How
to Find Scholarships on the Internet
Learn
About Scholarship Basics: Free Money For College
Scholarship
Essays.
Scholarship
Myths...Debunked
Types
of Financial Aid.
Distance
Learning Scholarships
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Distance Learning Scholarships
Are
you a distinguished scholar? A single mother? A former cheerleader?
Ambadextrious? A red-headed athiest? If so, there just may be a
scholarship waiting for you to claim. Scholarships can be a great way
to fund your education. Many schools, clubs, and organizations offer
scholarships based on a number of greatly varying factors. Some
organizations require that recipients demonstrate academic potential or
achievement, while others are simply looking for someone to fill
specific qualifications, such as the place you were born, your native
language, particular talents, and club or relgious affliation. A number
of scholarships are avaliable for distance learners. So, whether you've
written the poem of the century or are a twin from the Southern states,
take a look at the three types of scholarship opportunities avaliable
to you.
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Individual
School Scholarships
Several
distance learning schools have begun to offer limited
scholarships to their students. These scholarships are
generally based
on academic achievement or potential for success. Some
schools offer
all-inclusive scholarships which cover the full cost of
tuition, books,
fees, and basic living expenses. However, most scholarships
are partial
and are meant
to be a supplement to your finances. Each school has
different
policies and scholarships. If your online school is
related
to a physical university, you may be eligible to apply to the
scholarships of the affiliated university. Check with your
schools'
financial aid department or counseling office to get up to
date
information about what money may be avaliable
to you. But, be
sure to
check early; |
many scholarships are only offered
once a year and you may
need time to prepare matierals before the deadline.
Organizational
Scholarships
Many organizations offer scholarships to students who they deem worthy.
Qualifications are not always based in academiecs; you may be surprised
what talents and attributes people are willing to award you for. If you
belong to a youth orgnanization or club, such as the Boy Scouts or Girl
Scouts, there are many scholarships avaliable. You may be able to score
a scholarship based on your athletic ablility, music talent, or writing
skills.
Extracurriclular activities, such as volunteering, always look
good on an application. There are scholarships for twins, former high
school cheerleaders, overweight feminists, and people who had
exceptionally difficult childhoods. Look for organizations that will
honor your acomplishments or your quirks.
One of the best places to
look for scholarships is Scholarship
Experts.com.
This free scholarship search engine begins by asking you a series of
detailed questions about yourself, and then offers information about
scholarships that are individually suited to you. In all, it provides
information about over 600,000 scholarships and $1,000,000,000 in
funding.
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Contest
Scholarships
Another
way you can get money for college is by entering one of the
many contests avalible. Many companies and clubs hold
contests with
cash rewards for student winners. The majority of contests
focus around
writing, although in some cases the content of the writing is
weighted
more than the presentation.
All-Ink
,
a printer supply company, offers $10,000 in
scholarship awards each
year for essay responses. Applicants must be U.S. citizens
and have a
2.5 gpa. The Writer's of the
Future Contest
gives amateur writers the chance to win cash awards for their
fictional
writing. The sponsoring organization awards three prizes, of
up to
$1,000 each, every year. The Ayn Rand Institute
offers a $5,000 first place
award for the |
winning essay. The only
personal qualification is that entrants be full-time college students;
there is no minimum gpa. There are dozens of contests such as these
avaliable to students every year.
To find a contest that suits your
skills, put "scholarship contest" in to any search engine and sift
through the sites, or log on to FastWeb and check "writing" as one of
your interests in your profile.
Before you go to the trouble of writing
for a contest, make sure the sponsoring organization is legitimate and
will offer you the award without unreasonable obligation. Most
reputable organizations will offer a phone number and address on their
website. Avoid contests that require an application fee or will charge
you for "publishing" your writing. If there is to be any money
exchanging hands, it should be coming your way.
Now What?
Once
you've found a scholarship opportunity that fits you, make the most of
your chance at recieving the award. Start the application proccess
early since gathering materials often takes more time than people
anticipate. Also, be sure to have a professor or other qualified
individual look over your application and any writing you have done for
it. They may catch costly mistakes that could have kept you from your
award. If you aren't offered the first scholarship you apply for, don't
give up. Keep applying to different organizations as your writing
skills and qualifications improve. Applying for scholarships takes time
and effort, but they are well worth the investment.