The modern cost of going to college is expensive. Whether you go in-state or out, college will be a massive financial factor in your life. However, there are helpful ways to offset those costs.
Scholarships are a great way to alleviate some, or even all, of the costs of going to college. There are thousands of scholarships out there ranging from $100 to greater than $100,000. You may not know where all those scholarships are, so you have to find the right places to look.
To start your search for scholarship opportunities, look to your college or university’s scholarship office. Simple enough, right? The college or university you have been accepted into will have a whole office that is dedicated to helping students, especially those out-of-state students that take on massive bills to come to school. The offices at your school will have plenty of opportunities and specific scholarship checklists that you can compare your grades and tests scores with to see if you qualify. These scholarships do have strict deadlines, so be sure to watch those and apply as early as you can to make sure you get the opportunity to be considered.
There are also tons and tons of websites that compile all sorts of scholarships for you to peruse. Fastweb.com, Mos.com and Goingmerry.com are just a couple of the slew of different sites that can match you to scholarship opportunities. There are billions of dollars just sitting out there for you to take, and most of them go unused. By simply applying, even if it seems like a long shot, you stand a decent chance to be considered. Many of these scholarships do not even require a written essay or recommendation, just a resume or transcript. If you have a free half hour or so, apply for some scholarships. You never know what might come of it.
Local businesses are another great way to find scholarship opportunities. Many large companies, like banks, have scholarships to apply for that people simply don’t know about. A lot of these scholarships go largely unadvertised, so it is on the student to go out and find them. In a place like Jacksonville, there is no shortage of companies that might be offering scholarships.
The initial thought of paying for college is daunting, but that cost can be offset. There are scholarships out there, in place you may never have thought of. So go out, apply and you may be surprised at just how many you qualify for.