Dear Mom,
This semester I paid for my full tuition, or let’s just say I’m on the payment plan offered by the college. I have heard a lot lately about scholarships and have wondered how easy they are to get and if they are worth the effort. I would like to save some money, and have heard that a person can get through college without paying any money. Is this true?
Thanks for your help, Broke
Dear Broke,
Let’s just say I am one of those people who got through college having to pay little for it. The biggest struggle I had, other than getting started and knowing what to do in the first place, was getting the paperwork in on time when I transferred to The University of Utah. I missed the deadline and had to pay for one semester.
With that said, the majority of my schooling was paid through scholarships, grants, as well as the financial aid I applied for.
Were these things easy to get? Well, yes and no.
If you fill out the paperwork as requested, do the essay (if asked for) and get the paper work in by the deadline, there is a fairly good chance you’ll get the scholarship. Remember, others are vying for the same thing, and you will have a bit of competition. But know this, not everyone wants to make the effort to put their paperwork together. They feel as if doing their schoolwork is load enough, so you have an extra opportunity to receive because many other students just won’t take the time.
I found that applying for multiple “fund” opportunities at the same time was a good idea, thereby increasing my odds. I spent some time at the financial aid office and discovered I qualified for some financial aid along with qualifying for some scholarships. I also went online and found some scholarships to apply for.
Applications for scholarships at Salt Lake Community College become available in January and February of each year and are good for the following year of school. Various school departments, as well as clubs, fraternities, and sororities provide scholarships. Local and national companies, as well as individuals who are interested in giving back to the school they once attended also give out scholarships.
Many scholarships, along with their corresponding applications, can be found on the Salt Lake Community website at slcc.edu/financialaid/scholarships/.
Those giving out scholarships are looking for various qualities in the applicant’s they review. The most important thing they consider is the grades of the applicant. They also like to see that the applicant has an interest in their community. Many applications require the submission of an essay. The essay shouldn’t be something you just write up in a few minutes, but something you have labored on and corrected until it’s your very best.
Like scholarships, grants are gifts of money that you don’t repay. If you are interested in learning more about grants, check out ‘grants’ under ‘types of financial aid’ at www.slcc.edu/financial/types.asp.
Yes, going for grants, scholarships, and financial aid was a lot of work. It was almost as if I had one more class to deal with, but saving thousands of dollars was well worth it.
Mom
Additional Resources:
To apply for financial aid, go to www.slcc.edu/financialaid/apply.asp
A new site that helps a student obtain the funds they need is studentaid.ed.gov.
A great listing of online scholarships currently available can be found at fastweb.com.
