Another Word on Scholarships

Okay, if you are in the process of figuring out how to pay for college for yourself or a child, you probably have received some or all of the acceptance letters from the various schools that you have applied for.

Now you are wondering, "is this all they will give me?" You are probably a little shocked to see that you are going to owe some money for your family contribution and you may be wondering how to cover it.

If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you have probably heard me talk about how scholarships are nice, but don't count on them. Of all the money that is awarded on an average basis, only about 3% of it comes in the form of scholarships. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't look around for them. Now you want to get as much money as you can and scholarships are a viable option.

Here are some tips on locating scholarships.

1. First of all, it isn't easy. It is hard work to locate scholarships, but is could be worth the time you put into it.
2. There are a number of local organizations that offer scholarships that you should check into. Look into scholarships offered by banks, credit unions, businesses around town, real estate companies and even the city council or local chambers of commerce. Also, check with your local public service organizations such as Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, Lions Club and Toastmasters International. They can all be sources of potential scholarships.
3. Think of scholarship searching almost in the same terms as looking for a job.

Scholarships are usually not need-based, meaning that you probably won't have to demonstrate a need, but this varies from source to source.

I'll cover some scholarship myths and other facts in upcoming blog posts, so stay tuned.