6 Helpful Scholarship Tips to Get You Money

Helpful Tips for Getting College Scholarships

BIG Ideas:

  • Scholarships and grants are a great way to help you pay for college, especially since you don’t have to pay them back!
  • Make sure to stay on top of deadlines and only spend time applying for scholarships or grants for which you are fully qualified.
  • Brazos offers Texas students a $5,000 scholarship for college through their Murray Watson, Jr. Scholarship.

Hello future college student! Congrats on getting into school and taking this next step in life. You’re in for quite an adventure. Between meeting new friends, learning a ton in new classes, and being on your own for the first time, it’s an exciting time in your life! However, one thing that’s not so exciting to think about is paying for that experience.

There’s no doubt it – college is expensive. That being said, there are many ways that you can help afford it including getting scholarships and grants. Here are the top 6 most helpful tips for finding those scholarships:

  1. Look everywhere. Did you know that you can get scholarships or grants for college from so many different places? Sure, federal and state governments and the schools themselves might be the first place you look. But, community organizations, nonprofits, and even businesses give away scholarships for students. In fact, at Brazos, we offer one Texas student a month a $5,000 scholarship for college! We also offer The Brazos $1,000 No Essay Scholarship!
  2. Talk to your financial aid office and the dean at your school. Don’t limit yourself to Google searches, talk to people in the financial aid office and even at the school. If you’re a business major, talk to the business school dean. They may be aware of scholarships you haven’t even heard of. It’s worth asking what money might be available.
  3. Consider applying for small scholarships. You might think that smaller scholarships aren’t worth applying for since they’ll only make a tiny dent in your overall school payments. However, small scholarships can really add up! Plus, focusing on applying for smaller scholarships means you’ll have less competition and a more likely chance that you’ll win the scholarship.
  4. Don’t waste time applying for scholarships you don’t fully qualify for. It may be tempting to apply for every scholarship you see, especially if it doesn’t take much effort to apply. But applying for scholarships you don’t fully qualify for will only waste your time at the end of the day. Even though you might only be missing one of the many qualifications, the winner is going to be someone who meets them all. Instead, focus on the scholarships where you meet all of the requirements and apply for them based on your likelihood of receiving them.
  5. When you’re gifted a scholarship or grant, be sure to follow the rules. Some scholarships or grants have requirements that need to be met in order for you to receive the money. For example, they may require you to keep your GPA above 3.8 every year to receive the money. If you let your GPA slide, you may have to pay back the money you received and may no longer qualify for the scholarship at all!
  6. Be on top of deadlines. Missing a deadline means missing out on the opportunity to get the scholarship or grant, even if you’re a shoo-in for it. When applying for scholarships and grants, always be organized and have your materials gathered ahead of time to make the process easier.

Now that you have some scholarship tips at the ready, register for The $5,000 Murray Watson Jr. Scholarship and The Brazos $1,000 No Essay Scholarship!

Need more help paying for school? We’re here for you.

For more than 40 years, Brazos Higher Education has been helping make education more affordable for students and parents. As a Texas non-profit, we can offer you BIG savings on a wide range of student loans. Contact us today!