Develop a Successful Scholarship Plan
I once attended an out-of-town graduation at a small suburban high school. After we baked in the sun on the bleachers for hours, the principal began handing out diplomas and announcing awards or scholarships that each student had earned, offering her congratulations. As she began to run through the list of scholarships for one student, snickers began to grow around the stadium. The list kept going and going! I turned to comment to the parent beside me that the student must have been pretty spectacular. She replied that the only truly spectacular thing about the student was that she executed a magnificent scholarship campaign. She had gained enough funds to put herself through four years of college! As I questioned further to learn her secret, the parent said that the student simply made a point to visit her high school’s counseling office on the first of every month and ask if there were any new scholarships available. That’s quite a start.
Looking to create your own scholarship campaign? Here’s a step-by-step process to set you up for success:
Get Ready!
“Your child can begin to develop their plan by asking themself, “How do I want to make my mark on the world?””
First, scholarships are typically awarded to students who have a specific plan for their future. Most committees do not want to award their funds to a student who has no plan for the use of the money. A student can be the world’s greatest painter, history buff, or computer technician, but without a plan to build on their education and grow in the future, your student may not see scholarships coming their way. Therefore, the first thing you should do is ensure that your child develops a plan! Their plan should include a college education and a career after they earn their chosen degree. Remember that they can change her plan at any time; no one is going to hold them to it. Scholarship committees understand that as students mature, their dreams, goals, and passions grow and evolve with them. But these same committees would also agree that your teen may not go very far without a plan.
Your child can begin to develop their plan by asking themself, “How do I want to make my mark on the world?” It can be as local or as global as they would like. Perhaps they strive to be the mayor of your town, the governor of your state, or the President of the United States. Do they want to combine their interest in art with their passion for recycling to introduce a new genre of art or take video-game entertainment to a whole new level? Perhaps they would like to work with injured athletes to help them regain their strength? Whatever is driving your child’s dreams, have them put it into a formal plan. Next, your child will need to look at their related skills, activities, classes, awards, or other steps they have taken or plans to take, to move them in the direction of their goal. For future reference, have your child develop a list of the associated activities, classes, volunteer opportunities, jobs, books, and organizations that are related to their plan.
Organize for success.
Get Set!
Help your child create a scholarship folder on their computer where they can store, and thus easily find, everything scholarship-related. Have your child then create folders within their main scholarship folder. For instance, they can create a folder to store all of the information they will need to complete and submit their scholarships, a folder of general scholarship resources, and folders for each scholarship they apply to.
Once your child has a system that works for them, encourage them to gather pertinent data such as their child’s school address, student ID, high school transcript, and references so that they’ll have them handy when filling out scholarship applications.
Next, have your child stop by their high school counseling office or visit the counseling section of their school website and review the list of scholarships on file. They should make a list of the ones that could potentially suit them. Understand that schools receive new scholarships weekly or monthly, so mark your calendar to check once a month for new scholarships. Encourage your student to talk with their guidance counselor and teachers about their search, and let them know what types of scholarships they are looking for. Remember that most school counselors do not have the time available to research scholarships for them, but they may think of your child if one passes across their desk that matches your child’s criteria.
Next, have your teen log on to the counseling websites of other local high schools and community colleges in your area to see if they have any scholarships listed that could fit their profile. Talk to local businesses such as banks, radio stations, newspapers, and religious organizations, and ask if they offer any scholarships to local students. Check with your own employers to see if they offer any scholarships for children of employees.
And last, have your child look into filling out a profile on some of the online scholarship search engines listed below. Make sure they are specific about their interests, otherwise they will get lots of junk emails for scholarships that have nothing in common with their goals.
Reputable scholarship search engines:
Start local, and then go global!
Launch!
Have your teen sit down with each scholarship application and fill it out! Know that the first one will be the most painful. After a dozen or so, they’ll be completing them in fifteen minutes or less. Most applications require some type of essay. Typically your student can use some form of “How do I want to make my mark on the world?” essay. They will probably need to adjust and edit a bit to make sure that an essay will work for the specific question or series of questions that the application requires. Make sure they carefully read all the directions to ensure they meet all the criteria.
Once your teen earns their first scholarship, spread the word! Remind them to let their high school counselor know, write to their local newspaper, and email colleges of interest. You may be amazed how one little scholarship can grow into something more substantial once you get the word out. Once your child has exhausted the local scholarship funds, begin to look for state or national organizations that offer educational funds.
The author, Lynette Mathews, is a freelance writer and a member of the Education Writers Association. She is the director of The College Planning Center, a resource for students and parents. © 2018
No matter where you find yourself in the college preparation, search, and application process, our team at North Shore College Consulting is here to support you and ensure you put your best foot forward when applying to college. If you are interested in connecting with one of our experienced counselors or essay coaches, contact us at info@nscollegeconsulting.net or (847) 780-3181.