Getting college scholarships involves much more than filling out applications and writing essays. There are both practical and creative steps that must be taken to help you win as many scholarships as possible. As a current or future community college student, you’re already one step ahead by choosing a far less expensive school than four-year or private school options. You can make your community college expenses even less with a little work.
It’s never too early to start searching for scholarships. As surprising as it may sound, many college scholarship programs are available for students in their freshman, sophomore, or junior years of high school, as well as for students in elementary and middle school! That being the case, waiting until your senior year to locate and apply for scholarships puts you at risk because you could miss out on all scholarship opportunities.
It’s also vital to start your scholarship search early because it’s a time-consuming process that requires a healthy commitment of time and energy. Each application will have its unique requirements, and the time it takes to gather transcripts, letters of recommendation, and other required materials can be up to several weeks. And while thousands of students receive scholarships each year, not everyone will get something in return for all their hard work on their application materials. Although it can be discouraging not to receive any award letters in the mail, you definitely won’t get any if you give up. Committing yourself
