Don't Miss Deadlines

Each scholarship deadline differs. Pay close attention to and adhere to all deadlines and information requirements and find out this information as early as possible. If you miss a deadline, your application can be disqualified, regardless of your reason.

Scholarship Tips

• Don’t underestimate your ability to qualify for a scholarship. The only way you definitely won’t get one is if you don’t apply!

• Apply for any scholarships you feel you are a good match for, regardless of the award size. It is totally worth it to spend a few hours working on an essay or two for free money. Even $500 can go a long way towards making college more affordable.

• Apply for one-time scholarships as well as annual scholarships.

• Apply for local scholarships like Rotary, local bank, Chamber of Commerce, etc. There is a much better chance of getting these scholarships, even though they may be for less money because less people apply for them.

• Ask your high school counselor which scholarships their prior students have won (or even just applied for) in the past.

• Make deadlines. Even scholarship applications should have deadlines that you and your mentor create to stay on track.

• Read through prior winning applications, if they are available.

• Do background research (minimal) on the organization that is offering the scholarship – what values, experiences do they value? Look for keywords that appear multiple times and emphasize those themes in your writing.

Organize a list however you'd like that includes:

• Name of the scholarships you're interested in applying to

• Deadline to apply

• How much $ is being offered

• Websites

• Anything else you need to know (essay requirement, etc.)

Here's an example of one way to organize:

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