By tamaraWhether you are a high school student, graduating senior or a current college student, chances are the price of a college education is weighing heavily on your mind. We’ve all seen the headlines about rising tuition fees and the staggering amount of student loan debt that most students accumulate, so it’s easy to understand why it’s more important than ever to find (and win!) scholarships. Although many programs had deadlines earlier in the year, there are still plenty of others just waiting to be won. Now is a great time to weed out those programs that may be perfect for you and start planting some ‘scholarship seeds’ that will hopefully blossom over the next few months, rewarding you with free money this fall. If you are looking for some money for college, here are a few scholarships with May deadlines that could shower you with some well-deserved cash. 1. Ayn Rand – We The Living Essay Contest Amount: $25 to $3,000 Number of Awards: 116 Deadline: May 6 Eligibility: High school students in grades 10 through 12 2. Samsung High School Student Scholarship Program Amount: $1,000 Number of Awards: 5 Deadline: May 15 Eligibility: High school students 3. Ray Semko-The D*I*C*E* Man Scholarship Amount: $1,000 Number of Awards: 1 Deadline: May 15 Eligibility: Undergraduate students who are in a security field 4. New England Graphic Arts Scholarship Amount: $2,500 Number of Awards: 10 Deadline: May 15 Eligibility: High school seniors and undergraduate students 5. Matters of Life and Death Scholarship Writing Contest Amount: $250 to $1,000 Number of Awards: 3 Deadline: May 15 Eligibility: California high school juniors and seniors 6. Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest Amount: $250 to $1,000 Number of Awards: 3 Deadline: May 15 Eligibility: High school students and older 7. National Collegiate Cancer Foundation Scholarship Amount: $1,000 Number of Awards: Varies Deadline: May 15 Eligibility: Undergraduate/graduate students who are cancer survivors 8. Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition Amount: $1,000 Number of Awards: 1 Deadline: May 20 Eligibility: Current law students 9. I’m First Scholarship Amount: $2,000 Number of Awards: 10 Deadline: May 24 Eligibility: High school seniors who are first-generation college students 10. Fifth Month Scholarship Amount: $1,500 Number of Awards: 1 Deadline: May 31 Eligibility: U.S. students who are 13 years or older The school year may be ending soon, but that doesn’t mean you should stop searching for scholarships. Be sure to schedule time each month during the summer to work on applications and look for new programs. Register for a free account with several online scholarship search services and keep applying until you complete your degree. If you tend to your ‘scholarship garden’ on a regular basis, you’ll be more likely to reap the rewards year-round.