (Our scholarship is straightforward to use for and your mother and father can apply as effectively.)
The place you do need to spend some effort is ensuring you’ve met all the necessities for a given scholarship. The very last thing you need is to overlook out on free cash since you despatched in a type a day late or forgot to incorporate a duplicate of your tutorial transcript.
Fable 5: Solely massive scholarships are value making use of for
Profitable a big-name and/or big-dollar scholarship is clearly a feather in your cap in addition to a method to deliver down your whole school prices. However right here’s the draw back: Any pupil with half a prayer of successful them is making use of for them, so that you face steep competitors.
Smaller scholarships and people from lesser-known establishments don’t get as a lot fanfare, however in addition they are likely to get far fewer candidates, so the probabilities of you being the chosen grantee are significantly better.
Give it some thought: Let’s say a rural county’s chamber of commerce presents three $500 scholarships to native grads. And only some thousand children every year graduate from highschool in that county — a lot of whom gained’t trouble to use. You might have a greater than 1-in-1000 probability of snagging a kind of grants, in comparison with some big-name scholarships the place you’d be competing towards tens of hundreds of different college students.
Now, $500 isn’t more likely to imply you graduate school debt-free. However if you happen to can win 5, 10, or 20 of these smaller scholarships over the course of your school profession, it may add as much as hundreds of {dollars} of free cash — and a a lot lighter pupil mortgage burden when you graduate.
It is value spending a while searching for all of the smaller, under-the-radar scholarships that may go well with you. It doesn’t need to be a full-time job — an hour or two every week to analysis and fill out purposes may very well be sufficient to internet you a major quantity of free cash.
Fable 6: Scholarships are solely good for tuition
A stunning variety of folks suppose scholarships solely can be utilized for tuition or direct schooling bills and that’s not essentially the case.
Every scholarship has its personal guidelines for a way you should use scholarship funds. Some are only for tuition; some can be utilized broadly for dwelling bills and extra. Some are even earmarked for sure sorts of bills, reminiscent of a stipend to purchase expertise wanted to pursue your schooling.
If and if you win a scholarship, be sure you double-check its pointers to make sure you’re staying throughout the established guidelines.
You’re juggling lots making an attempt to wrap up highschool and prepare for school. On the lookout for scholarships can really feel like yet one more process on an already-overfilled plate. However if you happen to can handle to squeeze in just a little time to search for (and apply to) the scholarships which are the perfect match you could be shocked how fruitful that effort is. To be taught extra, take a look at our scholarship information.
