How to Find Money for College

You need to find money to pay for college.The money is out there and you are going to find it.
It will take a treasury of money to pay for college. Follow these steps as if you are on a treasure hunt.You deserve to find the money you need for college.

Things You'll Need

• FAFSA form
• Internet
• Your information

Instructions

1. Fill out and submit your FAFSA, Free Application for Student Aid. Fill out and submit your FAFSA, Free Application for Student Aid
   http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

2. Check with your high school guidance office. They may very well have someone there who can help you and your family complete and submit this essential form.

3. Contact the financial aid offices at the colleges of your choice. Ask them for a list of available scholarships. You will be applyig for he ones that seem to match you.

4. Now, do some brainstorming:
   1. Your strongest traits. Identify them. Which traits will make you stand out?
   2. How can you sell yourself? Do any of your traits show initiative or leadership. Your achievements are definitely important , but are there ways to demonstrate your strengths beyond the obvious, so that judges can see the depth of what is YOU.
   3. Come up with some aspect of your life to highlight and then elaborate, or tell more, about that aspect. This will shed light on who you are.
   4. Never pay for scholarship information.

5. Now, Develop Your Plan- Think of it as a strategy game. Design a plan for how YOU are going to locate, apply for, and WIN scholarship money.
   Be thinking about the tougher questions. What are your academic and career plans? What do you see yourself doing extracurricularly?As you think about these, you may uncover some characteristics that widen the kinds of scholarships you can apply for. Yes, this takes time. But this search, this strategy game, has a payoff. College money! Yes!

6. In your systematic search for college money, think of a radar screen. Begin in the center and move outward to the edges! That will be your progression in your search to uncover money for college.
   1 Strategy begins at home.
   Part of your plan to win this strategy game is to begin close to home and then move outward on the radar screen, in increments out to the farthest reaches. So, beginning at home, so to speak, start with your high school guidance office. Your counselor has information about scholarships for students graduating from your high school and within your city or town, county, and state.
   2. In your own backyard. Well. A little beyond civic groups. Lions Club, Rotary Club, .
   Look out for the pennies.. small scholarships a few hundred dollars from multiple places can add up to thousands of dollars.
   3.You did fill out that FAFSA, right? Yes, of course you did. You know how important that is. already.
   4. When was the last time you went to the public library? Hmm. That's what I thought. Go! You may be amazed at the current books they could have about financial aid, including scholarship guides such as the College Board's Scholarship Handbook. Stay alert! Your public library may also have information on local scholarships

7. Check these additional areas:

   1)Often, large companies offer scholarships or tuition programs for children of their employees. The personnel or human resources department at your parent's work may have some leads. Follow them.
   2)Have YOU had a job? The company you have worked for...Chick Filet, Men's Wearhouse, Marriott, etc. may have awards and scholarships for their student workers, for YOU. Maybe you work part-time for the YMCA. They may have scholarships. Don't miss a clue!
   3).Contact Your State Department of Higher Education
   Most states have scholarship programs for residents to attend their in-state colleges and universities. Keep your eyes open.

   Just like in a strategy game, while you are checking out the state information, there may be another clue dropped along the trail somewhere. Don't miss it!
   4) Start looking at large national scholarships such as Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), National Merit, Procter & Gamble, Gates Millennium Scholars, Seaspace, NIKE.

8. Have a career or major in mind? Contact the professional organizations in that career area: tourism, hospitality, speech and language, law, fitness, etc. Find the particular professional organizations and see if they offer money.

9. Organizations of all sizes and interests sponsor scholarships. Part of your strategy is to uncover everything. The very source you overlook might be the one you could have gotten.

   Going back to your traits , interests, and your connections. Yes, you have connections. Remember the strategy! Dig deep for community service, fraternal,religious, military, union, and professional. How about your parents? Grandparents?

10. Develop your strategy and use that plan, tightening it up as you go. Your college money is out there and you are the one to find it.

Tips & Warnings

• Have a plan for when you are going to work on your search for college money. Put yourself on a schedule to work for a set period of time on specific days. Otherwise, the time will fly by and you will miss the time frame to apply for scholarships and other financial aid.

• Use help available through your high school guidance office.

• Do not pay for scholarship information

• Beware of scams