Whether you are an older adult thinking about returning to school or a student younger than high school age (or the parents of one) planning for the future, making college financially possible is likely a concern for you. College costs are often prohibitive to deserving students. Fortunately, scholarships and grants can help a lot or a little, depending on the awards you qualify for. What many older prospective college students worry about is that they will not qualify for scholarships that are geared toward high school students. Similarly, young students trying to get*a leg up on the future fear that there is no way to begin earning college scholarships early.
The good news is that it is never too late or too early to begin planning for college, financially. Older students have many opportunities to win scholarships, as do younger students with the help from their parents. There are many organizations and funds out there that support college planning at any age, creating scholarships and grants for "nontraditional" age groups as well as prizes with no age restrictions whatsoever.
If you are an older student planning for college, your prospective school is a good resource to connect you with opportunities that benefit older students. You can also check out one of many online scholarship and grant databases. You'll likely find hundreds of opportunities for which you qualify. The best news is that there is often less competition for adult scholarships, as many adult students are not aware that these opportunities are available to them.
A tip for older students who are searching for scholarships and grants is to look for opportunities that specifically relate to you. For example, are you a single parent going back to college? There are many scholarships out there that benefit parents. Are you female and over 35? Among many other opportunities for adult women, the Jeanette Rankin Foundation Women's Education Fund awards scholarships to women pursuing college, technical training, or vocational training.
If you are a child or the parent of a child under age 13, finding scholarship opportunities can be a bit harder. They are out there, however. Your teachers may be able to provide you with resources. Your local public library may even have some information. You can even check online.
Many scholarships and grants for children award money based on an accomplishment such as a science project, piece of journalism, or community service. One example of a scholarship for kids interested in science is the Christopher Columbus Community Service Award, which rewards students who use science to solve a problem in their community. The National Geography Bee presents scholarships to students under 15 who achieve national recognition in a geography contest.
Finding scholarships at any age requires persistence and dedication. You should have something to offer to the world, so don't expect scholarship money to simply be handed to you. You will have to work for it, and most scholarships and grants are competitive.
Keep in mind that there are college grants and scholarships out there for deserving students of all ages. Whether you are in your 50s or still in elementary school, there's a scholarship out there waiting for your application if you are applying to a university or online college.
The good news is that it is never too late or too early to begin planning for college, financially. Older students have many opportunities to win scholarships, as do younger students with the help from their parents. There are many organizations and funds out there that support college planning at any age, creating scholarships and grants for "nontraditional" age groups as well as prizes with no age restrictions whatsoever.
If you are an older student planning for college, your prospective school is a good resource to connect you with opportunities that benefit older students. You can also check out one of many online scholarship and grant databases. You'll likely find hundreds of opportunities for which you qualify. The best news is that there is often less competition for adult scholarships, as many adult students are not aware that these opportunities are available to them.
A tip for older students who are searching for scholarships and grants is to look for opportunities that specifically relate to you. For example, are you a single parent going back to college? There are many scholarships out there that benefit parents. Are you female and over 35? Among many other opportunities for adult women, the Jeanette Rankin Foundation Women's Education Fund awards scholarships to women pursuing college, technical training, or vocational training.
If you are a child or the parent of a child under age 13, finding scholarship opportunities can be a bit harder. They are out there, however. Your teachers may be able to provide you with resources. Your local public library may even have some information. You can even check online.
Many scholarships and grants for children award money based on an accomplishment such as a science project, piece of journalism, or community service. One example of a scholarship for kids interested in science is the Christopher Columbus Community Service Award, which rewards students who use science to solve a problem in their community. The National Geography Bee presents scholarships to students under 15 who achieve national recognition in a geography contest.
Finding scholarships at any age requires persistence and dedication. You should have something to offer to the world, so don't expect scholarship money to simply be handed to you. You will have to work for it, and most scholarships and grants are competitive.
Keep in mind that there are college grants and scholarships out there for deserving students of all ages. Whether you are in your 50s or still in elementary school, there's a scholarship out there waiting for your application if you are applying to a university or online college.