What Factors Determine the Scholarship Amount a Student Will Receive?

There are many different ways of applying for and winning scholarships, just as there are many different ways that scholarship winners are determined and paid. Even more than high school guidance counselors or college admissions staff, administrators of the various scholarship providers are obviously the best informed as to what factors determine the scholarship amount a student will receive. Although policies and procedures differ from group to group, company to company and college to college, there are certain fundamental similarities among them all.

Who Deserves a Scholarship?

If you think only geniuses and quarterbacks deserve to have their college education paid for, it’s time to realize college is expensive and many people deserve some help with the bills. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 750,000 scholarships are available for qualified students, adding up to well more than a billion dollars. The federal government is the largest source of those funds. The average size of a Pell Grant, money that does not have to be repaid, is more than $2,000. 

Do I Need A Scholarship?

Its one thing to hear or read about the higher costs of secondary education, but it's quite another to actually look at a final budget for one to four years of college or graduate school. The sticker shock can be enough to make you reconsider whether higher education is worth it at all! But of course, it certainly is, and any way you need to get through it financially is worth investigating.  Student loans are certainly one way to pay for college or graduate school, and thousands of people do every year. But, there are obviously strings attached that can be onerous.

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.

How To Get Help When Subsidizing College Degrees

Many people need help paying for college. With costs escalating at a rate faster than inflation, here are some of the options available to you to help you subsidize your college education. 

JUNIOR COLLEGE 

By attending a community college or junior college for the first two years of college, a student can save literally thousands and thousands of dollars. The cost savings come from commuting locally so there are no dorms or long-distance travel costs, and the classes typically cost less than at four-year schools. Typically two-year schools emphasize teaching capabilities over research skills among their faculty, so you might even learn more in the basic requirement classes you’ll be taking.