A guest post by Sally Croft
Sally is an educationist with a difference. She has keen interest in helping college students to find easy solutions for student loans and scholarships. Sally is bringing change to students’ lives through the career guide section of her Student Loan Blog; she prepares students for professional life by providing consultation for job requirements & employers expectations.
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Sponsorships are the best financial option for any student seeking to pursue college education. Sponsorship comes in the form of part and full scholarships. Part scholarships are usually offered at the local level and are onetime sums offered to students. Full time sponsorships are usually offered by colleges, research centers and government sponsored organizations. Every scholarship brings it own set of rules. Successful students must meet these rules in order to qualify for selection.
How to get a College scholarship
Winning a scholarship takes planning, preparation and some luck. As a result, students should seek advice from their career counselors on the best methods to win a scholarship. Here I will attempt to give some tips that can also be used to get your share of the over $50 billion available in scholarships.
1. Solid foundation: Your quest for scholarship sponsorship begins in high school. For students to be first considered for scholarships, they must have GPAs above the average. Having an above average will turn the spotlights on your grades and propel you to the front of the line with those suggested for scholarships.
2. Research: Students must conduct research about and scholarships and grants that are available. It is amazing to see the staggering amounts of scholarships that go unclaimed each year. Students can turn to the school’s placement center or conduct their own online search from one of the many websites dedicated to hunt for scholarships.
3. Make an application: It is impossible to win a scholarship before making an application. Students must complete the scholarship application and submit it to the relevant authorities.
4. Apply for both local and college level scholarship: Although most local scholarships will be of much lesser value, receiving a payment of $2500 towards your tuition is much better than nothing. In addition, the competition for local sponsorship is much less; hence students are more likely to succeed in winning a scholarship.
5. Extracurricular activity: A record of involvement in extracurricular activity is a favorite with scholarship boards. They like students who give back to their community. They thus can easily identify with these students as they are also trying to give back in the form of scholarships.
6. Have some talent: Sponsors of scholarships are quick to snap up talented students. Talent may range from sports, art, music and education. Some scholarship sponsors see this as an opportunity to use these talented students as a part of their marketing campaign. Others hope they can tie these talented students to loyalty contracts where they must spend some time with the organization after graduating.
7. Knock out essay: Most scholarships require students to write an essay. By proper planning, time management and sound research, students must try to produce their best work. Ensure the essay is properly vetted to be free of mistakes.
8. Target Ethnic Groups: Many ethnic groups have their own scholarship that supports their students. Writing an honest application, clearly stating your need for a scholarship may just land you scholarship success.
9. Be persistent: There is no guarantee you will win the first scholarship to which you apply. Therefore, student should be persistent and continue sending out those applications.
10. Focus on scholarships that you qualify for: It makes no sense to apply for a medical scholarship if you are an engineering student. Be smart and research the scholarship before wasting your time.
