(Photo By Flickr User garann)

 

Help your child reduce or avoid student loan debt.

The majority of American college students will graduate with some student loan debt.

Help reduce your child’s tuition burden by helping them find and apply for scholarships.

 

College Scholarship Winning Tips

 

In Preparation
Understand what will help your child stand out. Good scholarship candidates are:

Unique: Encourage your student to pursue real passions, not to focus on “padding the resume” with activities they don’t enjoy.

Driven: Help your child set goals and work toward them. Goal setting can strengthen your child’s work ethic and help them think strategically. (Bonus: The lessons and achievements along the way might lead to an effective scholarship essay.)

Proactive: Teach your child to take initiative. Applying to college and searching for scholarships early can help them take advantage of more opportunities.

 

Application Tips  

Help your student succeed during the application process:

Start early; Students should start applying for scholarships after their junior year of high school.

Stay organized; List all suitable scholarships by deadline to make sure not to rush applications or miss out completely.

 

Where to Find Scholarship Opportunities

The following resources will help your child find suitable scholarships:

Religious or ethnic organizations

Local businesses

Companies such as Fastweb, Cappex, and The College Board

The U.S. Department of Labor’s scholarship search tool

Federal and state grants

 

Writing Good Scholarship Essays

Your child can make an impression by following these guidelines:

Write about specific examples of achievement rather than generic aspirational statements, and highlight data such as grade improvements over time, where possible.

Explain why attending college would help reach specific goals.

 

(Information courtesy of learncenter.statefarm.com)