Scholarship Search Tips

See if these tips might simplify your hunt for college money.


As the school year nears end, high-school seniors may be scrambling to get scholarship applications in before deadline.

There are literally thousands of scholarships students can apply for, but finding the ones you qualify for can be challenging.

"This becomes like a part-time job," said Paul Halpine, lead counselor at Estrella Foothills High School in Goodyear. "You need to do it extremely well. Every scholarship you fill out is the potential to make money for college."

Many scholarships and colleges require students to first fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, which is available online at fafsa.ed.gov.

The deadline is today at 11 p.m. for Arizona and some other states. Some states have later deadlines. Some private scholarships do not require the FAFSA form.

Halpine had a few tips for seniors applying for college scholarships:
1. Start early. Applying for scholarships can be time consuming and tedious. Set aside a few of nights or weekends to investigate what scholarships are out there.
"We have a college and career-prep course for all freshman and junior students," Halpine said. "Just making that transition getting them to think about four years down the road helps our students."

2. Make sure that the scholarship pertains to you. Identify scholarship standards that you meet.

3. Read the fine print. Look carefully at scholarship directions and make sure to complete the application fully.

4. Practice essay writing. Many guidance offices have sample essays.
"If you can't write a well-written coherent essay, you won't be as successful," Halpine said.

5. Be original. Creatively approach every topic and make it personal.

6. Proof and edit essays. Ask counselors and English teachers for writing tips.

7. Don't plagiarize. "There are programs out there to check if a student plagiarizes something. It has happened in the past," Halpine said. "It's a shortcut. If you're doing that sort of thing you're probably not ready."

8. Apply for many. Scholarships are competitive. The more you fill out the better chance you'll have.

9. Be professional and thorough. You have to impress and sell yourself to organizations, giving them reasons to award you money. They want go-getters and overachievers, Halpine said. "As a result, the implication is those students are going to do better in college."

10. There is no substitute to preparation and hard work.