Applying for Scholarships

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.

College is an exciting and life-changing experience. It may be the first time you’ll be living on your own, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to make friends, meet new people, and learn about your interests both personally and professionally. However, adjusting to college life can be overwhelming – and figuring out a solid study routine is no exception! Take a look at these study tips for college to help you succeed.

When you’re looking for colleges to apply to, what’s one of the most common factors you look at before you apply? Tuition. If college tuition is expensive, students might be steered away from applying. However, a scholarship application makes it easier for any and all students to be awarded money toward their tuition, books, room and board, and more. We’re breaking down the most commonly asked scholarship questions and why you need to keep these on your radar in your search.

There are so many college scholarship websites on the internet, and it’s hard to know which are worth using. Which can you afford? Which have easy-to-use mobile apps? Which have the most scholarship money available to students like you? We’ve answered these questions and more to eliminate the guesswork. Here, we cover the 13 best scholarship websites for higher education.

Taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses to earn AP credits might just help you save money and graduate college early. According to U.S. News and the College Board, more than 2.6 million high school students in 2016 alone took 4.7 million AP exams. That’s double the number of students and tests taken 10 years ago! By transforming your AP test scores into college credit, you could get a head start on college and even graduate early (in other words: pay less tuition). The question with AP credits is: how does it work, and where do you start?