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Why Use a Free Scholarship Search Service?

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

Why Use a Free Scholarship Search Service?
Expert Advice provided by ScholarshipExperts.com.

So you think it's time to look for a scholarship to cover your college tuition bill or to pay for grad school. But should you use a scholarship search service or not? Let's take a look at what a free scholarship search service like ScholarshipExperts.com can provide.
First, let's think about other "services" that you willingly sign up for, whether they come at a cost or are free of charge. Think yard work. Filing taxes. Hair styling. House painting. Car repairs. Fast food. And the list goes on. You often have someone else do the job, whether it's preparing your will or washing your car, because that someone can do it better and faster than you can do it yourself. Saving time is usually the issue. So is expertise: you usually turn to someone with expertise in order to get results with minimal time invested.
That's what scholarship search services claim to be: EXPERT at what they do. And what we at ScholarshipExperts.com do is provide an extraordinarily current and extensive scholarship search service. Why? In one word, empathy.
That's right -- empathy. We know how it feels to be a high school or college/grad student who wants that college education but is looking at a cost of thousands of dollars. We attended universities on scholarship, and it was great! In fact, ScholarshipExperts.com really began in 1997 when one enterprising college student (who had received ample scholarship dollars) noticed some of his buddies struggling to buy textbooks. They were simply under-financed for their college experience. He grew determined to start a free scholarship search service on the Internet, and others who shared his conviction joined in, including former educators and a college advisor.

Our mission at ScholarshipExperts.com is to help more students get more access to more scholarships. We're not trying to fool you or scam you. Why should we? We are a legitimate business operated by professionals who know what we're doing. We are not a small home-based business that will be here today and gone tomorrow. We have a real commitment to providing the best technology and scholarship data to students, and have been doing this since 1998. We were in the academic and financial aid environment when today's high school students were in pre-school. We compile our own database of awards -- just ask our team of research specialists who do it. In short, we work hard just like you; we're moms and dads, friends and family members just like you. We believe that we can provide an exceptional service that will genuinely make a difference in the lives of the students who use it. We know how you feel about the prospect of funding a college education, and we're here to help. That's it, pure and simple.

Experience has taught us that obtaining scholarship information can be a daunting process. Even if a student is sure that he or she can qualify for an athletic scholarship, for example, where do you start? Call the major universities on the phone? Check out some web sites? Ask around? This is where we come in. We're pros; we know how you feel; we think we can be your primary resource for finding scholarship dollars. So check out other services if you must, but we think you will return to ScholarshipExperts.com. We're the experts in this domain, and we're worth signing up for.

For additional information about this topic, visit www.ScholarshipExperts.com.

Copyright Â© 2000-2006, ScholarshipExperts.com, All Rights Reserved.

Winning the Scholarship Award

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:58:00 GMT

Winning the Scholarship Award
Expert Advice provided by ScholarshipExperts.com.

Searching for and finding scholarships is only the first half of the process. You still need to apply for each scholarship you are trying to win. Applying for scholarships can be time consuming and takes dedication and motivation. But the thousands of dollars you could receive makes the effort worthwhile. Below are some hints to help you apply for and win scholarships.
Be proactive.
No one is going to track you down to give you a scholarship; you need to do the legwork yourself. So when you find awards with eligibility criteria that you can meet, contact the provider and request a scholarship application packet. Whether you have to request the application via email, phone or by sending in a self-addressed stamped envelope, do it. There's just no other way to get the ball rolling than to be proactive and assertive in requesting information for yourself.
Be timely.
Almost all scholarship providers set deadlines, and you MUST adhere to them. Make sure you have all materials submitted before the deadline. If the scholarship deadline is approaching and you have not yet even received the application packet that you requested four weeks earlier, follow-up with the provider and request the application packet again. You do not want to miss a deadline, as most scholarship providers do not consider late applicants.
Be organized.
Good organizational skills can really pay off - literally! Keep your applications ordered by deadline date and give yourself plenty of time to complete them and send them in well before the due date. Keep letters of recommendation and transcripts on hand so you don't have to obtain new ones every time they are required for an application. Make copies of your completed applications before sending them in, and file them in folders labeled with the deadline date and the mailing address and phone number of the scholarship provider. Call before the deadline to see if your scholarship application was received. If it got lost in the mail, (the postal service is not perfect!) you still have an extra copy you can send in.
Be persistent.
The scholarship search process doesn't just happen overnight. You must be diligent about looking for new scholarships to apply for. Plan to spend several hours each month reviewing the scholarship programs with deadlines approaching, preparing application packets, and getting the applications in the mail on time. And then the cycle should begin again - finding scholarships, sending away for application information, and applying in an organized, timely manner.

Be positive.
Finally, believe in yourself and in your chances of winning a scholarship. Hard work and time spent on the scholarship process will pay off eventually. Keep your chin up and think about how great the reward will be if you can land even one of the scholarships you're trying for! After all, your education depends on it!

For additional information about this topic, visit www.ScholarshipExperts.com.

Copyright Â© 2000-2006, ScholarshipExperts.com, All Rights Reserved.

Finding Scholarships on the Internet

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:57:00 GMT

Finding Scholarships on the Internet
Expert Advice provided by ScholarshipExperts.com.

Okay, so you are ready to tackle that daunting task of finding scholarships to pay for college. And you want to use the Internet to expedite the search process. But there are so many scholarship search services out there - which ones should you use? How do you know what qualities and features to look for in a scholarship search service? And how do you avoid getting scammed while looking for awards? Use the following guide to determine what to look for and to assist you in finding the service that will best fit your scholarship search needs.
Profile Matches Are Key
First and foremost, find a scholarship search service that has sophisticated matching technology. A good scholarship search service will match the personal information you provide to them with scholarships that you are eligible to apply for. This will minimize the time you spend browsing through lists of awards, and will give you more time to actually work on the application process itself. Beware of simple keyword search services or services that only ask a few questions about your background. Many such services will return hundreds of scholarships for you to wade through, wasting valuable time that you simply don't have. Look for services with easy-to-use, thorough profile pages that generate results closely matched to your profile.
Up-to-Date Scholarship Information
Secondly, find a scholarship search service that provides accurate and up-to-date scholarship information. Reading requirements for scholarship programs from two years ago will not help you at all; in fact, using outdated information will simply slow your progress in actually securing scholarship funding for college. Remember, you need to find a service that offers scholarship information for the current academic year. Don't waste your time on websites with out-dated contact lists, broken application links, and discontinued programs.
The Privacy Policy
Do not become part of a spamming list! When you fill out a profile with a scholarship search service, the service collects and stores your very personal information; such collecting of profile information is necessary for accurate scholarship matching. Make sure you read the privacy policy for any service you use so you know what happens to that personal information once you enter it into the website. Some websites actually make money by selling your information to third parties that want to advertise to you, regardless of whether you give them permission to do so or not. Be very careful about giving out your personal information to companies without credible, clearly stated privacy policies - the last thing you need is an email inbox full of spam and a mailbox full of unwanted solicitations.
An Easy Process
Make sure the service is set up to save you time. If you take the time to fill out the profile, make sure the information is saved so you don't have to start from scratch each time you want to look for more scholarships. Also, make sure there is a way to edit and update your profile, in case you change your major or improve your test scores or change your mind about the college or university you want to attend. Search services with such customer-oriented features will save you time and frustration in the search process, and that's what you should be aiming for - saving time, avoiding scams, and finding money to pay for college!

For additional information about this topic, visit www.ScholarshipExperts.com.

Copyright Â© 2000-2006, ScholarshipExperts.com, All Rights Reserved.