4 answers
Madison
Student
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
1
Question
Asked
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I'm really anxious about paying for school without landing into a lot of debt. So far I have not received any scholarships or qualify for aid from the FASFA. I'm struggling to find and receive scholarships from my school and other sources. Any tips?
I'm really anxious about paying for school without landing into a lot of debt. So far I have not received any scholarships or qualify for aid from the FASFA. I'm struggling to find and receive scholarships from my school and other sources. Any tips?
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4 answers
Amanda Brown
Director of Quality and Regulatory
4
Answers
Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Updated
Amanda’s Answer
Hi Madison,
It's great that you are thinking about this in advance! It sounds like you have already looked a little bit into the resources your college offers. I would definitely say this is the first step. Most colleges have a web page or a counsellor you can contact to look for opportunities in this area first.
If FAFSA didn't work federally, you can also try by state:
https://www.ed.gov/contact-us/state-contacts
Another thing you can research is sometimes there are scholarships locally, or through clubs and volunteer organizations you might be a part of today. Try searching here:
https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/training/find-scholarships.aspx
Another thing i can recommend is work or see if you can get work-study while you are in college. Although its challenging to work while going to school this will definitely help you with income that you can use to put towards tuition or living expenses, and will reduce the amount of school loans you would take out.
Finally i would say if you do need to take out a school loan- i can highly recommend you put some time into researching your options for this, and try to use government related loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), vs. private loans, such as with Navient/Mohela/Sallie Mae. The private loan companies charge a lot more interest, and the interest rates can vary, which can add a lot on top of the amount you take out, and have to pay back later. Try reading more here:
https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/13/your-money/private-student-loan.html
It sounds like you are on the right track towards advancing your education while thinking about financial responsibility, which shows a lot of maturity on your part!
All the best,
Amanda
It's great that you are thinking about this in advance! It sounds like you have already looked a little bit into the resources your college offers. I would definitely say this is the first step. Most colleges have a web page or a counsellor you can contact to look for opportunities in this area first.
If FAFSA didn't work federally, you can also try by state:
https://www.ed.gov/contact-us/state-contacts
Another thing you can research is sometimes there are scholarships locally, or through clubs and volunteer organizations you might be a part of today. Try searching here:
https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/training/find-scholarships.aspx
Another thing i can recommend is work or see if you can get work-study while you are in college. Although its challenging to work while going to school this will definitely help you with income that you can use to put towards tuition or living expenses, and will reduce the amount of school loans you would take out.
Finally i would say if you do need to take out a school loan- i can highly recommend you put some time into researching your options for this, and try to use government related loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), vs. private loans, such as with Navient/Mohela/Sallie Mae. The private loan companies charge a lot more interest, and the interest rates can vary, which can add a lot on top of the amount you take out, and have to pay back later. Try reading more here:
https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/13/your-money/private-student-loan.html
It sounds like you are on the right track towards advancing your education while thinking about financial responsibility, which shows a lot of maturity on your part!
All the best,
Amanda
This is perfect information, Amanda. I was going to say the same thing. It’s takes a lot to find funding and you hit a lot of dead ends, but they’re out there. I know this sounds crazy but I started a GoGundMe in hopes of my friends and family helping me achieve my dreams. It’s a slow process but I’ve gotten some donations that are going to really help. It’s can’t hurt to try.
Evelyn
Michael Torio
Consultant - Data Reporting & Analysis (HQ Finance)
412
Answers
Alpharetta, Georgia
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Hi Madison:
There are scholarships based on need, academic performance, school activities, sports involvement, community service, etc. So, it will be to your advantage to seek out these types of scholarships. All of the academic staff at your high school that you interact with can write letters of recommendations for you based on what was just stated above. These recommendations can greatly help when filling out college and scholarship applications.
College and scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. College and scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.
You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship and gain the entry to the college of your choice, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.
Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:
https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/websites-to-kick-off-your-scholarship-search
Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications. The staff can advise you and point you in the right direction regardless what your current level of education is.
There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.
When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:
- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral
There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.
Best wishes for your education and good luck on the scholarships!
There are scholarships based on need, academic performance, school activities, sports involvement, community service, etc. So, it will be to your advantage to seek out these types of scholarships. All of the academic staff at your high school that you interact with can write letters of recommendations for you based on what was just stated above. These recommendations can greatly help when filling out college and scholarship applications.
College and scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. College and scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.
You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship and gain the entry to the college of your choice, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.
Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:
https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/websites-to-kick-off-your-scholarship-search
Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications. The staff can advise you and point you in the right direction regardless what your current level of education is.
There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.
When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:
- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral
There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.
Best wishes for your education and good luck on the scholarships!
Pat Golden-Romero
Teach Hospitality/ Culinary Arts, College Admissions
24
Answers
Santa Cruz, California
Updated
Pat’s Answer
Hi Madison, these are all really helpful resources in the previous answers.
I also graduated from UW- Stout and would consider the following: when you apply to community colleges or universities be clear in your essay or personal statement about majors & careers you are most interested in. Then apply to private scholarships : Fastweb.com or scholarships.org & include the same info about your goals/interests. Consider community colleges first for an AOS too & then transfer to a state university in Illinois - you'll get instate tuition & many states have guaranteed transfer if you have a good GPA. check with your HS -college counselor for scholarships to apply for within your community too.
good luck.
I also graduated from UW- Stout and would consider the following: when you apply to community colleges or universities be clear in your essay or personal statement about majors & careers you are most interested in. Then apply to private scholarships : Fastweb.com or scholarships.org & include the same info about your goals/interests. Consider community colleges first for an AOS too & then transfer to a state university in Illinois - you'll get instate tuition & many states have guaranteed transfer if you have a good GPA. check with your HS -college counselor for scholarships to apply for within your community too.
good luck.
Layne Buckley
Human Resources
52
Answers
Salinas, California
Updated
Layne’s Answer
Great question, Madison! I also had the challenging of taking and managing debt related to college. For scholarships, I would encourage you to look locally. Even if you are going to school outside of your home area, there are many organizations that offer financial scholarships and awards, and some don't advertise. Local organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, social organizations, religious organizations, and businesses will offer financial awards that may be based on things beyond academics. Some recognize local students that may have a certain area of interest or represent the values of a past member. For your school itself, you may want to consider work-study through the school. They are flexible offering a smaller number of hours that allow you to focus on studies while doing some work to earn money to manage your expenses. While in school, also continue to look for awards that may be specialized to your areas of interest.
Check with local organizations in your hometown
Ask your college or university about specialized scholarships or awards in your areas of interest
Consider work study through your school, which will accommodate fewer work hours so you can focus on your studies
Layne recommends the following next steps: