Unless you are independently wealthy, you will probably need more money than you currently have for college. The good news is that billions of dollars are available in private scholarships to help students jump the college-funding hurdle. Are you ready to jump?

Picture yourself attending college with a good amount of money, few student loans and big bucks to pay tuition bills. How can it be done? The first step in securing dollars is not to surf the Internet, hopelessly searching for scholarships. Instead, focus on you and your future. Think about why you want to go to college, why you’ve chosen a particular major and what you hope to accomplish. What are your dreams for your future? If you are able to articulate these things to the people around you, including teachers, counselors, advisors and coaches, then you will likely be able to explain your goals in response to a scholarship essay or interview question.

The next step is to document your success and your background. Think about your past achievements and family characteristics. Do you know your current grade point average (GPA)? Are you a member of multiple clubs and groups at school? Do you know if your parents are members of associations or civic groups that might offer scholarships? What is your racial and ethnic background? Are you a regular volunteer? To make this step easier, write down a list of everything about you, outlining academics, extracurricular activities, personal distinctions, your family history and community involvement. This encourages you to think creatively about prospects for scholarships and helps you share information with other people.

After you prepare a list that reflects who you are, your next step is to identify who can aid you in your quest for a scholarship. Successful students rarely approach college funding alone. Use a divide-and-conquer approach. You, the student, are the only person who should fill out your scholarship applications. However, your parents, grandparents, siblings and friends might all play a role in completing the applications. Can your mother or father help you search for scholarships? Is your sister able to proofread your work and offer suggestions on your essay? If necessary, is there a favorite teacher you can ask to write a letter of recommendation? Think of yourself as a benevolent king or queen of your own scholarship-seeking empire. Start assembling your scholarship helpers and think about who is best suited for each job.

With a team of people on your side, you can start looking for scholarships. Students who race to the computer and sign up with a specific scholarship search engine miss much of the available scholarship information. Why? Think about it. All of your friends are using the Internet. What if you use “old school” research methods instead? You’ve just separated yourself from the competition. Students who combine the power of the Internet with print resources like local news articles and last year’s graduation bulletin— and collaborate with teachers, family members, teammates, neighbors, librarians, employers and other key networkers— uncover abundant scholarship information. Try all three approaches: online, in print and by word-of-mouth.

Now, you are ready to apply for scholarships. This is where you can move ahead of the competition, because even when students are armed with good information on well-matched scholarships, some teens decide not to apply. The essay requirements might be too long, in their opinion, or the students don’t have their background information handy and ready to go. If they don’t have a clear dream or goal regarding college, it becomes increasingly difficult for students to complete the necessary information. You, on the other hand, will be prepared!

When you enter the required information, be sure that your application follows the three Cs of successful applicants: It’s clear, consistent and compelling. To be clear, use proper grammar and punctuation and present well-formed ideas in your answers or essays. Consistency shows when the 3.2 grade point average that you claim on the application form actually matches the 3.2 GPA on your high school transcript, if it is required. Compelling scholarship candidates are the real winners because they meet the requirements, build high-quality applications and personalize their essays or answers beyond the generic, typical answers. These students give the scholarship committees reason to believe in them and their scholarship worthiness.

The last step in securing scholarships is to thank the people who helped you. Whether your grandmother, volleyball coach or English teacher supported your effort to secure a scholarship, being gracious is the right thing to do. A bonus, being gracious also increases the prospect that supporters will help you again. This is important because you should apply for multiple scholarships— not just one— and you may need continual support.

The most successful students keep applying for scholarships that are well-matched to their profiles, and their persistence definitely pays off.

Kim Stezala is a consultant to education and nonprofit organizations and the author of Scholarships 101: The Real-World Guide to Getting Cash for College (Amacom). She also oversees the blog at www.scholarshipstreet.com, a resource for scholarship-seeking students.
Thanks to tandtnews.com for this story.