How I Qualified for Over $100,000 in Scholarships

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You have to graduate college with student loans right? Wrong.

There has never been more scholarship money available in the history of tuition bills. Don’t believe me? Kathryn from Money and Mountains was able to qualify for $100,000 in scholarship money.

I asked her to give her best tips on how to stand out for scholarships. So whether you’re entering for the first time, or returning, you can get as many expenses covered as possible.

Why Scholarships Matter

Going to college is such a huge step, and for many careers, a necessity.

If you are still in high school or even if you are already partway through college, you have undoubtedly heard about the student loan debt crisis.

The unfortunate reality is that landing your dream job will likely cost a lot of money. The good thing is, it doesn’t have to be all your money! That is where scholarships come in.

My husband and I paid off approximately $40,000 from his student loans.

To get a Master’s in speech-language pathology would cost over $100,000. If we had to pay that, I don’t know how we could have survived!

The more scholarships you can apply for and land, the less money you will have to pay back when you are done.

Although it does take time, the return on investment for applying for scholarships is generally extremely high. Where else could you make $500-$5000 or even more in as little as one hour?

5 Tips on How You Can Stand Out For Scholarships

Because getting as much scholarship money as possible will set you up for a much better financial future, it is important to set yourself apart. Luckily there are several great ways to do that.

1. Write Amazing Scholarship Essays!

When you apply for a scholarship, there are likely hundreds of other people shooting for that same award. That is why it is SO important to write a stand-out essay that highlights your strengths and achievements in a polished, organized, and professional way.

2. Get Good Grades

Another way to stand out is by getting good grades. I had a 4.0 in high school and a 3.9 or so in college. While you don’t have to have a high GPA to be awarded scholarships, it definitely doesn’t hurt.

It’s never too late to start working hard and talking with teachers to find ways to improve your grades.

3. Be Involved

I think this is one of the absolute best ways to set yourself up for success when it comes to applying for scholarships.

The great thing about this is that your involvement can be in any number of areas. Not everyone can be a star athlete or have the lead in every play. That does NOT mean that you can’t find other ways to get involved.

When you participate in various organizations, you show scholarship committees that you can handle taking on more than one thing at a time (a must have skill in college). You also show that you are committed to the things you are passionate about.

Below is a list of extracurricular activities I did in high school and college that I could then reference when I applied for scholarships.

• Play sports
• Sing in the choir
• Play in the jazz band
• Volunteer
• Work as a nanny/babysitter
• Be a member of a foreign language club
• Take advanced placement courses
• Be a member of the National Honor Society
• Participate in the rock climbing club
• Worship leader for an on-campus church group
• Be a member of the art club
• Participate in clubs relevant to your major (Communication Disorders Club for me.)
  

Maybe you won’t do all of these things (and to be honest, I don’t actually recommend that, because sometimes I felt like I was dying). But, I bet there will be a few activities that stand out to you as something you would really love to do.

4) Relate Your Involvement to Desirable Qualities

Many of your extracurriculars will relate back to qualities like commitment, leadership, organization, philanthropy, etc.

For example, if I talked about my involvement in sports in an application, I would stress how it required a significant time commitment and ability to manage my time well in order to complete all necessary school work on top of my sport.

For a foreign language club involvement, I would mention something along the lines of how this has allowed me to gain experience and increased skills in interacting with people of different cultures and backgrounds which is something that will benefit me in my career.

Whatever your particular involvement, find a specific way that you can tie it into the bigger picture of life and how it will help you later on.

5) Network With Your Teachers/ Professors.

Many scholarship applications will ask for a recommendation from one or more of your teachers. This is why it is important to have healthy relationships with them.

One of the best things I ever did in college was that I went into my professors’ office hours to introduce myself and tell them how excited I was to be in their class.

That way, when I asked for a letter of recommendation down the road, they could talk about more than just saying what my grade in their class was.

There are tons of ways to stand out for scholarships and earn TONS of money to help pay for college! It’s never too late to get started and your future self will definitely thank you!