Being broke is a daily topic of conversation among students. Too many are unable to afford the expenses of a college education. However, there are so many opportunities available for financial assistance if students will just take the time to apply.
Many colleges provide scholarships and grants that give students the opportunity to receive some funding that cover fees, book and registration. Students should not only apply for financial aid that is offered at colleges but should also be persistent in applying for scholarships available through scholarship websites like scholarships.com and fastweb.com.
The Citrus College Foundation has scholarships available through 2014. They can be found on the Citrus College website.
Some scholarships have specific requirements that need to be met prior to applying. For example, The Citrus College Faculty Association Scholarship requires applicants to have a 3.50 GPA, to be enrolled in nine units or more, and to be transferring to a four-year college or university.
The Maxine King Scholarship is awarded to a student with financial needs transferring to a four-year college. The Gene Dudley Leadership Scholarship requires a student to be actively involved in student government.
By being persistent in applying for scholarships and grants, you can increase your chances of standing out compared to first-time applicants. A scholarship can help you pay for fees and books and free up your hard earned cash to pay for rent or food costs.
The application process is not difficult and takes little time to complete. The first steps are organization and preparation. Applicants need to thoroughly read through requirements before the due dates to ensure they have enough time to gather everything needed. Once this is done, the process is faster, manageable and takes up less of your time.
Many application deadlines vary so be sure to double check before choosing a scholarship. Also, the process does take time and effort. Students need to research scholarships before beginning the application process.
Some scholarships require letters of recommendation from your professors or require some essay writing. If this is the case for a scholarship you are applying for, don’t be overwhelmed. There are plenty of tips and support online available to assist you with your scholarship application.
Too few students apply for scholarships and grants. Some have suggested that students need to be better informed when scholarships are offered. Others believe that the reason for missed opportunities is the result of procrastination and laziness. But this is not the big picture. There are many reasons why students don’t apply for scholarships.
Students may not meet certain criteria for scholarships or simply do not feel they have the information required. Other reasons may include students lacking confidence. Some students struggle with self-doubt and do not consider themselves scholarship-worthy and therefore self- eliminate. Students who do not apply for scholarships and grants leave thousands of free dollars on the table. There is more success in completing a scholarship form than not trying at all.
Students should reflect and define the obstacles they are erecting for themselves when they pass up the chance to apply for scholarships and grants. Financial assistance is available that can greatly help students in their educational journey. However, if students don’t apply and they fail to help themselves, if they think self-defeating thoughts, then everyone loses.
By moving forward to apply for scholarships and grants students gain the benefit of understanding the process. Therefore they are more prepared for what an application requires and become more of an expert in writing about their achievements and work ethic. So in the end what is there to lose?
