Author: Going Merry

With the cost of college rising by about 7% annually, the days when students could work a part-time job to cover all their college expenses may be gone for good. Still, for many families, the question remains: should parents pay for college? Some parents would like to support their child’s college education but aren’t sure whether or not they can afford to chip in. Others might not be convinced that higher education is totally necessary, and therefore struggle to justify the astronomical cost. If you’re not sure how that affects your personal situation, read on to find out what solution might be right for your family.

Scholarships are one of the best ways to help fund your college education. But unlike financial aid or grants, which award funding based on financial need, scholarships require a bit more work than just filling out a FAFSA. Most awards are merit-based, so even if you meet the eligibility requirements, you’ll still have to put in a bit of elbow grease to win over the selection committee. Fortunately, there are many ways to demonstrate merit. You don’t necessarily have to be at the top of your class to win big. All you need is to think strategically, work hard, and be persistent. To help you do just that, we compiled this list of 20 strategies for how to win college scholarships.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. Department of Education accredited nearly 4,000 colleges and universities in 2020. With so many options, picking a school can be daunting — especially when you consider how much your choice of alma mater could impact your future. The best way to make this process easier is to break it down into bite-sized steps. So, before you make your list of schools, ask yourself these 17 questions to narrow down your options and determine which college is right for you.

Scholarships are an incredible source of financial assistance for college students. Unlike loans, scholarship funds are free money. That means you don’t have to pay them back over time — an assurance that can vastly reduce financial stress and help you focus more on your studies. In fact, recent reporting from Forbes has shown that private scholarship recipients are more likely to graduate from college than those with just student loans. Financial aid and student loans are excellent sources of support, but college scholarships are one of the best ways to reduce the debt burden associated with pursuing higher education. If you’re on the fence about applying, here are a few more reasons to make scholarships part of your financial aid strategy.

The cost of college has soared over 180% in the past forty years. With tuition, room and board, books, and other education-related expenses, it can feel like expenses are never-ending. Thankfully, there are numerous scholarship programs to help you afford higher education. If you’ve applied to any of them, you’re probably wondering: Can I use scholarship money for anything? The answer is a bit complicated. But we’re here to help you make sense of it all. It’s worth noting that many awards will be paid directly to your college or university. For the others that come straight to you, check out the tips below to help decipher different scholarship rules.

A lot of students assume that if you’re not a straight-A, gold-star, super athlete, you won’t qualify for college scholarships. Fortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Colleges need all kinds of students — which means there are scholarship opportunities that cater to a vast range of interests and backgrounds. Going Merry is one of the most comprehensive and user-friendly scholarship platforms out there. To give you a sense of that variety, we’ve put together this guide to the 18 different types of scholarships we offer.

For single-parent families that only have one income, educational costs can represent an especially significant burden. Fortunately, there are a number of high-quality scholarships that provide financial assistance to students raised by single moms, dads, or other single guardians. To qualify for many of these single-parent scholarships, you’ll need to complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA®) and calculate your expected family contribution (EFC) to your college education. Not sure how to begin? Use our custom tools to figure out your EFC and answer the FAFSA®’s trickiest questions. Then sign up for Going Merry to find even more scholarships specifically for you.