Top Scholarship Myths

As an independent college career counselor, I hear lots of scholarship myths. Here are the most common:

1. Everyone has a scholarship.

This scholarship information is not true. Most money comes from the college itself in the form of grants or loans. Most people do not apply for, nor have scholarship money. Schools often use the word “scholarship” in reference to many different things, even things like a “tuition discount.” Beware of the use of the word “scholarship.”

2. You should only apply for the big money scholarships because little amounts will make no difference.

This is not true because most people do not get the big-money awards.  There is simply too much competition for the big awards. Most students who win scholarships are winning small, local awards that can help offset the cost of books, transportation, etc. Winning a few small scholarships can add up to big money. Usually, it’s the small awards from the local Kiwanis club or your parent’s place of work where a student has the best chance of winning an award.

3. Scholarship money will reduce what I need to pay for college.

This is not always true. Some schools will use scholarship money to offset the money they are giving to the student in the way of financial aid.  So, the student still pays the same price but the school uses the money as part of the financial aid package they are giving the student. Make sure you finding scholarship information specific to your school.

4. Scholarships are only for students with straight A’s or who excel in sports.

This scholarship information is untrue because there are all sorts of scholarships for things like having red hair or being from a certain region. If you look a bit at the scholarship sites, like Scholarship.com, Scholly and Fastweb, you will see a wide variety of scholarships that have nothing to do with merit or skills.

5. A student has to pay an application fee for a scholarship.

This is a huge scam!  Never pay for a scholarship application!

6. Scholarships only come from outside sources.

This is untrue because colleges have money to give.  They get donors who give them money for particular types of students.  The colleges then match applicants to the donations, if there are stipulations given.

If you want more scholarship information, contact our offices today!  We will assist you in finding potential scholarships to apply to and working on all pieces of the scholarship applications. Our Academic team offers a complimentary consultation for families of college-bound students. Click here to schedule now!

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