How to Get a Scholarship

You Won't Believe What I Found

Imagine if someone handed you money for school, would you take it? Half of you would probably say yes immediately while the other half would remain skeptical wondering what the catch was. Now what if I told you there was no catch, and that the only cost to you was your time. I suspect the number of yes's would rise significantly. To steal a line from the 1996 hit movie Jerry Maguire, "Help me, help you."

More than 9 billion dollars in scholarships and grants are right at your finger tips. Let me serve as your beacon of light thru the dense fog of the financial aid world and help guide you to the unclaimed scholarship treasures which lie just beneath the surface.

Generally speaking scholarships are awarded based on demonstrated financial need, previous achievement, or course of study. But what gets me jazzed are the many scholarships which exist ranging from a pet look alike contest to writing a Top 10 list of why you should get a scholarship. Basically, the one who holds the dollar sets the rules, and scholarships are most often administered by foundations and companies.

You may recall a memorable Seinfeld episode where George was on the board of trustees for the Susan Ross Foundation which was awarding a scholarship in her name. His bias for one candidate, Steven, became apparent when the young man revealed his aspirations to be an architect (a life long obsession of George's). George then reneged on his scholarship promise, however, when Steven said he may be able to set his sights a bit higher and quibbled, "Isn't an architect just an art school drop-out with a tilty desk, and big ruler?" Point being, despite George's fictional bias and unorthodox measuring stick, foundations and the money they award aspiring students are real and available to you.