College scholarships could be an important factor in financing your college expenses. A scholarship is essentially “free money” for college that doesn’t have to be paid back. Scholarships can be awarded for academic or sporting excellence, given out to those who are members of clubs or groups, or may be based on financial need.
Follow these tips when investigating potential scholarships:
- Start Early – Begin your search for scholarships early and pay special attention to deadlines.
- Search Locally – Consider the businesses and organizations in your community for scholarships. There may be fewer applicants than a national scholarship. Consider looking at the state level as well.
- Read the Requirements – Make sure that you meet the qualifications of the scholarship from the beginning. Also, be wary of scholarship scams that require money to apply.
- Check School Specific Scholarships – When researching different colleges, investigate whether there are school-specific scholarships available to you.
- Contact Lighthouse Financial – Our counselors may be able to lead you to scholarships you don’t know about, or that aren’t listed on the web.