You know the struggle is real when you go to a private college or university.
Over $20,000 a year for tuition, thousands for room and board and extra costs like student fees (what even are those?), parking permits, not to mention laundry, transportation, gas and Walmart runs. It all adds up. You don't see it coming until you get an email to pay on the account, or have to fill out your FAFSA, or maybe even when you graduate and take a hard look at your student loans.
You are not alone. Every other college student, public or private university, seems to be as broke as a joke these days, but that doesn't have to be you.
Let's talk about scholarships. Scholarships can come from many different types of sources.
1. Your school.
The largest scholarship awarded to me from my university was an academic scholarship given based on two interviews, individual and group. In order to receive an invitation for the scholarship interviews at JBU, you had to earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 and minimum ACT score of 28. Most schools offer large scholarships based on those two numbers. Other scholarships I received from my university were for leadership, orchestra and scholarship fund. Scholarships from school eliminated close to half of my costs.
2. Your hometown.
My school district in high school offered local scholarships, setting aside a certain number given out for each high school. They were funded through local organizations and clubs such as Rotary Club. If your high school didn't offer information on these, research them for yourself. You always have a higher chance of winning local scholarships than those posted online and available to everyone. I won three of those, but, unfortunately, they only counted for the first year of college.
3. Your government.
That's right. I said your government. The government works for you, not the other way around. Filling out the FAFSA in a timely manner, even if you don't think you qualify, can give you money you would have never received otherwise. Money is divvied out on a first-come, first-served basis through grants, work study and loans. You can also receive state funding if you're going to school in-state. Universities also have different programs such as Student Support Services that are funded by the federal government. They offer scholarships for hundreds of dollars. Completing the FAFSA can also qualify you for work study, where you can work in school on campus. A grant is money you don't have to pay back. On the other hand, you do have to pay loans back, so make sure you understand what you're signing your life away to. Try to take out loans that don't accrue interest during school as well as pause your payments until after you graduate.
4. Work, work, work, work, work...
Get and job, show up on time and do your best. You'll get promoted. You'll get raises and you'll learn endless skills. I can't stress enough how beneficial I believe having at least one job is. Generally, I'm a workaholic that has about four jobs at one time. Want to know how to budget your paycheck? Immediately move half of your paycheck to a savings account (I also recommend tithing 10 percent, but that's another topic). Doing that saves tons of money that doesn't need to be spent. Now use that savings account to pay down your tuition bill and loans.
Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
