How To Pay For College

Use scholarships to pay for college expenses!

A scholarship is defined as "financial aid provided to a student on the basis of academic merit", but may also be granted for students with special qualifications, such as artistic or athletic skills. In addition to merit scholarships, there are sports scholarships, business scholarships, arts scholarships, community scholarships, and many more scholarships available to someone willing to take the time to apply.  A fellowship is defined as "money granted (by a university or foundation or other agency) for advanced study or research". College scholarships and fellowships can help pay for college, and are "free money", in that you don't have to pay it back. In order to qualify or apply for some scholarships, you may have to write an essay or other piece of literature. Here are some sample scholarship essays and scholarship essay tips to get you started.

Scholarships are awarded based on many different criteria. A common misconception is that you have to be a straight-A student to receive a scholarship. You can also qualify for a scholarship based on some of the following criteria:

• Where you live,
• What you intend to study,
• Being a member of an underrepresented group,
• Being able to demonstrate financial need,
• Athletic ability,
• Artistic ability,
• and even which college you plan on attending.

Another common misconception is that only low-income or applicants with a severe financial need will qualify for scholarships. Merit Scholarships are awarded to admitted students without regard to financial need. To specifically search for merit based scholarships, visit our partner MeritAid.com - The Web's first comprehensive directory of $11 Billion in merit scholarships from colleges.

There are local, national, and college-specific scholarships available for industrious students looking for ways to pay for their education.

Here are some scholarships being awarded based on the degree you are pursuing:

Scholarships by Degree

• $1000 Business Scholarship

• If you are looking to gain business skills to work in today's high speed corporations, this business scholarship is for you. Click Here

• $1000 Computer Careers Scholarship

• If you are interested in studying computer-related fields in college, this computer careers scholarship is for you. Click Here

• $2000 Culinary Arts Scholarship

• We have cooked up a cooking scholarship to help you pay for your culinary education. Click here

• $1000 Cutting-Edge Careers Scholarship

• The scholarship is for students pursuing skills within in-demand careers and will be awarded to a student with a well-rounded profile and a passion for a specific career path Click here

• $1000 Health Career Scholarship

• If you seek to gain the skills to work in the growing field of health care and careers such as nursing, medical assistant, veterinary technologist, or dental assistant, this scholarship is for you. Click here

Scholarships for Minorities

• United Negro College Fund
• Various scholarships offered to UNCF Members or students attending UNCF Colleges.
• AARP Foundation
• Scholarship awards ranging from $500 to $5,000 for women over 40 on Aug 31, 2008 who are able to demonstrate financial need.
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
• The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the nation's leading organization supporting Hispanic higher education. There are several different scholarships you can apply for.
• Talbot's Womens Scholarship Fund
• Talbots Women's Scholarship Fund, a program of the Talbots Charitable Foundation, will award $100,000 in scholarships to women determined to finally get that college degree.
• Jeannette Rankin Foundation
• The Jeannette Rankin Foundation provides scholarships for low-income women, age 35 or older. You must be a U.S. citizen.

General Scholarships

There are also scholarships that aren't based on any particular criteria. Just apply, and you could win a free scholarship. This money can be used for tuition, computers, books, housing, or just about anything you want. Here are some Free Scholarships that are being given away.  Be sure and register for as many as you can! There's no limit to the amount of scholarship money you can receive.

ScholarshipExperts.com is a reputable company, and uses an award-winning matching technology and has a scholarship database of over 2.4 million awards that are highly accurate and up-to-date. This service for US and international students planning to study in the U.S. has been endorsed by Kaplan, Sallie Mae's College Answer, and other educational companies. Visit ScholarshipExperts.com today to start your scholarship search!

There are several "off-line" places you can check to find scholarships and fellowships too. Your school guidance counselor should be able to provide a list of grants and scholarships that you can apply for. You can also check with the financial aid offices of the colleges and universities that you are considering. They should be able to provide you with scholarship application forms. The internet is also a great place to find scholarships. You should also be wary of anyone that wants to charge you to find scholarships, or offers to "get" a scholarship for you. Be sure you know how to avoid scholarship scams.

Don't forget to also visit our other pages and learn how Grants and Student Loans can be also be used to pay for your college education costs. You may also consider a student job to help offset your expenses.