One of the biggest myths about searching for scholarships is that you have to pay for them. This is a problem that many people are being tricked into believing. You should never have to pay any money to a person or an organization to find scholarships for you. You should avoid anyone that tells you there is a finders fee, search fee or some type of retainer to find you a scholarship.
That said, before you begin your search for feasible and legitimate scholarship funds, you will want to create a checklist of your own. Many scholarships are offered as a prize for contest submissions, and this can be a great way of getting hold of the funding that you need for a particular major or type of schooling. If you aren't interested in competing, or have yet to find where your true strengths and talents lie, then you will want to continue your search elsewhere.
As you begin your scholarship search, there is some important information that you need to have handy, as well as some things to avoid. First of all, you will need basic personal information about yourself and that of your guardian if you are a dependent student. It is very common to be asked certain questions like your name, age, permanent address, date of birth, citizenship or alien status, income information, ethnicity, area(s) of study or interest, any organizational ties or memberships, and the like. However you should NEVER give out personal financial information. Information like your bank account number, credit card number and other financial information is not required and should be a red flag to you immediately. Stop at once and delete your account.
There are many offline places that you can turn to in your search for legitimate scholarships. Some of which include high school guidance counselor's office, potential college admission office, and even local businesses and chambers of commerce. Often times they know of small local scholarships that will be relatively easy to obtain. They may even know of some programs that are not as common knowledge so it is wise to speak to local businesses and newspapers as often as you can. Chances are, if they know about the scholarships, they will probably also know how to go about the application process. You can also ask your guidance counselor to keep you in mind should any programs come up that pertains to your area of interest.
There are free scholarship and grant search companies that you could use to your benefit, and these are usually Internet sites which find any educational funds that have been listed and compile them for you based on the criteria and information that you submit. You will still need to watch out for scams and tricks with the listings found here, because a few are bound to sneak through. Once you have compiled a good list of viable scholarships and grants, you will be ready to start the application and waiting processes.
That said, before you begin your search for feasible and legitimate scholarship funds, you will want to create a checklist of your own. Many scholarships are offered as a prize for contest submissions, and this can be a great way of getting hold of the funding that you need for a particular major or type of schooling. If you aren't interested in competing, or have yet to find where your true strengths and talents lie, then you will want to continue your search elsewhere.
As you begin your scholarship search, there is some important information that you need to have handy, as well as some things to avoid. First of all, you will need basic personal information about yourself and that of your guardian if you are a dependent student. It is very common to be asked certain questions like your name, age, permanent address, date of birth, citizenship or alien status, income information, ethnicity, area(s) of study or interest, any organizational ties or memberships, and the like. However you should NEVER give out personal financial information. Information like your bank account number, credit card number and other financial information is not required and should be a red flag to you immediately. Stop at once and delete your account.
There are many offline places that you can turn to in your search for legitimate scholarships. Some of which include high school guidance counselor's office, potential college admission office, and even local businesses and chambers of commerce. Often times they know of small local scholarships that will be relatively easy to obtain. They may even know of some programs that are not as common knowledge so it is wise to speak to local businesses and newspapers as often as you can. Chances are, if they know about the scholarships, they will probably also know how to go about the application process. You can also ask your guidance counselor to keep you in mind should any programs come up that pertains to your area of interest.
There are free scholarship and grant search companies that you could use to your benefit, and these are usually Internet sites which find any educational funds that have been listed and compile them for you based on the criteria and information that you submit. You will still need to watch out for scams and tricks with the listings found here, because a few are bound to sneak through. Once you have compiled a good list of viable scholarships and grants, you will be ready to start the application and waiting processes.
About the Author:
Brandon Hansen is a scholarship search expert. For more great information on finding the right scholarships for you or your child, visit http://www.myschoolplans.com
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