The Secrets to Securing Scholarships

An education is an asset that lasts a lifetime, which is why most of us lay a lot of emphasis on getting a good one. Not all of us can afford to go to the best schools, but there’s where scholarships lend a very welcome helping hand. Again, not many of us are blessed with the skills and dedication that it takes to land the most prestigious or well-endowed scholarships that are on offer. If you’re on the lookout for a scholarship to bankroll your education, the pointers offered below will come in handy.

• Sharpen your search skills: Very often, securing a scholarship successfully means that you know where to look rather than just hunting at random. Start brushing up your scholarship search skills much before you need the money; talk to people who’ve gone down the same road before you; do what you have to do to qualify for each scholarship; enlist the Internet and free online search services in your search efforts. Once you’ve shortlisted the ones that you do qualify or, read the applications from top to bottom. Get the documentation you need to support your application ready before you start filling out your forms. Be very careful to read each section and question before you fill in details about your personal and academic lives. Before you send in your application, check to see if you’ve done all that you need to correctly. Take care to send in your applications well before the due date. Some scholarships have post-by dates as deadlines, so read the instructions carefully to avoid losing out on good scholarships due to trivial technicalities.


• Follow up on your applications: Your job is not over once you’ve sent in the applications. You must check to see if you’re received a reply every now and then. Most institutions set deadlines for your acceptance, so you risk losing the financial aid if you do not respond in time. If you’re going to be away, get a friend or family member to keep tabs on your email or letterbox for you.


• Perseverance is the keyword to success: Even if you’ve been rejected time after time, don’t give up. If you’re serious about your education and know that it’s a way out of your current life and a passport to your new one, keep on looking for scholarship offers and sending in your applications.


• Learn from past mistakes: If you’re rejected one too many times, take stock of what you’ve been doing and check to see where you’re going wrong. Find out if you meet all the qualifications that each scholarship sets. Seek help from someone who’s been there and done that, and who’s had more success than you seem to be having.

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This post was contributed by Heather Johnson, who writes on the subject of the best colleges. She invites your feedback at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.