You already know that a college education is one of the most important gifts you can give to your children. You’ll want to give your child the best education that money can buy.  It probably comes as no surprise  that a high-quality education is becoming more and more important in today’s economy.  With so many recent graduates competing for the same job, those whose education is lacking will be weeded out very quickly.

However, the bad economy is also forcing many people to put saving for college on the back burner and for some unfortunate others, college savings accounts have been all but depleted just to pay the monthly bills. Maybe this has happened to you?

So, now what?  The economy is bad making it hard to pay for college but at the same time a good college education is more of a necessity than ever; now that’s being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Scholarships are the answer. In addition to student loans and grants, scholarships are more important than ever. But with thousands of scholarships available, where do you find one?

Begin your scholarship search online with FastWeb’s free scholarship search.  Their database has over a half a million scholarships!  By putting in a little bit of information about your child, the site will narrow down those scholarships that are a good match for your child  There are very few sites out there that as a comprehensive as FastWeb and it is growing every day.  To see what’s available, take a few seconds to sign up (it’s free). Click here for more information.

Best of Luck to You,
Your Friends at The Scholarship Catalog

Need money for college? Use FastWeb’s free scholarship search to find information on more than 600,000 scholarships!

Scholarship donors are looking for more than a high GPA from their applicants. A 4.0 GPA will certainly get your scholarship application in the “consider” pile, though it may not be enough to win you the award. Donors want their students to be well-rounded individuals. Involvement in extracurricular activities at school and in the community can actually outweigh even the not-so-great GPA. And without those activities, an application with a perfect GPA may not even be considered.

Athletics

Playing on one of your school’s sports teams is a great way to get involved. To qualify for an athletic scholarship, you’ll need to do more than just list it on your application. Find out when and where the college coaches will be doing their scouting. Every sport has its own special premier events where you can showcase your talent. If your high school doesn’t have a team for your favorite sport, find a way to stay involved in that sport; even if it is recreationally.

Other Extracurricular Activities

If you have no interest in playing a sport in school, there are plenty of other extracurricular activities in which you can participate. What are your interests, strengths, and hobbies? You will most likely be able to find an activity that relates to them and will look great on your scholarship application. The activity does not need to be provided by your school. Here are some ideas:

• Play an instrument, whether in your school band or on your own.
• Perform in plays and theater productions. Join the school drama club or community actors club.
• Become a member of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Junior ROTC, Big Brother/Big Sister, or other youth programs.
• Join an art enrichment program. Draw, paint, sculpt, etc.
• Dance in your school club or at a local dance studio. Try ballet, jazz, tap, swing, ballroom competition, native dance, interpretive dance, etc.
• Volunteer at church, the local food bank or any non-profit agency.

Participate in any of the above programs and you are sure to improve your odds of getting a scholarship award. These activities will also carry over to your college application making you a prime candidate for acceptance. Depending on the type of activity in which you participate and the level of your involvement, you can put together quite an impressive activities portfolio (including photo slideshows, videos, and more) to accompany your scholarship and college admission applications.

Elizabeth Dennis writes about random scholarships for The Scholarship Catalog. She also writes for the popular woodwinds instruments Guide.

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Accurate and Complete

Follow the directions very carefully and be sure to complete the entire application.  If you decide to skip a question and go back to it later, make sure you do so.  More scholarship applications are declined for inaccuracy and incompleteness than for any other reason.

Learn about the Oranization

Do a good amount of research on the organization that is offering the scholarship award.  Understand what they are trying to achieve by giving you this scholarship.  With this information, tailor your responses and your essay to reflect  how you can help them reach their goal.

The Essay

Make sure to take enough time to write your essay.  Write some in one sitting,  put it aside, and go back to it (mulitple times if needed) until in your eyes it is perfect.   Have your writing reflect the goals of the particular scholarship for which you are applying.  Canned essays just don’t work well and stick out like sore thumbs.

The Interview

Most final decisions are made by the organization during the interview process.  Research sample scholarship interview questions and practice them over and over until you are comfortable with them.   Here again, the research you’ve done about the donating organization will benefit you greatly.  If you can bring this information up in the context of the interview, it shows that you’ve done your research and that alone may win you the award.

Put Yourself in the Best Light

This is not the time to be modest.  The organization is looking for something about you that stands out from the rest of the applicants.  Throughout the essay, application, and interview explain why it is you who deserves to win.

Are you truly passionate about all things paranormal, including: extraterrestrial life, reincarnation, ghosts,  and cryptids.  If you are studying for your parapsychology degree or as part of your curriculum conducting parapsychological research, you may be eligible for a $3,000 scholarship from the non-profit, Parapscyhology Foundation.

The be considered you must be attending an accredited college or university and demonstrate an established interest in parapsychology. You will need to provide sample writings on the topic along with the scholarship application. Plan on gathering three letters of recommendations for those who are familiar with your work in parapsychology.

Applications are due by July 15.

The VSA International Young Soloists Award recognizes young musicians with disabilities.  The award recipients will receive $5,000 and will have the priviledge of performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Applicants from the US must be under the age of 25; those from outside the United States must be under the age of 30.  All music types are accepted: classical, country, rap, jazz, bluegrass, and world. Musical ensembles of two to eight members may also apply as long as at least one member has a disability and all members must fulfill the age requirements as listed.

If you plan to work for the FDA or are studying food, drug, or consumer product safety check out the Association of Food and Drug Officials Scholarship Award.

The first place most students look for scholarships is the internet; and with good reason.  The popular scholarship search websites are convenient and very easy to use.  You only need type in your information once and you are automatically matched to the scholarships for which you qualify.  However, as sleek and efficient as these websites are, they simply don’t contain every scholarship that is out there.  Let’s take a look at the places offline and in your own community where a scholarship might be waiting for you.

Career Counselor

You first stop should be your career counselor at your school.  Maintaining a list of local scholarships is part of what they do.  As an organization, business, or individual creates a new scholarship, it will usually forward the information over to the career centers at the local schools.   This information is ready and available to you.  Go check it out.

Local Newspaper

Most local newspapers regularly feature stories of scholarship recipients.  It is never too early to start compiling a list of these awards.  Go through back issues of the newspaper online; try searching for the words “scholarship.”

Service Clubs in Your Community

By service clubs, we mean those organizations such as The Lion’s Club, Rotary Club, Boys and Girls Clubs, VFW, Jaycees,  etc.  These clubs raise money through fundraisers to provide scholarships to students in their communities.  Give them a quick call as they will be more than happy to give you the scholarship information.  To find a list of the service clubs in your area, visit the public library or community center in your town.  The National Chapters of these clubs will also have websites that will often list the contact information for their local chapters.

Religious Organization

Many religious organizations offer scholarships to the members of their congregation.  Ask your pastor, reverend, priest, rabbi, monk, etc. if an award is available.  Also, check the national organization of the church as many offer scholarships nationally.

Your Parent’s Workers Union, Place of Work, or Military Service

If you plan to follow in your parent’s or grandparent’s footsteps and enter a field with a union, see if that union provides scholarships.  Have Mom or Dad ask the union directly about scholarship information.  In some cases you won’t need to actually be interested in a field with a union; Mom and Dad being a member is enough.

Many employers offer scholarships as benefits to their employees.  Have your parents check with the Human Resources department where they work to see if there is an award waiting for you.

If your parents or grandparents served in the US Military you might be in luck.   If they belong to a military association, see if that group gives away scholarship awards.

Your Employer

Just as your parent’s employer may have scholarships available, so might yours.  Even if you only work part-time you may qualify for an award.

Extracurricular Activities

Besides looking great on your college application, extracurricular activities often provide scholarships.  In addition to asking your local club advisor, check the national office of the club to see what is available.  Examples of these are The National Honor Society, Girl Scouts, Junior Achievement, Future Famers of America, and your Fraternity or Sorority.

Some of the best scholarships available are those that are a bit harder and take a little longer to find.  While the internet is certainly a critical resource, it shouldn’t be your only one.  You’ll be surprised at what you can find by turning off the computer and heading out your door.

Your part-time work at McDonald’s can pay off in more ways than you might think. Did you know that McDonalds’s offers their own “National Employee Scholarship” to reward the accomplishments of its student employees? One outstanding student employee from each state is chosen every academic year to receive a $1,000 scholarship. And for the employee who demonstrates the highest commitment to school, work, and community service, they will receive a $5,000 scholarship called the “McScholar of the Year.”

If you have worked four continuous months at a McDonalds and work at least 15 hours a week go ahead and apply.  If your desired college is an accredited university and you plan to be working at McDonalds at the time the winner is announced, you just might be the next McScholar.

McDonalds is not the only company who offers scholarships to its student employees. Be sure to ask your employer if one exists where you work. Learn more about the McDonald’s Scholarship Program.

Are you a big beef lover?
The American Angus Association gives out a handful of scholarships each year.  The Angus Foundation Scholarship consists of two $5,000 scholarships in memory of American Angus Association’s former executive vice president, Richard “Dick” Spader.  Additionally, a number of $3,000 scholarships and $1,000 awards are given. There are a handful of additional scholarships on the Angus Scholarship website.  Several even use the same application.