Distinctive

By – Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D.

We’re frequently asked if we can help identify scholarship opportunities for our families. While we happily forward on options that we serendipitously find, it’s nearly impossible to comb through the various databases out there to discover scholarships that perfectly fit each student. Some of the requirements are just too weird (yes, we’re looking at you Duckbrand Duct Tape Scholarship and Tall Clubs International Scholarship)! 

The truth is, the best source of scholarship money is colleges themselves. That’s why you need to know your options and apply to the right schools to secure the most money.

So how do you make this happen?

First, establish fit. The more you can show a college that you are exactly the type of student they want, the more likely you are to get in and get aid. So make sure you spend time crafting your application essays and demonstrating interest. It matters!

Second, do not apply early decision. This disincentivizes colleges from giving you a competitive financial aid package, because they know that if they accept you, they have no competition. You’ve agreed to enroll upon receiving their offer. With that said, if you ultimately can’t afford to go, you can decline the offer and apply elsewhere.

Third, meet the specified scholarship deadlines. These are often posted on a college’s admissions website, and sometimes in the applications themselves. Sometimes they are not specified, so just submitting your application will be enough. If you do miss a scholarship deadline, however, you’re out of luck, no matter how strong of an applicant you are. All you can hope for at that point is need-based assistance if you qualify.

Fourth, complete the required scholarship applications. This is different from simply submitting your college application on time. Some colleges actually want you to fill in additional information or write more essays. In some cases, you can find a scholarship application directly in the admissions application itself. In others, you’ll have to look for the supplementary forms online. For this reason, once you decide where you’d like to apply, do a thorough search of the schools’ admissions and financial aid websites, so that you don’t miss an opportunity.

Fifth, focus on your Safety Schools. It’s important to recognize that Reach Schools very rarely give merit scholarships. Your gift is getting in! If you’re a strong student eager to obtain scholarship money, take your Safety Schools seriously. You may even wish to look into their honors programs. They often provide amazing educational opportunities with money to boot!  

Sixth, complete your financial aid forms on time. We know that completing the FAFSA and CSS-Profile can cause headaches, but it can pay off! Some merit scholarships are actually tied to the completion and submission of these forms. Plus, the best kinds of need-based financial aid, namely scholarships and work-study, are disbursed on a first come, first served basis, so it definitely does not pay to procrastinate. 

Seventh, work to increase your SAT or ACT score. Whether or not it’s fair, many colleges tie scholarship offers to standardized test scores. If you just waltzed into the testing center without having done much prep, realize that there’s more hanging in the balance than just getting into schools. Put in some effort and prepare for that second shot, because even a small bump can translate into thousands of dollars per year. 

Eighth, appeal your financial aid awards. You do not necessarily have to accept the first offer of financial aid, but you should have a compelling reason to request more. Financial aid officers field such requests all the time, and they know how to sniff out a fake need versus a real one. Acceptable grounds for appeal include:

• A similarly or more selective institution offers a better package;
• Your family’s financial circumstances have changed;
• The FAFSA and/or CSS-Profile didn’t accurately capture your family’s financial situation.

To increase the success of your appeal, you should be willing to:

• • Show proof – If there have been changed circumstances, such as a death, job loss, legal issues, divorce, or other major life change, you should compile the evidence in a polite letter stating the facts, which you can then present to the financial aid office.
  • Be specific about how much you need – Saying, “I want more money,” is not as effective as saying, “I need $5,000 more per year to be able to afford the tuition. Here are my calculations.”  
  • Speak with your assigned financial aid officer in person – Just don’t show up with a Chanel purse or in Gucci sneakers. They tend to be dead giveaways that you don’t need the money!
  • Don’t ever say “negotiate” – Financial aid officers find that word antagonizing.
  • Hold off on accepting the offer of admission until the financial aid piece falls into place – If you do so prematurely, you take away your leverage.

While there is no guarantee that you will get a full scholarship to your dream school, you can make choices and take actions that will increase your chances of getting scholarships from colleges. Or if you feel like you’ve got the answer to the Zombie Apocalypse, then maybe you should try your luck looking elsewhere. Who knows? It may pay off!