College is a very important part of the steps to becoming an adult following high school. However, college can be very expensive depending on multiple different factors such as household funds, location, and the school itself. Luckily, there are so many different options to help cover the cost. One of which being scholarships. Scholarships vary in size from only a few hundred dollars to covering the entire cost of your tuition! 

There is a very large variety of scholarships that range from merit-based to financial need to scholarships for military families. Merit-based scholarships are earned by either meeting or going beyond certain standards academically or with a special skill/talent. These scholarships are typically awarded to students with high grades and those who show potential in other areas like sports or the arts. 

One of the best ways to find out about scholarships that could be right for you would be to either reach out to the financial aid office of the school you’re interested in attending or talking to an admissions counselor. There are also very helpful websites such as college board (big future – https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search ) that can help give you an idea of what kind of scholarship would be best suited for you.

 Deadlines for scholarships will vary for each one. Some can even be up to a year before college begins, so the best time to start your research is typically the summer between junior and senior year. Starting early and making sure you are being diligent in your search will ensure that you know your options and pick the right fit for you. 

There truly are so many possibilities when it comes to scholarships and they are most definitely worth looking into. No matter what you receive, it will still have many benefits that will lower the cost of your college education.