How to get scholarships?

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I am a freshman in high school and I wanted to know how scholarships work. Also, how do I apply for them and receive them?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>There’s an excellent FAQ here: <a href=“Financial aid FAQs - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1486647-financial-aid-faqs.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I think it makes assumptions about your knowledge, so I’ll overview a few basics.</p>

<p>There are 3 types of aid. First, is federal aid. This comes in the form of Pell Grants and student loans. Anyone can get a loan. Pell Grants are limited to people whose family income is below a certain limit, depending on the size of the family.</p>

<p>Then there is institutional aid. The richer the school, the more aid they give, but again, it depends on family income, and the aid most schools give is usually less than most middle-class families actually need. Don’t look for a lot of aid from most state schools, especially if you are from out of state. But it varies.</p>

<p>You apply for federal aid and institutional aid first by filling out the FAFSA. The FAQ explains that. Some schools use other forms as well. All the forms are online, and the schools’ websites are usually good about telling you what to do.</p>

<p>Federal aid and institutional aid are all need-based.</p>

<p>Then there are merit scholarships. These actually require you to have good grades, scores, activities, service, and so on. Most of the best schools (like the Ivies) DO NOT offer merit aid, but there are notable exceptions, such as Duke. The FAQ links you to threads listing schools that do provide good merit aid. You’ll probably have to do something extra to get this money, like write an essay. Again, the schools explain the procedures pretty well.</p>

3

<p>Great that you’re starting now. Seeking scholarships is a long haul. Read this to kick off your search: </p>

<p>Confessions of a Scholarship Winner: The Secrets That Helped Me Win $500,000 in Free Money for College- How You Can Too! by Kristina Ellis (Author)</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Scholarship-Winner-Secrets-College/dp/1617951579”>http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Scholarship-Winner-Secrets-College/dp/1617951579&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>The thing is, do my parents have to have a relatively “low” income?</p>

5

<p>If your parents are not low income then you need to look for merit aid as mentioned in @WasatchWriter’s post. That will take top grades and scores. Being National Merit Finalist will also open many scholarships to you. Read the thread linked above.</p>