It’s never too early to begin the search for college scholarships. Even before you begin applying for college, you should begin the search.

Here’s why scholarships are important. 

Scholarships provide an opportunity for people to earn an education. Without assistance from an outside source, students may have trouble paying for the degree.

Scholarships help students have more time to focus on their studies.  Research shows that work can take up more than 15 hours per week and becomes an obstacle to academic success. For many students, the stresses of working make it difficult for them to graduate on time, or graduate with the high grades they have the potential to achieve. For other students, the work/study life is unsustainable, and they discontinue their studies altogether.

Scholarships can fill the gap.  Scholarship assistance can support students who fall in the gap between high and low-income levels — students who may not qualify for a need-based scholarship and who do not meet the criteria for a merit-based scholarship. Scholarships also decrease the number and amount of loans students need to take to complete college.  

Points to Remember:

Before you fill out a scholarship application, please review the general eligibility requirements as well as any specific requirements before submitting the application to the organization.  This review is important as some scholarships may have unique criteria or exceptions, so please carefully review the scholarships and follow the application instructions, including deadline and document requirements.

For more information, look through this Guide to Finding and Applying for Scholarships