Article by Natasha Bright
Whether you are an older adult thinking about returning to school or a student younger than high school age (or the parents of one) planning for the future, making college financially possible is likely a concern for you. College costs are often prohibitive to deserving students. Fortunately, scholarships and grants can help a lot or a little, depending on the awards you qualify for. What many older prospective college students worry about is that they will not qualify for scholarships that are geared toward high school students. Similarly, young students trying to get a leg up on the future fear that there is no way to begin earning college scholarships early.Though older or younger students may have to look a little harder to find scholarships that suit them, there are certainly plenty of opportunities that await deserving applicants of any age. After all, returning adult students often have a lot on their plates when it comes to bills, mortgages, and childcare costs. They often need scholarships more than anyone! As for younger children, it is never too soon to start preparing for the future. Winning a college scholarship at an early age might just make college possible for you when you get older.It’s unfortunate, but many older college students don’t bother to look for college grants and scholarships at all, thinking they won’t qualify for any opportunities. The truth is that there are many organizations that award college money to students of nontraditional college age. Your own employer might even have scholarship opportunities! An online search should yield plenty of results for scholarship and grant opportunities that may benefit you. Another good resource is the financial aid office of your college itself.A good starting point for adults looking for scholarships is to evaluate yourself. What makes you different and special? Are you a single mom or dad? Do you belong to an ethnic group that is a minority in the United States? There are scholarships that apply only to students who fit requirements such as these. In many cases, these scholarships have no age limits. In some cases, there are even scholarships for adults only, such as the Royal Neighbors of America New Horizons scholarship for females over 35.For younger students, particularly those under the age of 13, finding a scholarship or grant for which you are qualified can be a challenge. Don’t worry, though–scholarship opportunities are out there for you. Try asking your teacher or even your librarian. He or she may be aware of local, state, and national scholarship contests for younger students. An online search is also a good idea.There are many creative and fun scholarship contests for younger students if you know where to find them. Some contests, such as the Christopher Columbus Community Service Award, challenge students to make a difference in the community, in this case through science and technology. The Girls Going Places Entrepreneurship Award Program awards scholarships to young women over age 12 who display financial independence and entrepreneurship.Winning a scholarship or grant is no guarantee, and being successful in your search for college funding will require a lot of effort on your part. Scholarships tend to be competitive, but finding a scholarship that closely matched your age group, talents, and traits will give you a better chance of winning.
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Keep in mind that there are opportunities out there for deserving students of all ages who want to further their online education. Whether you are in your 50s or still in elementary school, there’s a scholarship out there waiting for your application and sites like Education Connection Online can help you find the best programs to keep your college loans to a minimum.