Asking for College Money: How Scholarships Can Help Pt1

   First things first: money for college is available but don’t expect it to fall into your lap.  You'll have to ask for it.  Second, consider your eligibility.  A scholarship isn't granted to anyone who wants a college degree.  There are certain eligibility requirements that a student applicant must meet before it can be awarded to him.  Third, there is no such thing as a perfect scholarship that will cover everything.  You will need more than one or even a dozen to lessen your college expenses.

Start your search early

   Scholarship programs have deadlines – mostly in mid or late February – so make sure you start hunting for scholarships early.  Go to your school's financial aid department, library or guidance councilor's office and ask for scholarships that may be available.  Get as many brochures as you can.  

   Your aim is to find as many scholarships as you may be eligible for and apply for them.  The trick is to look for scholarships that you are more likely to win than scholarships that may offer a lot of money but you may not qualify for.  

   Find out everything you can about scholarships that you can apply for, especially about eligibility requirements.  If you have questions, don't hesitate to call the sponsors.  

The application process

  
   Depending on the organization offering the scholarship, you can request for an application form three ways: call, write or e-mail.  If you plan to write, be aware of certain rules of formality in communication, since there are standards you will need to follow in terms of business letter writing.  The same goes even with e-mailed requests.  

   Once you receive the blank application forms, begin organizing.  Create a file for every scholarship program you plan to apply for and draw a chart that lists all the requirements you will need to prepare.  Keep a record of deadlines, dates of application, appointments and follow-up calls.  Take note also of important contact persons that you will have to communicate with from time to time.
 
   Also a helpful thing to do is to create a chart that lists the minimum and maximum awards that each scholarship offers.  Keep a blank column at the side which you can fill in after you've received the actual amount.  This will help you keep track of how much money you have in your scholarship fund.

Your application form

   You'll only get one, so don’t mess it.  Before you start filling it out, read through it to make sure you have the necessary information that it requires.  If you can, have it photocopied and practice writing or typing on it so you can avoid mistakes on the real one.

 White-out will do the trick on the original form, but it won't make a neat application.