By tamaraIt’s a myth that only high school seniors can apply for college scholarships. In fact, waiting until the last year of high school may actually lower your chances of winning scholarships. Think about it. You’ll be stressed out enough keeping up your grades, taking or retaking college entrance exams, and let’s not forget all those college applications and essays you’ll need to write. Finding time to squeeze in scholarship applications can take a toll on you and if you procrastinate, you could find yourself having to discard a college acceptance letter (or more) simply because you could not secure enough scholarships to help cover the costs of attendance. Wouldn’t it be nice to start senior year knowing you had a fat, scholarship nest egg available to you? It sure would, so I’ve compiled a list of 10 scholarships that are open to all high school students. Here’s the best part; you don’t have to apply to them all at once because there’s at least one award for every month this fall. 1. Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship If you enjoy writing, check out this $1,000 scholarship. No matter what you plan to study in college, you’re eligible to apply! Deadline: July 31. 2. A GPA Isn’t Everything You don’t have to have a stellar grade point average to win scholarships and here’s one to prove it! One lucky winner will receive $1,000. Come back every month for another chance to win. Next deadline: July 31. 3. Poetry Slam Scholarship If you love poetry, here’s your chance to put your creativity to good use. Submit a poem of any length and style for a chance to win $1,000. Deadline: August 15. 4. Make Me Laugh Scholarship Do you have a funny story to share or an embarrassing moment to relive? It could be worth $1,500. Just make the scholarship committee laugh out loud and the prize could be yours! Deadline: August 31. 5. Siemens Competition for Math, Science and Technology Who wants some serious money? Work as a team, or enter as an individual, for your chance to win one of several scholarships valued between $1,000 and $100,000. As Honey Boo Boo would say, ‘A dollar makes me hollar’ – and that’s a lot of dollars! Deadline: September 30. 6. The Christopher Reeve Award Have you participated in a volunteer project that had an impact on your school or community? Do you demonstrate compassion and courage through service to others? If so, you need to check out this $1,000 award. Deadline: October 31. 7. Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship Are you a huge fan of The Walking Dead? Do you believe that zombies will eventually roam the Earth? If so, submit your plan of attack (or retreat) for a chance to win $1,500. Deadline: October 31. 8. Voice of Democracy Scholarship Program Each year, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) hosts an essay contest for high school students. Simply submit your response to this year’s theme and you could win up to $30,000 for college. Deadline: November 1. 9. Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarships Many children go hungry in the U.S. every day. If you volunteer for your local food bank or have participated in other services that help fight hunger in your community, you could be eligible to win a $5,000 college scholarship, as well as a $5,000 grant for your community. Deadline: December 5. 10. Good Deeds Scholarship Maybe you haven’t had the chance to volunteer yet, but you want to help others. If that’s the case, this $1,000 scholarship is perfect for you. Just submit a short essay explaining how you plan to make an impact in your community and you just might win. Deadline: December 31. If you played around all summer and put off your college planning tasks, now’s the time to dive in and start applying. Use a free scholarship search tool, like ScholarshipExperts.com, to locate additional scholarships and grants that are open to high school students, and be sure to check back often. New scholarships are being created all the time, so you never know what may be waiting for you. When it comes to college financial aid, it’s never too early to start planning for your future.