Sometimes, it seems like you have no free time. Activities such as school, studying, work, sports, and volunteering bite out hours of each day. Given that, is it worthwhile to search for college scholarships and apply for them? In a nutshell: Yes, it is. This article explains.
You Qualify for More Than You Think
One reason that applying may seem like a waste of time: There do not seem to be a lot of scholarships you qualify for and surely there must be tons of applicants for each. Hence, your chances of actually getting one are very low.
That is not the reality. Scholarships for college students are pretty much everywhere, although tenacity is occasionally needed to find them all. Here are good places to look.
- Online search and application platforms that match students to thousands of scholarships and grants (with email alerts as more become available)
- Local and school libraries
- Your high school
- Your prospective college’s financial aid office
- Your college major’s department
- Parents’ and students’ workplaces
- Nonprofit organizations
- Various groups for people with specific disabilities, including mental, physical and emotional
- Diversity groups offering scholarships based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or other factors
- Local businesses, civic groups, foundations, and religious organizations
- Companies promoting specific talents
- Pageants
- Athletic programs
- State higher education boards and commissions
Scholarship types include merit, acting, atheist, anti-bullying, athletic, cancer, disability, distance learning, green, adult students, single parents, STEM, and much more.
Many of these scholarships have far fewer applicants than you might think. Sure, the bigger, splashier ones can get their share of applicants.
However, the smaller ones at, say, your high school, your college history department, a local nonprofit, or your parents’ workplace often get just a handful of applications, if that. Sometimes, they do not even get applicants, and the groups must push people to apply.
These scholarships may range from $500 to $1,000, which does not seem like much. The amounts can add up quickly, though. Say you spend five hours one weekend applying for several scholarships and end up with $1,000. You have basically earned $200 an hour.
You might better spend your time applying for smaller amounts versus the more competitive larger amounts. All in all, more than $7.4 billion in private scholarship money is available annually. Some of that could be yours.
Free Search and Apply Scholarship Programs Can Do Quite a Bit
Scholarship search databases can be sophisticated (not all are, of course). Fortunately, more of these programs are now able to find local, less competitive scholarships. They have form autofill tools so you do not have to re-enter the same information constantly. Bundled scholarships also mean you can apply for many opportunities at once. You can search and apply from your phone or computer desktop.
Many Scholarships Do Not Require Essays
It is true that people tend to associate college scholarship applications with writing essays, and essay writing certainly takes time. If art, videos, or music are more your forte, plenty of scholarships accept them instead of or in lieu of essays.
A good number of scholarships, though, do not require essays, videos, music, art, or anything that takes significant time. You can find them quickly through scholarship search sites and by talking with your high school or college’s financial aid/higher education people.
No-essay scholarships may instead ask that you stay in a certain area for a specific period of time after graduating and work in a certain niche or submit an application with a resume or short paragraph.
One note of caution: Because they do not require essays, no-essay scholarships can be more competitive than average. Some scholarships are decided randomly based on sweepstakes drawings or surveys. Be careful which you enter because a few are scams.
You Can Reuse Essay Material Where Possible
Scholarship applications tend to ask for the same general things, and it’s possible you can reuse the same essay for multiple submissions with a few tweaks. Focus on the details most relevant to the scholarship you are applying for.
Try to personalize a little something for each so nothing comes across as cookie-cutter. For example, it is a great idea to learn something about the organization sponsoring the scholarship. What are its goals and mission? If previous winning essays are online, read them to get an idea of what works.
Organizational Tools Help You Save Time
Online search and apply scholarship databases offer built-in organization that saves you time. Other tips include starting early when more scholarships are available and using a spreadsheet or similar tool to track deadlines, amounts, scholarship requirements, and when you applied. The upfront work you put into tracking pays off when you’re scrambling down the road to remember X or if you did Y or Z.
Be careful to follow instructions. Even using the wrong font for an essay can squander your chances. If you properly do what’s outlined, then you maximize your time.
Applying for college scholarships can take time, but search and application platforms streamline the process. Also, look for smaller scholarships in your community. They have fewer applicants, and your chances of winning are much higher.
