Scholarship Directories to Help Offset Tuition Costs
There is a great quote that says adults are a form of obsolete children. I love the sound of that. Takes the sting out of having to be a financially responsible adult, if even for a moment. However, what does that quote make of children?
Children don’t ask to be born. They are perceptive, intelligent, and are quick learners. Yet, they don’t have the experience or wisdom of age to make informed decisions. Or, appreciate the long-term consequences of their actions. Especially when it comes to money.
The Cost of Having Kids
Children learn about money, and how to manage money, by watching adults. And, most children grow up watching their parents wrestle with their finances and struggle to pays bills. It costs over $233,000 to raise one child from birth to age 18.
Those costs do not account for long-term medical care or college tuition. The average cost of tuition per year at a private college is $35,600. Or, about $142,000 for four years. Those costs rise exponentially for the more exclusive private colleges.
I have been making lists of private and public scholarships that my family may be eligible for when the time is right. If you have a child who is applying for college, you’re better off checking out some of these free college scholarship directories.
Scholarships.com
If you’re going to find a scholarship opportunity that suits your needs, and one that your child could qualify for, it’s at Scholarship.com. This website has over 4 million scholarship opportunities listed on its online directory. They are sourced from 4,000 colleges, universities, and organizations. These listed scholarships have a value of over $19 billion.
This website is free to use. It has the contact details of all the schools and institutions offering the scholarships to help you initiate contact. Or, inquire about recruitment. Using the website can be very intimidating, since there an incalculable amount of information to sort through.
You can register on the site, create a profile, and be matched to scholarship opportunities according to your preferences.
FastWeb
FastWeb has an online directory of 1.5 million scholarships. It is free to use, although registering and creating a profile is the best way to search its listings. Or, to be matched to scholarships. FastWeb also has directories for over 10,000 part-time jobs and internships for budding college students.
The scholarships on FastWeb has a value of $3.4 billion. There are even scholarship listings for adult-age students who want to return to college.
Get Ready for the Long-Haul
Researching academic scholarships is no easy thing to do. You may have work and family responsibilities to attend to. However, nothing worthwhile is ever easy. It’s going to take a lot of time, energy, and patience to research such sites and look for scholarship opportunities that apply to you.
Finding the right scholarship will negate the need for student loans. Almost 70 percent of the graduating college class of 2018 owes $30,000, or more, in student loan debt each. Looking through some scholarship websites, with millions of listings, will be cheaper than applying for student loans.
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Allen Francis was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years with no money, no financial literacy, and no responsibility when he had money. To him, the phrase “personal finance,” contains the power that anyone has to grow their own wealth. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including focusing on your needs instead of your wants, asking for help when you need it, saving and investing in your own small business.