How to Get a Scholarship for College: A Comprehensive Guide

Getting a scholarship for college is a great way to reduce the cost of your education and make it more affordable. Scholarships can be based on merit, need, or other criteria such as hobbies, field of study, ethnicity, religion, and more. You don't need to be the top of your class or a star athlete to get free money for college. In this article, we'll provide a comprehensive guide on how to get a scholarship for college.The first step is to visit your high school's career center.

If your high school doesn't have one, your school counselor can help you find similar resources online or in your local community. Most high school career centers maintain an up-to-date list of scholarships arranged by date. Review this list and take note of all the scholarships that apply to you. Even if you think it might be exaggerated, write it down - you never know what will pay off later on.There are even some scholarships you can apply for when you're in high school.

If you participate in sports such as soccer, basketball, swimming, lacrosse, and other sports, you may qualify for sports scholarships. There are many sources that will help you search for free college scholarships depending on the type of scholarship you are looking for.

Writing Skills

- Your writing skills will be useful when completing several essays, both for your school applications and for scholarships. When I was applying for scholarships, my sister worked at Kaiser, which offered a university scholarship to family members of Kaiser employees.

Types of Scholarships

- There are many different types of college scholarships available, including those for high school students, minority students, single mothers, and more. While it's incredibly important to file FAFSA forms to apply for financial aid as needed (including grants and work-study programs), prioritizing merit scholarship applications can help make college even more affordable.

Scholarship Books

- Scholarship books are comprehensive catalogs of grants and scholarships you can obtain as a high school student.

When I was in high school, I ended up applying for 60 scholarships at my high school's career center, and in the process earned thousands of dollars for college.

University Scholarships

- For example, the University of California (UC) at Berkeley offers an undergraduate scholarship to students who meet certain GPA criteria but the amount awarded will depend on their financial needs which are determined based on the data entered in the FAFSA form.

Performance Scholarships

- At Elizabethtown College, incoming students may qualify for a musical performance scholarship regardless of their major.

Internet Search

- Scholarships can come from a variety of sources so it's a good idea to search the Internet for opportunities that may be right for you. And you're setting yourself up to lose everything if you don't learn how to get a scholarship and apply for as many as possible.