The Key to Understanding What Scholarships Are Available

Some students get unnecessarily flustered when it comes time to start looking for college funds, as if they need some entirely new skill or talent to begin the process. However, understanding what scholarships are available to them depends on the same sort of study and thinking habits that made them a good student in high school. There are no secrets or tricks involved, and for the most part it is just a matter of applying common sense. However, there are some basic procedures that scholarship seekers need to follow, and it doesn't hurt to be reminded how to approach this important topic.

After all, this is a big change in a young person’s life, going off to college. And if you are a student facing this challenge, understanding what scholarships are available in your field of interest is the crucial first step to getting your higher education. Frankly, if you have not displayed a special talent in a certain area, or devoted yourself to a specific course of study, you will face a much more difficult time getting a scholarship. It is not as if there is no money available for students who have “undeclared” as their choice of majors, but there is much more money available for students who know what they want to do in their careers. 

The reason this is so is simply due to the realities of business and economics. If a car company like Ford or Daimler-Chrysler wants to fund scholarships, it makes perfectly good sense that they would want to help students who would come work for them after graduation. In fact, course-specific scholarships from corporations are one of the biggest sources of college funds, with plenty of money left unclaimed every year. 

So, if you do have a specific talent and interest, one that you can quantify and explain in the application process, your best move is to focus your scholarship search in that area, rather than search for “general” education funds. If you are gifted in building and modifying low-emission automobile engines, you should research the companies that work in every related industry - metallurgy, motors, autos, transportation, hybrid technologies and so forth. You would also be well advised to seek out the best colleges for these courses of study, with the understanding that scholarships are also available directly from educational institutions, not just the business community. 


Researching, locating and applying for scholarships are not overly complicated, but it does take time, and it also takes tremendous tenacity and dedication. A philosopher once said that "anything good takes time," and that "nothing good happens without passion." If you want to succeed in your chosen career, a good starting place is to succeed in your quest to find college scholarship money for your field of study. You will need to use all the smarts and common sense that got you through high school with grades and extracurricular activities strong enough to make you a contender. 

In the last analysis, it really does come down to how bad you want it. The fact is, brains and talent are important, but without persistence and passion, they won’t get you very far. People with IQs of 110 who are using all of it and working hard will get farther than others with an IQ of 130 who are using half of it and not putting passion into what they do. Throw yourself into the challenge and do your best and you will have the best possible foundation for both your college career and the lifelong one that follows.