by Emily Hechler 
No matter how well you manage your finances, college is still expensive. A smart way to combat the cost of paying for college is through scholarships and grants. While applying for scholarships and grants might take some time, the reward is often worth the time.
If you receive scholarships and grants, you can eliminate the need for a student loan. Some colleges have generous scholarships and grants that they award to students every year. Depending on the cost of your school, a scholarship or grant can greatly reduce the amount of a student loan you’ll need or even cover your entire tuition. Every dollar awarded in scholarships or grants is one less you’ll have to pay back with a loan later.
Scholarships and grants affect your schedule. Depending on your work-life-school balance while taking classes, you may work at least part time. If you have scholarships and grants to help pay for your expenses, you may be able to work less to make up the cost. On the flip side, athletic scholarships often require a time commitment. While many student-athletes pay their way through college on athletic scholarships, their schedules may leave little room for include working part time.
Scholarships and grants can increase your network too. These awards are often tied to niche organizations and groups. The amount of people you’ll meet with similar interests because you won a scholarship will surprise you.
The goal for many people after they graduate college is to find a job related to their field of study. Your expanded network, thanks to your scholarship win, can serve as a great resource for finding an open job, getting letters of recommendation, or helping refine your portfolio. In addition, it’s appropriate to include the scholarships you’ve won on your resume if you’re looking for your first post-college job. Your award can help you stand out among the other candidates.
When you want to start applying for scholarships, check with your college to see what types of scholarships they offer. You might be eligible for a lot of them. Scholarship eligibility is usually dependent on achievement, such as grades or athletics. If those alone aren’t satisfactory, there are many other scholarships students in Missouri can apply for to use at the college of their choice. When you apply, be careful to read the necessary documents carefully, as one mistake can ruin your chance of receiving an award.
Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment scholarships are popular at high schools and local community colleges. As a high school junior or senior, you can often take a class from your local community college for little to no cost. Other similar scholarships can cover the cost of community college based on grades and community involvement.
The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship is randomly awarded to high school seniors that plan to attend an eligible college in the fall following their graduation. This $1,000 scholarship application is usually open until April. Plus, the application is easy too.
The Purdy Emerging Leaders Scholarship is for students that have met certain leadership, character, and academic criteria. This scholarship of $5,000 is renewable for up to two years, meaning you can receive a total of $15,000.
The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis hosts a list of the foundation’s scholarships and grants. Varying factors including household income, field of study, or place of residence determine your eligibility. Many of these scholarships are renewable too. To see a list of the opportunities, visit the Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis website.
The Access Missouri scholarship is awarded by the state government. The amount of award ranges from $300-$2,850 depending on which college you attend, and you can renew your award every year. To apply, you must be a full-time student with an EFC (expected family contribution) of $12,000 or less. The results of your FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, determine your EFC.
Students with high SAT or ACT scores can receive the Bright Flight scholarship. If you took a test more than once, you can combine your highest score in each category to receive a higher award of up to $3,000 a year. You can renew this scholarship if you maintain a 2.5 or higher GPA in college.
Similar to the Access Missouri scholarship, the Federal Pell Grant is awarded based on your EFC and cost of college attendance for both part time and full time attendees. Students can receive up to $7,395 a year depending on their EFC and cost of college. This grant is renewable too and is funded by the federal government.
Looking for scholarships and grants to apply for can be overwhelming because there are so many to choose from. That’s why I recommend starting with scholarships available from your school and with the local scholarships listed above. Other niche ideas include local businesses and organizations and even your or your parents’ employers. The pool of applicants for the scholarships is smaller, so you have a better chance of winning because of the lack of applicants.
As you look through these scholarship opportunities, make note of which ones you want to apply for. Many organizations that give scholarships post the requirements and dates a while before they accept any applications. If you’ve applied for a scholarship the year before, use that application window as an estimate of this year’s window. Keeping your scholarship opportunities organized can help ensure that you don’t miss any deadlines.
As you wait for applications to open, or if you’ve already started applying, create a folder of the basic items that you’ll continually need to apply. This can include personal information like your name, parents’ names, employer, and email address. Use a personal email and not a school email, as you won’t always have access to your school email. Gather information about your school including your graduation year and 6-digit high school code (if applicable). Other documents to add to the folder include your most recent transcripts, letters of recommendation, and parents’ most recent federal tax return. Having these items on hand early on will prevent trying to track them down when your application deadline is quickly approaching.
Many scholarships ask you to write an essay. Pay close attention to the prompt and the details about the requirements, such as word count and font size. When you finish writing, read your essay aloud to ensure you don’t have any typos in the copy. Let a trusted friend or mentor read your essay too so they can look for mistakes you might have overlooked.
Some scholarships have optional work in addition to the required materials. Always submit the optional work. This helps you stand out above those who only completed the minimum. Don’t slack off on this work. Do your optional work with excellence so it enhances your application and doesn’t show that you rushed it or did it half-hearted.
While finding and applying for scholarships and grants takes time, it isn’t time wasted. When I was graduating high school, I applied to over 50 scholarships – but I won one! While I didn’t win the majority of the scholarships I applied to, I gained great experience along the way. Plus, you can recycle and improve your work next year. You already have a head start! Best of luck applying for scholarships!
