Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Funding College

We have a bit of a "joke" in our family. Only, it's not really a joke because it's totally serious. It goes like this, and is said with a bit of a laugh - ha ha! As if we're trying to convince anyone listening that it's spoken in jest.

"These kids better get good grades in high school (ha ha) if they want to go to college, because if they don't get scholarships they'll be out of luck (ha ha ha)!"

The truth is, the kids better get good grades in high school so they earn decent scholarships. And they're going to college. End of story! College is not that far off, and at this point in time I can't envision saving enough for one semester, let alone for four years - times four.

When I was in high school, searching for scholarships was much more complicated than it is now. Of course there was no internet, so we pretty much relied on what the school counselor shared, or word of mouth. Now, the internet gives us an advantage. I will probably turn searching for scholarships into a full-time career, starting in about five years. Or, alternately, we can move to a state that offers free college. I wonder what the residency requirements are? At this point, I'm thinking finding scholarships is the more realistic option.

There are websites, like ScholarshipsOnline.org, dedicated to helping families find appropriate scholarships. You can search by category, deadline, or the name of the scholarship - in case you have a particular one you're looking into. Information is provided about each scholarship, including links to the website affiliated with the scholarship, and, when available, a link to apply. The website also has featured scholarships, a list of 100 scholarship tips, and a list of other resources that could prove to be useful as well.

While I'm glad that we have a few years yet before we need to start worrying full-force about college, I'm also glad to know that there will be resources available to us when the time comes. Are you better prepared than us for your child's college education, or do you plan on utilizing as many scholarships as you possibly can?

2 comments:

melanie said...

Do you remember them announcing scholarships on the pa in the morning? I remember my favorite announcement..."Sons and Daughters of Jewish Cranberry Pickers Scholarship". lol This post just made that flash in my mind!

daniellaprice30 said...

Your joke really did work out. But I think your kids are naturally smart and skilled and they don't even need college admissions counselors just to enter college.