Begin Gathering Information on Scholarships If You Want To Get Ahead of the Financial Aid Process.

You may want to begin the scholarship process early by researching scholarships you can apply to as either a high school junior or senior.  Some scholarships are open only to junior year high school students; an example of such a scholarship is the Discover Card.

WARNING!  Be aware that national scholarships offered by foundations, corporations, clubs, and organizations are extremely difficult to win.  With each scholarship, your application and essay must be spectacular to have any chance of winning.  Remember, even though there are billions of dollars worth of available scholarships, there are thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) of student applicants for each major scholarship . . . so the competition is incredibly tough.  The best source of scholarship and grant money continues to be financial aid from campus-based awards (money awarded directly from colleges and universities) and from local scholarships (local scholarships are provided by local businesses, your local Elks Club and Rotary Club, and other organizations).

NOTE:  Because the single best source of scholarships and grants are campus-based awards, private colleges and universities are a real option for high school students who have very little money for college expenses.  Numerous high school students receive enough scholarship and grant money from private colleges so it is less expensive to attend a private college than to attend a State school that awards very few scholarships and grants. 

NOTE:  Local scholarships are less competitive and you can receive several of them.  Receiving multiple local scholarships can be worth several thousands of dollars.