Who is eligible? You don’t have to be poor and/or super smart to dive into this pool of free money. There are so many different scholarships available that just about everyone is eligible for something. Need-based scholarships are for people who would not be able to fund their education without help. Merit-based scholarships are for people who excel at something like academics, sports, art, underwater basket weaving, whatever. You might even be eligible for a scholarship just because of your ethnic background or where you live. Keep in mind, most scholarships are not even specific to what type of schooling you intend to pursue.
What are scholarships? Free money. That was easy, right. Before jumping to the next question, understand scholarships are FREE, as in nothing to pay back. Ever. But, why you ask? Well, some groups out there, like a company, school or a family, are generous enough to offer money to students who want to better their lives by getting an education past high school. The scholarship sponsor gets the satisfaction of knowing that they are helping the next generation. You get books or tuition or rent. This is a good thing.
When to apply? The end of your junior year or the start of your senior year in high school is a good time to start looking for scholarships. Most applications are due at least one semester before the scholarship will be used. For example, fall scholarship deadlines are in March.
Where to find scholarships? Here’s a good plan. Start with your guidance counselor and the financial aid office at your future school. From there, branch out to companies and civic organizations, like the Rotary Club. Talk to your boss, if you have a job, or you can ask your family to check if their place of employment offers special scholarships to relatives of employees. If you know what career you’re heading toward, take some time searching for organizations in that particular profession. If these don’t work, hit the online searches, which are helpful as long as there’s no charge for their service.
Why apply for scholarships? Why?! Hello, this is free money. And for some families with financial concerns, scholarships might make certain schools or even higher education in general an option they might not have considered possible.
That was the case for Roberto Fuentes. Moving from Mexico to Tampa at 15 to live with his uncle was a tough thing for Roberto, especially after the death of his mother and father. Imagine having to deal with all the pressure of high school in a completely different country from where you were born. Roberto worked hard to graduate with a 3.6 GPA. His effort earned him a Latino Scholarship Award from the University of South Florida. This money, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ybor City (in Tampa), opened doors for Roberto. “Without this scholarship, I probably could not go to college,” he says. (Roberto is part of the Successful Latino Students research. Find out more at www.coedu.usf.edu/zalaquett.
this pool of free money. There are so many different scholarships available that just about everyone is eligible for something. Need-based scholarships are for people who would not be able to fund their education without help. Merit-based scholarships are for people who excel at something like academics, sports, art, underwater basket weaving, whatever. You might even be eligible for a scholarship just because of your ethnic background or where you live. Keep in mind, most scholarships are not even specific to what type of schooling you intend to pursue.
branch out to companies and civic organizations, like the Rotary Club. Talk to your boss, if you have a job, or you can ask your family to check if their place of employment offers special scholarships to relatives of employees. If you know what career you’re heading toward, take some time searching for organizations in that particular profession. If these don’t work, hit the online searches, which are helpful as long as there’s no charge for their service.
mother and father. Imagine having to deal with all the pressure of high school in a completely different country from where you were born. Roberto worked hard to graduate with a 3.6 GPA. His effort earned him a Latino Scholarship Award from the University of South Florida. This money, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ybor City (in Tampa), opened doors for Roberto. “Without this scholarship, I probably could not go to college,” he says. (Roberto is part of the Successful Latino Students research. Find out more at 
