By tkrause Have you ever wondered how scholarship judges decide which students win scholarships and which ones are rejected? We can tell you firsthand that it’s no easy task. In some cases, thousands of eligible, deserving students may be competing for just one award. So, how does a student stand out in a crowd? It’s simple. Aside from stellar grades, test scores, and impressive extracurricular activities, it often comes down to one thing — the scholarship …
By tkrause Don’t you just hate Internet trolls? They make snide comments and start arguments just to get a rise out of people, like an annoying younger brother. But, in some cases, trolling can actually be a good thing. Maybe not in the common use of the word, but in the more literal sense — as in fishing for something, like scholarships! Just like fishing, searching for scholarships takes patience and the right bait. You also …
You know that college is expensive, right? So, why haven’t you started applying for scholarships? Let us guess — you don’t think you’re eligible or will be able to win one. Or, maybe you think you’re all that and colleges will be throwing money at you. Thousands of students miss out on free money for college every year because they mistakenly believe some silly scholarship myths that are still floating around or they have unrealistic …
By tkrause If you’ve ever applied for a scholarship, you know that it can be frustrating trying to figure out what the scholarship committee is looking for in an application. There’s really no easy answer since every scholarship program has its own secret method of determining who gets the cash. Sometimes, it’s based solely on your academic record. Sometimes, it all hinges on your scholarship essay. And then, there are those programs that look at everything, …
By tkrause We’ve all seen those weird scholarship lists floating around the Internet. They always seem to include a scholarship for left-handed students (but if you don’t attend Juniata College, you’re out of luck), the duck calling scholarship (for all those Duck Dynasty fanatics), and the always-popular Stuck at Prom Scholarship (who knew Duck Tape® could be so fashionable?). #yawn. These scholarships have been used so much that they’re hardly even considered “weird” anymore. But, don’t despair. We’ve found …
By Tamara Krause If you’re a high school senior or plan to enroll in college for the first time, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (otherwise known as the FAFSA) should be on your radar. This single application can unlock the door not only to federal financial aid, such as Pell Grants and low-interest student loans, but also to institutional financial aid (yup, like those fat scholarships!). But, a few tiny snafus can put the brakes on any …
By Tamara Krause You probably took French, Spanish, or some other foreign language in high school, right? But, what they really should’ve offered was a course on how to speak financial aid. With all those acronyms and terms about financial aid being tossed around, you might as well be reading hieroglyphs. Even some of the “normal” words can be a bit confusing. But, don’t worry. We’re here to give you a crash course in how to speak …
With budgets slashed, many colleges are taking measures that will effectively make the admissions process even more selective, so if you’re applying to college, we suggest you look into the financial situation of each of your target schools and reassess your list before sending those applications off.