Easy Scholarships

No Easy Scholarships: Just Easier

There is no scholarship where students can simply turn in their name and be handed a check, but there are many scholarships that are easier to win than students think. Not all college scholarships, for example, require outstanding grades, strong athletic ability, lengthy essays, or high test scores. Students who are willing to take the time to research the appropriate scholarships for their interests and who will diligently apply to those awards may find themselves winning more scholarships than they ever thought possible.

Types of Awards

Some types of scholarships are easier to win than others. The best clues for these easy scholarships include:

• Award Amount: Every student wants to win a $10,000 scholarship, but the competition for those big checks can be fierce. On the other hand, smaller scholarships that range from $100 to $2,000 often have fewer applicants and can be easier for qualified students to win.
• Small Applicant Pools: The less competition there is for a scholarship, the easier it may be to win. Students should look for very specific awards to help narrow down the competition. Scholarships are available for students who skateboard, couples who fashion prom attire from duct tape, specific minority groups, unique sports, and simply for students who meet a minimum height requirement as well as many other unusual scholarships.
• Local Awards: Scholarships that are awarded from local businesses, churches, and organizations will be more willing to offer assistance to local students. Some of the finest awards may be available in a student’s home town, where they automatically have a local edge for winning the scholarship.

Preparing for Scholarships

A well prepared student will find it easier to win scholarships. To prepare for scholarship applications, students should:

• Take challenging classes that will look better on a transcript than general courses.
• Improve their grade point average (GPA) and study to get high test scores on the ACT and SAT.
• Volunteer in the community – not just for school – regularly and record those volunteer hours.
• Seek leadership positions within extracurricular activities and community volunteer efforts.
• Investigate an after school or summer job, particularly if it relates to a college major or personal hobby.
• Develop personal hobbies through study courses, local competitions, and other noteworthy activities.

These types of activities can help students create a winning application.

Applying for Scholarships

Even the best prepared students may not find any easy scholarships if they do not apply for the awards properly. The scholarship application may be the award committee’s only way to get to know different candidates, and the application should stand out as worthy and appropriate.

To make your scholarship application exceptional:

• Complete the application well before any deadlines; this shows initiative and organization.
• Complete the application fully, including references, letters of recommendation, school transcripts, test scores, and any other requested information.
• Double check the application and essay to ensure there are no grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. Ask friends or family members to read over the application and offer constructive criticism for improvement.
• Personalize the application to relate to the scholarship. An essay about a summer job at a grocery store may be well written, but it may not be suitable for a scholarship about playing sports.

Easy Places to Find Scholarships

There are hundreds of scholarship directories and resources available for students who are interested in finding free money to pay for college. Most high school counselors will have local and regional scholarship directories available. Students should also check with the financial aid offices of colleges they are interested in attending. Many parents’ employers offer scholarships, and local service organizations may have a scholarship fund – it just takes a phone call or a visit to a website to find out.

Annual scholarship directories are available in bookstores, or students can search for suitable awards online through many different free college scholarship listings, including:

Small awards add up.

• SuperCollege
• College Board
• FastWeb
• Scholarships.com
• Careers and Colleges
• College Tool Kit
• Student Scholarship Search
• EdFed
• Scholarship Experts

When searching for scholarships, check to be sure the information is updated and read the scholarship’s requirements carefully.

Easy scholarships may not be easy to find, and they do take work to apply for, but students who are prepared to find the right awards and to apply for them effectively can find plenty of easy money to help pay for college.