Searching for Scholarships

I will be a senior in high school next year, so finding ways to pay for college is really important to me, right now! Yeah, I know I can apply for loans, but I don’t really want to get myself into debt before I even start school. But what other options are out there?

First of all, let me tell you that you don’t need to pay someone to find scholarship money for you! Chances are they will search the same places you will. But I guess if you don’t want to take the time have the time, or if you won’t have the time, then this would be an option to consider.

There are several sites out there to help you identify, learn about, and apply for various scholarships. One of the most popular is fastweb.com where you can set up a profile and the site will only forward scholarships, internships, and jobs that you may be qualified for, based on the profile answers you select. This is my #1 site. It’s very convenient to have all the information available to you in one place, with links to the actual sponsor website and deadline information, as well. And you don’t need to wait until you’re a senior, either; many scholarships out there are open to students 13 and over!

Another good source would be to check with your local organizations like the Rotary, Kiwanis, Elks Lodge, or others. Oftentimes these organizations will offer scholarships for local students, as well.

Of course, you can always do an internet search for “scholarships for seniors”, and there will be tons of things that come up. It’s time consuming, but worth investigating. Just make sure you double-check the information you come across, as some sites refer to scholarships that are no longer offered.

Worst case scenario, you can always resort to applying for those long-term loans, but definitely try to exhaust all scholarship opportunities first!