5 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Receiving Grants and Scholarships in College

A grant or a scholarship may be your only hope at succeeding in college and in life. Statistics show that people who go to college make a drastically higher income than people who don’t go to college. Moreover, the more college experience you have and the more advanced your degree is, the higher your salary will be and your opportunities in life will be more enriching and rewarding. When it comes down to it, many college students rely on financial aid – it is not something to be ashamed of. In fact, it should be something to be proud of, because it shows that you have taken initiative. Here are five ways to increase your chances of receiving grants and scholarships in college.

1. Fill out your application for financial aid sooner rather than later. When it comes down to it, you don’t want to wait until you’ve been accepted to realize that you need to take a few more steps to secure financial aid. Not applying for aid before you are accepted can result in you having to delay starting your first semester in college, which could affect your chances at deferment.
2. Get higher grades. The higher your grades in high school, the better your chances of securing financial aid. Moreover, the better your grades are, the better your chances of getting a loan with more favorable rates. When it comes down to it, if your grades are spectacularly good, you could be getting a grant, which means that you don’t have to pay back any loans. So, if you if you are going through Case Western University’s masters in social work online program or if you are taking another degree program, make sure to make grades a priority – it will be a good investment.
3. Do well on standardized exams. When it comes down to it, many college aid programs are available to students who excel at a particular field of study, like science, math, or reading. So, if you really want to impress the financial aid department at a college and increase your chances of getting a grant or a favorable loan, you may want to take a series of standardized tests that measure your aptitude in a certain field. Getting good scores on these exams will make you a more worthwhile candidate for a college financial aid program.
4. Immerse yourself in extracurricular activities. By joining numerous groups in high school – the science group, the astronomy group, the physics group – you can prove to a college that you care about going the extra mile when it comes to your studies, which can greatly improve your chances of being accepted for a loan or even getting a grant.
5. Craft an essay that proves you have what it takes to succeed in college and in life. By writing an essay to the financial aid department of a certain college, you may just be able to convince the department to give you a grant. If you come from a low socioeconomic background or an unfavorable upbringing, or even if you just can’t afford college, a strong essay may be your golden ticket to a collegiate career and a life of promise and opportunities.

 

Tags: Education, FAFSA, Scholarship, Student financial aid in the United States

Category: Education