| Although it may not make sense if you look at the | | | | graduate, and offer very low interest rates. But then |
| economic state of the country today, college | | | | again, they still need to be repaid, whereas a real |
| scholarships are out there and they are plentiful. The | | | | college scholarship does not need to be repaid. |
| biggest decision is not which one to apply for, but in | | | | Some people think that college scholarships are only |
| finding enough hours in the day to apply for as many | | | | for those students who meet a very narrow criteria, |
| as you can and get them in the mail before the | | | | such as a star football jock or a musical genius. While |
| application deadlines. | | | | this may have been the case at one point in time, |
| At the bottom line, college scholarships are a financial | | | | this is no longer the case. In fact, most scholarships |
| instrument that allows you to attend college and | | | | require only that you apply for them, and many of |
| have part of all of your expenses paid for by the | | | | them do not even have a requirement that you |
| scholarship. This might be a discounted tuition rate, full | | | | demonstrate a financial need for it. |
| tuition reimbursement, it may include books and lab | | | | Is this fair? In my opinion, it is very fair. A student |
| fees, and it may also include housing expenses. When | | | | who shows the drive and initiative to go searching |
| you look at the total cost of attending college over 4 | | | | for college scholarships that he or she can apply for |
| years (assuming you can even DO it in 4 years), the | | | | is much more worthy of receiving that scholarship |
| cost of college is a very respectable four-digit | | | | when compared to the student who will not lift a |
| number, perhaps even five figures. Having a | | | | finger to do even some basic research into it. The |
| scholarship to defray part of all of that cost can | | | | college admissions office is full of applications from |
| mean the difference between going to a community | | | | students whose primary job was to lick the stamp |
| college versus a brand name college, or even worse, | | | | that went on the envelope, but the rewards of a |
| the difference between attending college and not | | | | college scholarship should go to those who |
| attending college at all. | | | | demonstrate the want, need, and desire to attend |
| The difference between a college scholarship and | | | | college, and have some understanding of the financial |
| financial aid is one very minor point, but an incredibly | | | | burden that such a goal comes with, and are willing to |
| important point: a college scholarship does not need | | | | do their part to find a solution. |
| to be repaid after you graduate from college, | | | | The bottom line is that scholarships are available, and |
| whereas financial aid like a student loan does need to | | | | many even go unawarded each year because |
| be repaid. To avoid having you worry about the loan | | | | nobody applied for them. Find as many college |
| while you are sweating out the courses, most | | | | scholarship applications as you can, then sharpen your |
| student loans do not become payable until after you | | | | pencil and get to work! |