Expert gives tips on how to find merit scholarships
September 10, 2012
As students in high school start to think about college, many will be concerned about the growing cost. For those with limited resources, there are a whole host of opportunities to obtain grants based on high grades. However, it can be daunting to figure out the best way to obtain one of these important support packages.
In an effort to help those in need, International College Counselors CEO Mandee Heller Adler recently shared a number of different tips for high school students looking for scholarships.
One of the ways she suggests students try to get merit aid is by searching colleges' websites to see which ones offer packages that could be obtained. She also notes that The New York Times, US News and World Report all have lists of schools offering money to those in need.
Next, she recommends looking for specific packages that seek to promote diversity either through geography, race or gender.
Another way that students can get aid is to research government programs. In most cases, a person will have to meet criteria in terms of test scores, residency and grade point average. Adler points to the New York State Scholarships for Academic Excellence program, which gives students with good grades a $1,500 scholarship toward in-state university costs.
"Students must not lose sight of the goal. What they do in high school is for college, it's not something they must commit to for the rest of their lives. "[Our company] encourage[s] high school sophomores to narrow down their activities and really put the time and effort into those they have interest in and can excel in," said Heller Adler in a release.
In some cases, competitions will be held in order to give students the chance to get scholarships for college. In one recent example, the Metropolitan Kalamazoo Branch of the National Association of Colored People announced that it was looking for students to compete in a talent competition in categories including drawing, photography, playwriting, filmmaking, mathematics, computer science, essay writing and architecture. The winners of the competition could receive as much as $3,000 toward their higher education.
The scholarship options available aren't limited to those presented here - thankfully, every year new scholarships are created, making higher education a financial reality for countless numbers of students.
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