By tamaraIf you won $3,000, you could rent a 500 square foot apartment in New York City’s East Village for one month or purchase a Samsung Smart 3D television. There are also a ton of gastric wonders you could afford, such as the world’s biggest hamburger ($2,000) or a white truffle and 24-carat gold pizza ($2,400), which (by the time you add drinks, tax and tip) could easily consume your entire winnings. If pets are your pride and joy, you could spoil your pooch or kitty with a 22-carat gold thread mattress (crazy!). Personally, I would probably use the money to go see my favorite football team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, play against the San Francisco 49ers in London this fall, but that’s only because I no longer have a college tuition bill to pay. Although $3,000 might buy some lavish gifts or trinkets, those items won’t last forever. Your college education, on the other hand, will provide you with skills and experience that you can use for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, the cost of a college education keeps rising and it’s often just a few thousand dollars that prevents someone from attending his/her dream school or enrolling in a college, at all. If you won $3,000 for college, just imagine what you could use it to buy. You could cover your books for at least six semesters or possibly cover your housing fees for a year (probably a triple or quad). You could also use the money to purchase a meal plan for several semesters or use it for a study abroad trip. There are so many possibilities! If you could use $3,000 for college this fall, check out the April scholarship, All About Education, offered by ScholarshipExperts.com. Any U.S. student, 13 years or older, may enter by submitting a short essay (250 words or less) explaining how $3,000 would change his/her life. Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. EST April 30, 2013, so don’t wait too long to enter. Oh, and here’s a good tip: don’t write about how you’re broke and can’t afford your tuition; the scholarship committee already knows that and will be looking for essays that explain how the money will make an impact on your life, so no begging! Be creative and have some fun with it. Good luck!