12
Ways to Find $90 Billion Dollars in Financial Aid for College
By
Dr. Stephen Jones
Did you know
that billions of dollars in scholarships go unused each year?
For twenty years, I’ve counseled college students and their
parents. The most frequent question parents ask is where can I
find scholarships for college? The rising cost of college is causing
tensions to rise across the country because parents cannot afford
to send their sons/daughters to the four-year college of their
choice. When parents receive information regarding their student’s
financial aid award, they learn that they must find $5,000-$10,000
to fund their child’s education. One family sought after
money by hiring a $1,000 scholarship consultant. Later the parents
discovered that by researching the internet they could discover
the scholarships on their own.
When parents
ask how soon they should begin to look for scholarships, my first
response is the ninth grade. By the time that your son/daughter
reaches 11th grade, they should have a binder containing scholarship
information. When your son/daughter reaches 11th grade they should
begin to send out scholarship letters to organizations that allow
for early submissions. Let the summer before senior year provide
you with an opportunity to send out hundreds of scholarship forms
and letters. In fact, here are 12 ways that a student can begin
to uncover the 90 billion dollars in scholarships:
1. Send a
letter to your local college fraternity of sorority requesting
information about their scholarship.
2. Contact
your local rotary club to ask about their scholarship application.
3. Visit your
local legislator’s office to inquire about new scholarships
offered by the state or federal government offices.
4. Visit local
stores (i.e. Home Depot, CVS, super markets) to inquire about
scholarships.
5. Contact
local colleges to ask about a free list of scholarships that they
offer
6. Visit the
internet and conduct a search for scholarships. Some of the topics
you can enter include (free money, scholarships, college financial
aid, money for college, free scholarship, government grants of
scholarships etc…)
7. Ask your
local religious organizations about scholarships.
8. Start a
family scholarship fund that allows family members to contribute
funds. Set limits on the amount of money a family member can request.
9. Ask your
employer about scholarships offered to children of employees.
10. Ask your
company’s credit union representative about scholarships
that they offer to students.
11. Enter
writing/essay contests for college bound students. Look for opportunities
in magazines like the Writer’s Digest and others.
12. Students
can make a scholarship appeal on a local radio program and receive
funding from their listeners.
If you
implement these steps, you have the potential to uncover billions
of dollars of hidden scholarships. Dr. Stephen Jones is a nationally
recognized speaker and author of “Seven Secrets of How to
Study, http://www.sevensecrets-books.com.
He offers 100 scholarship websites in his book. You can send an
e-mail to stephenjoness@rcn.com You can contact Dr. Jones toll
free at 1-866-544-5490
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