Win More Awards: Bonus Scholarship Tips!

Saving money on your college education is something every student (and parent!) should be concerned with. Considering the prevalence of student debt in contemporary economic discourse, it's obviously a relevant topic. However, Empowerly is here to make it easier for you: the more awarded money a student wins, the better. One of the best ways to get money for your education without adding to student loans is to find scholarships. Students can follow our scholarship tips below to increase their chances of winning funding for college!

The first thing students should do is look to their high school or in their local community for scholarship opportunities. Generally, this means speaking with the school's guidance counselor for advice. These professionals know exactly which scholarships are available and exactly who is eligible for each one. 

If you aren't able to schedule a meeting with your in-school guidance counselor, by all means, reach out to independent counselors. You can book a consultation with Empowerly to learn what kind of services private (independent) school counselors can offer. It's worth considering when you really need the help.

Local businesses and companies are also a good place to look for scholarships. These establishments would like to support their community and the best way to support students is by awarding money to help them fund a higher education.

Students that would like to be more proactive about getting scholarships should look online! This may seem like an easy one, seeing how many students already use the internet to conduct college research. Nonetheless, not all scholarships listed online are created equal. 

Learn to use a discerning eye to see if there are national options or private scholarships worth your time. There are so many local, regional, and state scholarships that high schools advertise, these larger opportunities are often left unmentioned. While you'll want to keep a critical eye on the credibility of these sites, it's important to consider all the options on the table.

Students can search online for scholarships in general or ones that would be best suited for them in particular. Though there will be many more students applying to these, all students that meet the requirements of the application will be considered and that could be you.

When choosing which scholarships to apply for, students should consider the chances they have of being awarded the money as well as if the amount of money is worth the effort needed to complete the application. Like we discuss in Tip #3, not all scholarships, grants, and awards are created equal.

This is not to say that students should be too picky about which to apply to when any amount of money awarded will help reduce the cost of college. Simply that you need to stay on your toes to avoid wasting precious time applying for scholarships that won't pay off in the end.

Applying to scholarships also means being prepared to meet the deadlines set and being ready to go to any interviews that may be held.

More competitive scholarships will often have an interview component when the applicant reaches a higher level of the selection process. If a student chooses to apply to a scholarship that may include an interview then they should practice their responses and be fully prepared to meet with an official to discuss their future and how the scholarship will have a positive impact.

In review, here are the main scholarship tips we covered in this article:  

1. Look close to home
2. Use the internet wisely
3. Apply with purpose in mind
4. Prepare for possible interviews

Following each of these "bonus" scholarship tips will help push you farther along the path to winning real money towards your college education. And that's what we're here for. Parents and students: if you found these tips helpful, please don't hesitate to bring your questions to an Empowerly consultation. We are real, friendly people who want students to find joy and success in college! That's our goal, and that's what we love to do. 

So let's take the next important step towards your best possible future - together.