Winning the College Scholarship Game

OK, you don't have a 4.0 GPA, you're not the senior class president, you can't throw a football fifty yards, and your SAT scores aren't generating letters or phone calls from Harvard, Yale or Princeton.

So, you'll never qualify for a college scholarship, right? Wrong! There are lots of scholarships and other kinds of financial aid for which you might qualify. Some colleges will offer you academic grants with a GPA of less than a 3.0 and SAT scores below 1000. Many church affiliated colleges, for instance, offer grants to students who are members of their religious denomination.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers a scholarship (called an out-of-state fee waiver) which allows qualified students from all states to attend the university at the in-state tuition rate (currently less than $1,700 a semester). You can find the criteria for this scholarship at
<http://admissions.louisiana.edu/scholarships/out_of_state.shtml>.

If you are the son or daughter of a military veteran, if either of your parents work for a major corporation, if your mother or father is a member of a fraternal or civic organization, or if you are preparing for a career in a particular profession, there may be substantial scholarships for which you can apply, even if you're not a top student or a student leader.

Are you good at writing essays? If you are, your writing skills may be the ticket to a scholarship.

You may even be able to apply for a scholarship because of where you live, your last name, your ethnic heritage or race, or a disease or handicapping condition you may have. Get the idea yet?

There are all kinds of scholarships, grants, and financial aid programs out there. Some require economic need or have other restrictions, others do not. At <http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com> you can find a list of scholarships guaranteed by individual colleges to all students meeting the listed criteria. And, at <http://www.college-scholarships.com/free_scholarship_searches.htm> you'll find links to nearly 30 free, online scholarship searches.

Don't forget your school counselor, as he or she can be a great source of information about local scholarship sources.

Want to improve your chances of qualifying for scholarships? Here are a few final tips.

First, take the most challenging classes available to you, work hard, and get involved in co-curricular, community, charitable and/or public service activities; the more you have to offer the more you're likely to be offered a scholarship.

Second, research, research, research. The more time you spend investigating scholarship opportunities, the more likely you are to find scholarships for which you may be eligible.
Don't let anyone discourage you. There are lots of people "out there", including some educators, who are inadvertently spreading misconceptions about who may qualify for financial aid and what is required to do so.

And, most important of all, do not fail to investigate or apply to a college you like because you think it is too expensive . . you never know what kinds of scholarships and/or financial aid you might receive. However, just like you should have "fall back" or "safety" colleges in case you are not admitted to your first choice institution(s), you should choose and apply to colleges that will be affordable if you do not receive the financial assistance for which you hope.

Finally, pay attention to details and deadlines when applying for scholarships. Complete the FAFSA financial aid form <http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/> as soon as possible.

"Typed" doesn't mean handwritten, "double spaced" means "double spaced", and essay word minimums/maximums and deadlines are not suggestions. Read and adhere to all directions and deadlines.

Very few students go to college "free", but scholarships, loans, work-study programs, and other forms of aid make it possible for almost anyone to finance the cost of higher education.