The Battleplan

Finding scholarships is not always easy. There are some that are and are not geared towards your abilities and talents. There are some where applicants have to meet certain guidelines that you may or may not be able to meet. When you begin looking for that free college cash, it's best to have a course of action planned out to help you earn the most free money you can.

Search for scholarships based on every academic or extra-curricular talent you have. There are academic scholarships everywhere. If you meet the grade point average (GPA) requirements, along with any others, go for it! There are also scholarships based on extra-curricular activities, such as honor societies or foreign language clubs. There are musician scholarships for singers, thespians and even tuba players! If you devote time to your community and volunteer at an assisted living community, find one geared towards that.

When you narrow down the scholarships you are interested in, save everyone a little time and sanity. Apply only to scholarships for which you are eligible. This cannot be stressed enough. It will be a waste of your time to fill out an application for a scholarship based on musical ability if the last violin lesson you took was in the sixth grade. Consider the review committee who weeds through these applications and how many thousands of apps they have to weed through. Adding one in there that is not qualified for the scholarship in the first place is going to waste their time and yours. Put your efforts into scholarships that you know you can meet the requirements for. That will keep you busy enough.

After you have decided on the applications you will be completing, read through them before you fill anything out. Make sure you have copies of every document you might need handy so that they can be readily available for you to send with the application. Last minute work, such as personal essays, resumes and the like are best done when you are not in a last minute haze. Complete the application in its entirety, being very careful that your spelling, grammar and personal contact information are complete and accurate. Impress the reviewers and give them the appropriate means to contact you. Have a relative, friend or counselor proofread your application when you are done to point out any errors.

Almost every scholarship has an application deadline. The best advice here is DO NOT WAIT. Send off the application well before deadline and request proof of receipt. This does not mean you necessarily require signature of acceptance. Just request a barcode from the USPS that you can electronically check to confirm it has arrived. Once the deadline passes, give a couple of weeks. If no calls have come in requesting any additional information or an interview, if required, make the call. Introduce yourself and verify they are reviewing your application.

Check back around award time. If no other documents or interviews were required and you have receipt confirmation, let them make their decision. But always contact them in case they have been unable to contact you for some reason. Always leave that door open so that you don't lose out on any scholarship awards. Free money is plentiful for college, but applying for it is something that requires planning and work. Stick with it and you will be successful!

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