Many people reading this article have either applied or even enrolled in an online or traditional college or university, however, the one question you may not have answered is, “How will I pay for it?” There are many options, which include grants, subsidized and unsubsidized loans, and scholarships. In my opinion, the best option is scholarships. I recently spoke to a University of California, Berkeley student who received so much scholarship money that after paying for four years of school, books and room and board she still had enough money to buy a car. That’s right, a little known fact is that after you pay for all your books and classes, many scholarships allow you to spend the balance any way you choose. There are millions of dollars worth of scholarships that go unclaimed each year and my hope is that after reading this article you will pursue getting your share.
When I asked the Berkeley student what her secret was she said it was not her grades because lots of students have good grades, it was not her ethnic background, nor her gender, but it was the fact that she had overcome hardships in her young life. People in charge of issuing college scholarship money will frequently not issue them to a person that has grown up in a typical home with the perfect grades. The reason for this is that a student completing a college degree, whether it is through an online or a traditional college or university, has many challenges to overcome and scholarship boards would rather invest in someone that already has the skill set and level of maturity gained from overcoming a significant challenges.
You’ve considered the obstacles you’ve overcome and now you are ready to write the essay, but before you start remember that you do not have to write an entirely new essay for each scholarship you apply for. You can revise your original essay to meet the requirements for other scholarship submission requirements. When writing your essay, be sure to write about school activities and experiences, however, do not make them your focus. Rather than simply listing activities, describe your level of achievement in those activities including employment or volunteer activities and the personal qualities revealed through the time and effort you devoted to them. Also, discuss your interest in your intended filed of study. If you have a disability, you may also include a description of its impact on your experiences, goals and aspirations. Any exceptional achievement such as honors and awards that demonstrate your motivation, achievement, leadership and commitment will be welcomed. Make sure your essay is neatly typed, is well written, and does not contain grammatical errors or misspelled words.
