Average college tuition and fees range from $8,655 to $29,056* per year but you don’t have to wait until your senior year to start earning money for college!
GET MONEY FOR COLLEGE WHILE YOU’RE IN HIGH SCHOOL
While most scholarships and financial aid will come from the college you attend you can get a head start on paying for college now. In addition to scholarships there are a number of essay and video contests that you can enter while still in high school. Starting your search for scholarships essay contests and video contests early—even before your sophomore or junior year begins—is essential so you don’t miss out on excellent opportunities (and deadlines!).
APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS BEFORE SENIOR YEAR
Scholarships provide college money that you don’t have to pay back. Your sophomore and junior years are perfect times to begin looking and preparing for merit-based scholarships—scholarships based on your academic artistic or other abilities and your extracurricular activities leadership roles and community service says Amber Stenbeck William, Peace University’s Vice President for Enrollment.
Local and community foundations professional organizations for your major ethnic organizations nonprofit organizations and corporations all offer scholarships.
“I once helped a student apply for a scholarship where the criterion was for people who were less than 5 feet tall. Don’t ever think there are not any scholarships out there for you because there are. You just have to find the right ones,” Stenbeck says.
To find scholarships start by asking everyone you know including teachers and high school guidance counselors.
“I encourage students to tell friends and family members that they intend to go to college and make a point of asking them if they are aware of any scholarships,” says Maura Flaschner Iowa State University’s Associate Director of undergraduate recruitment. If you have a part-time job or participate in any organizations through your school or community ask if they offer scholarships or other awards Flaschner adds.
Additionally Google the term scholarship foundations and your city or state to find local or community scholarships. For example a search for scholarship foundations Milwaukee gets results for scholarships offered by the Mexican Fiesta summer festival a Milwaukee remodeling association and a local Irish heritage club.
You’ll also want to learn the name of the national or regional professional associations related to your preferred fields of study. Find out the association names by asking a professor or admission counselor or by doing a Web search for the academic major and association scholarships such as dietetic association scholarships or engineering association scholarships.
Many corporations offer scholarships—some to any student and some only to employees and their children. Have your parents ask their employers about scholarships and search the Internet for large companies in your city or state to see if they offer any.
Try searching for scholarships online at these sites too: Scholarships.com; StudentScholarships.org and Fastweb.com. Many of these sites periodically offer $1,000 scholarships to new students who register with the site or meet other requirements.
New scholarships become available all the time so Stenbeck advises that you search online regularly and take advantage of social media by following scholarship-related Twitter feeds such as @scholarshipscom; @ScholAmerica; @USNewsEducation and @scholarshipsusa.
Scholarships have deadlines throughout the year—some as early as September so be sure to mark them on your calendar.
Here are a few examples of scholarships that sophomores or juniors can apply for:
• Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation (www.cksf.org): Compete with other high school students in grades nine through 12 in online quizzes about general “common knowledge” items specific academic subjects books websites or movies to win scholarships from $250 to $2,500.
• The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards (http://spirit.prudential.com): This program annually recognizes high school students for volunteer community service activities. State award winners receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. and $1,000. National award winners receive an additional $5,000. The application process begins in September and involves a local state and national competition.
• Scout of the Year (www.vfw.org/Community/Scout-of-the-Year-Scholarship): The Veterans of Foreign Wars annually awards three scholarships for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts age 15 or older who have received their scouting organization’s top rank. Awards range from $1,000 to $5,000. Applications go through a local competition before qualifying for the national competition.
WRITE FOR COLLEGE MONEY
Essay contests are another way to earn money for college during your sophomore or junior year. Although 1,000 words may seem like a lot to write your time will have been worth it if you win!
To find essay contests ask your teachers about upcoming opportunities and search for contests on the same websites you search for scholarships. You also can do an Internet search for high school essay contests to find national and local contests.
National competitions often require local or state competitions prior to advancing to the national level so look for these opportunities early in your sophomore or junior year in order to meet the deadlines.
Examples of annual essay contests open to ninth- through 12th-graders include:
• Delete Cyberbullying (www.deletecyberbullying.org/scholarship): High school students of all ages can compete in this $1,500 essay contest that requires a 500-word essay addressing a cyberbullying issue or how cyberbullying has personally affected you.
• EGirl Essay Contest (www.engineergirl.org/10209.aspx): The National Academy of Engineering’s EngineerGirl website offers an essay contest on an engineering topic for girls and boys. Awards range from $100 to $500. Winning entries are published online.
• JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest (www.jfklibrary.org/Education/Profile-in-Courage-Essay-Contest.aspx): Write an essay on a U.S. elected official “who has chosen to do what is right rather than what is expedient.” The winner gets $100 second place gets $1,000 and up to five finalists receive $500 each.
• National Peace Essay Contest (www.usip.org/npec): The U.S. Institute of Peace offers this contest. First-place state winners receive a trip to Washington D.C. and a $1,000 scholarship. National award winners receive $2,500 to $10,000.
• Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (www.artandwriting.org): Apply in one of 28 categories to earn a scholarship and have your artwork exhibited or writing published. Awards range from $500 to $2,500. Submissions for 2014 are accepted beginning in September 2013.
CREATE A VIDEO SENSATION
Video contests are similar to essay contests except that you create a video instead of writing an essay. Large corporations and other organizations offer these types of contests. Organizations determine the topic or subject for the contest and then you get to be creative and have fun while trying to earn prize money.
To find video contests ask your teachers about upcoming opportunities and search for contests on the same websites you search for scholarships. You can also search high school video contests to find national contests. Add your state name to the search to find local contests.
As with essay contests and scholarships video contest deadlines begin as early as September.
Here are a few annual video contests and their criteria:
• Bridgestone’s Teens Drive Smart (www.teensdrivesmart.com): Show other teens how to be safer behind the wheel. Prizes range from $10,000 to $25,000.
• First Freedom Center Student Competition (www.firstfreedom.org/education/students.html): Explore the history and current-day relevance of religious freedom and then create a video about it. Top prize is $2,500. The contest is open to ninth- through 12th-graders.
• C-SPAN StudentCam (www.studentcam.org): C-SPAN offers a national student documentary contest about issues that affect our communities and nation. The contest is open to students in grades nine through 12. Awards range from $250 to $5,000. Winning videos may air on a C-SPAN network.
NEXT STEPS FOR FINDING COLLEGE MONEY NOW
If making videos or writing essays doesn’t excite you look for other contests that match your interests. For example if you enjoy art search for art contests for high students. If you enjoy science look for science fairs and competitions such as the Intel Science Talent Search (www.societyforscience.org/STS). Look for contests at the city state and national levels. Good luck!
*Source: College Board Trends in College Pricing 2012
Dana McCullough is a writer and editor based in Milwaukee Wis.
Financial Aid FYI
In addition to scholarships you can get money to help pay for college through loans and grants. Loans provide you money to attend college but must be repaid with interest after you leave college or complete your degree. Grants are gift aid that you do not need to repay. To be eligible for local state or federal grants and loans you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA; www.fafsa.gov) each year starting during your senior year of high school.
Filing the FAFSA is important for scholarships too because most colleges use this information to determine scholarship awards based on academic performance and financial need.
“Many schools have an institutional priority date of March 1 for filing FAFSA” says Maura Flaschner Iowa State University’s associate director of undergraduate recruitment. “This means that students who complete their FAFSA before March 1 may get more money or aid than students who file after the March 1 date.”
It’s important to note that some states colleges and other sources have even earlier deadlines and/or award aid until it’s depleted. To maximize the amount of potential aid you should file the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1. When it comes to financial aid “the early bird gets the worm” is a truism in many cases.
Filing the FAFSA is free and it’s important even if you don’t get aid right away Flaschner adds. If your family situation changes or a crisis occurs mid-year—one of your parents loses his or her job for example—your school may be able to help you financially if the information is on file.
