How to Snag Unbelievable Scholarship Money

We're all aware of the escalating cost of a college education---and no one's throwing a party about it. But if you're dedicated enough, you can snag some unbelievable scholarship money and stop worrying about the price of attending your dream school. Here are some tips for going to school for far less than you ever mentioned---or even for free:

*Take challenging courses and earn strong grades: Many---but not all---scholarships are awarded based on academic merit, so show scholarship committees how smart you are by concentrating in school and working hard. If your grades in previous years were less than stunning, don't let that discourage you. Redeem yourself by putting in extra effort this year and scholarship judges will admire the change you've made. Be sure to explain why you've decided to alter your study habits or why your grades were poor in the past someone on the scholarship application.

*Get involved in your community: More scholarships are give for community service involvement than for straight A's. Colleges and scholarship foundations admire good will and charity, so see what you can do to improve your neighborhood. Maybe your local elementary school needs tutors, for instance. Help as many kids as you can by organizing a tutoring club at your high school; ask friends and classmates if they want to tutor younger children, too. The more hours you volunteer each week, the more scholarships there are for you. Make sure you have at least one adult supervise you while you perform community service so someone can verify that you've actually done as much work as you say you have in case colleges ask for proof. You'll definitely want to list your community service work on your activities list for your college applications, including how many cumulative hours you've served.