How to Win a Scholarship

How to Win a Scholarship College Financial Aid Experts: The Tanabes Gen and Kelly Tanabe are the authors of ten books on college admission and financial aid including Get Free Cash for College, 1001 Ways to Pay for College, and The Ultimate Scholarship Book, which are available on their website, SuperCollege.com. Their websites also offers a free, searchable scholarship database. Visitors can also ask Gen and Kelly questions about scholarships and paying for college. Related Articles I Need a Sample Essay to Win a Scholarship I Need a Sample Essay to Win a Scholarship Easy Scholarships Easy Scholarships Scholarship Writing Tools Scholarship Writing Tools The Interview LoveToKnow (LTK): How many scholarships did you win to pay for college? Gen and Kelly (GK): We each won eight to twelve scholarships ranging in value between $500 and $80,000 and totaling more than $100,000. LTK: What can students look for to find easy scholarships to win? GK: The best place to look for scholarships that are easy to win is in your own backyard. Local scholarships are the ones that you'll have the best chance of winning because you're not competing against thousands of students from across the country but with hundreds, dozens, or even a handful of students in your own community. Here are some places where you can find local scholarships: High school counselor College financial aid office High school or college websites Local businesses Local organizations and service groups Chamber of Commerce Local newspaper Clubs or organizations that you or your parents are members of Your employer or your parents' employer LTK: What is the most important thing students can do for finding the best scholarships? GK: Exhaust every resource! Don't rely on the Internet to neatly deliver every scholarship that you should apply for. It takes a little digging, but by using not only the Internet but books, people, and organizations to find scholarships, you'll find those that best fit you. LTK: What is the biggest misconception about scholarships?