Scholarships not only for high school

Hearing the words "education is not cheap," is nothing new to the ears; and especially in the current economy, where money is a hard commodity to obtain, students are doing whatever they can to make that extra buck.  Remember senior year of high school; making that mad dash to apply and receive scholarships?  Yes or no, either way, it is not a thing of the past.  Scholarships can be received at any level and academic year, which is even more prominent and useful during the college years where money may be extremely elusive.  Because it's stereotypical to apply for scholarships in high school, many college students do not think to apply once they have graduated.

"I think college students don't necessarily abuse the opportunities for scholarships, we just don't take advantage of them," said UW-L Junior, Emily Mitch.  "For me, personally, I don't qualify for financial aid, which is usually a criteria on a lot of scholarships, so I don't even bother applying. Plus, it takes a lot of time to apply usually and with classes and stuff, college students don't normally have the time to do extra essays and whatnot. I don't think a lot of us take the initiative to apply and a lot of that money goes to waste."

Although Mitch is correct, in that many scholarships are given to students who are more need of financial assistance, there are still a wide variety of scholarships that do not.

Finding the right one is the tough part.  There are numerous ways to go about searching for scholarships.  One of the best ways to start researching is to dwell and dive into what one's studies are aimed at, and what interests one may have.  Be specific.  Focusing in on specific areas of interest, narrows down the broad realm of applicable scholarships.  This will lead students to the right scholarships for them. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse website is another great place to turn to for a quick search.  There are university-based scholarships listed there as well as links that assist in finding scholarships outside of campus.  The website also offers tips on the application process and tools for writing an exceptional essay

If a more face-to-face intervention is desired, Graff Main Hall is home to UW-L campus' Financial Aid office.  They are experts in the scholarship process and would be able to answer any questions.

Or what about the professors?  Visiting the department of a specific major is always an option.  Professors have great insight on where to look for scholarships and would be more than willing to help students look into specific interests.

But, there are always those students who are undecided or undeclared and really have no idea what direction they want to go.

There is a solution for them too.  Fastweb.com  is a free website that allows students to create a profile that features different scholarships which are updated continuously.  There is everything from academic and athletic scholarships to scholarships for simply signing up with a registered account.

Although scholarships may seem like a lot of work, they do not necessarily have to be.  With the right resources and knowledge, signing up for them will, in the end, save money for the future; and college students love that.