by Robyn Stewart, former financial aid officer at College of the Holy Cross

Families that have the most success paying for college are the ones who approach the process as a family. Most people agree it is important to start talking to your children early about the importance of attending college, but what about talking about how to pay for it?

Let’s face it: looking for additional funds to cover college costs is like a part-time job, so it is wise to start as early as you can. Despite this well-intentioned plan of action, most of the families I speak with start searching for scholarships during their senior year in high school.

Consider what would happen if you started looking for scholarships when your child was six years old? How about when your child was ten? Most families aren’t thinking about college at this point, and with less competition, your chances may actually be better at securing one of these scholarships than if you wait until your child reaches high school.

There is a scholarship (or many scholarships) out there for everyone. Every student has some skill, interest, experience, or characteristic that may make them an attractive candidate for one scholarship or another. And while we often refer to scholarships as “free money,” scholarships don’t actually come for free. It takes work to thoughtfully consider your strengths and research the scholarships that might be most appropriate for you. While the effort that goes into finding and winning scholarships may be akin to a part-time job, we at College Coach want to make your job a little easier. This ongoing scholarship series highlights a new scholarship each week. Check out the opportunity below, along with the other posts in the series, and you may discover a funding resource that will make covering that college bill a little (or a lot!) easier.

Are you feeling lucky? Or, more accurately, financially literate? The Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) helps students cover tuition and potentially reduce the need for borrowing through this scholarship opportunity based on your knowledge of financial concepts.

Scholarship: RISLA Knowledge for College Scholarship

Scholarships are a way to close the gap between the cost of attendance at a college and a family’s own resources. Among the many scholarships that students can apply for are those that are established to support students based upon the ways they define themselves. There is no comprehensive list of identity-based scholarships; professional associations, companies, non-profit entities, religious organizations, political groups, and colleges and universities are among the many sponsors of scholarships that may be awarded in part based upon a student’s race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or presence of a disability. Bright Horizons College Coach wants to help ensure that students from all backgrounds have access to the resources they need to achieve their educational goals and has therefore launched this monthly scholarship series to help students pinpoint funding opportunities based upon their unique identities. Check out the below resources, along with the other posts in the series, and you may discover funding sources that will make covering that college bill a little (or a lot!) easier.

This month, we look at scholarship resources for adult learners. Note that the below list is not exhaustive, but is intended to provide a starting place for adult learners to launch their scholarship searches. General scholarship search sites like www.scholarships.com and college websites can also provide useful scholarship information.

Scholarships are a way to close the gap between the cost of attendance at a college and a family’s own resources. Among the many scholarships that students can apply for are those that are established to support students based upon the ways they define themselves. There is no comprehensive list of identity-based scholarships; professional associations, companies, non-profit entities, religious organizations, political groups, and colleges and universities are among the many sponsors of scholarships that may be awarded in part based upon a student’s race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or presence of a disability. Bright Horizons College Coach wants to help ensure that students from all backgrounds have access to the resources they need to achieve their educational goals and has therefore launched this monthly scholarship series to help students pinpoint funding opportunities based upon their unique identities. Check out the below resources, along with the other posts in the series, and you may discover funding sources that will make covering that college bill a little (or a lot!) easier.

This month, we look at scholarship resources for LGBTQ+ students. Note that the below list is not exhaustive, but is intended to provide a starting place for LGBTQ+ students to launch their scholarship searches. Your high school’s counseling office, general scholarship search sites like www.scholarships.com, and college websites can also provide useful scholarship information.

There is a scholarship (or many scholarships) out there for everyone. Every student has some skill, interest, experience, or characteristic that may make them an attractive candidate for one scholarship or another. And while we often refer to scholarships as “free money,” scholarships don’t actually come for free. It takes work to thoughtfully consider your strengths and research the scholarships that might be most appropriate for you. While the effort that goes into finding and winning scholarships may be akin to a part-time job, we at College Coach want to make your job a little easier. This on-going scholarship series highlights a new scholarship each week. Check out the info below, along with the other posts in the series, and you may discover a funding resource that will make covering that college bill a little (or a lot!) easier.

One of three scholarship programs administered by the law firm of Sutliff & Stout, this scholarship invites students to outline steps they will personally take in order to become a more present, less distracted, driver.

Scholarship: First Step Scholarship

by Michelle Clifton, former financial aid officer at Babson College

One common misconception when it comes to community college is that students are on the hook to cover the entire expense out of their own resources. The cost of community college may be significantly less than a four-year institution, but financial aid options are still widely available! Many community college financial aid offices assist their students in completing the financial aid application—the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and counsel them on the implications of borrowing loans.

There is a scholarship (or many scholarships) out there for everyone. Every student has some skill, interest, experience, or characteristic that may make them an attractive candidate for one scholarship or another. And while we often refer to scholarships as “free money,” scholarships don’t actually come for free. It takes work to thoughtfully consider your strengths and research the scholarships that might be most appropriate for you. While the effort that goes into finding and winning scholarships may be akin to a part-time job, we at College Coach want to make your job a little easier. This on-going scholarship series highlights a new scholarship each week. Check out the opportunity below, along with the other posts in the series, and you may discover a funding resource that will make covering that college bill a little (or a lot!) easier.

The Coalition for College offers some great tools to help students get a head start on the college application process. Details of the Exploration Scholarship were announced previously and now the Coalition has unveiled a new opportunity for high school seniors. By using the tools on the website students will be on track for college success!

Scholarship: The Path to College Scholarship

There is a scholarship (or many scholarships) out there for everyone. Every student has some skill, interest, experience, or characteristic that may make them an attractive candidate for one scholarship or another. And while we often refer to scholarships as “free money,” scholarships don’t actually come for free. It takes work to thoughtfully consider your strengths and research the scholarships that might be most appropriate for you. While the effort that goes into finding and winning scholarships may be akin to a part-time job, we at Bright Horizons College Coach want to make your job a little easier. This ongoing scholarship series highlights a new scholarship each week. Check out the post below, along with the other posts in the series, and you may discover a funding resource that will make covering that college bill a little (or a lot!) easier.

We believe that students should start looking for outside scholarships as early as freshman year of high school. Students who set up a MyCoalition account can not only look for scholarships, they can apply for one! The Coalition for College has combined early college preparation activities with an opportunity to win money for school.

Scholarship: Coalition Exploration Scholarship

As frequent listeners to our program know, the best sources of scholarship money are the colleges themselves. But there is more money out there for students willing to put the time in to look. We’ll offer tips on doing those outside scholarship searches. We’ll also explore what’s involved in film studies majors and what colleges who offer them look for in good candidates. Finally, in Office Hours we’ve got advice for students getting started on the Common App activity list.

Scholarships are a way to close the gap between the cost of attendance at a college and a family’s own resources. Among the many scholarships that students can apply for are those that are established to support students based upon the ways they define themselves. There is no comprehensive list of identity-based scholarships; professional associations, companies, non-profit entities, religious organizations, political groups, and colleges and universities are among the many sponsors of scholarships that may be awarded in part based upon a student’s race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or presence of a disability. Bright Horizons College Coach wants to help ensure that students from all backgrounds have access to the resources they need to achieve their educational goals and has therefore launched this monthly scholarship series to help students pinpoint funding opportunities based upon their unique identities. Check out the below resources, along with the other posts in the series, and you may discover funding sources that will make covering that college bill a little (or a lot!) easier.

This month, we look at scholarship resources for indigenous American students. Note that the below list is not exhaustive, but is intended to provide a starting place for students to launch their scholarship searches. Your high school’s counseling office, general scholarship search sites like www.scholarships.com, and individual college websites can also provide useful scholarship information.