Reduce College Debt with Scholarships

By:Dale Clifton, The Scholarship Doctor

Six Scholarship judges were sitting around an oval table. Forms were

piled into 50 boxes. Each one had the name of a state. I looked at

the boxes and wondered why some of them were overflowing and others

had just a few. This was the first round of judging. By the time the

contest was over almost 16,000 applications would be examined. Some

of the comments were really critical, "Why did this person bother to

send in an application? It's so sloppy." "This person put the wrong

address on the envelope, even though the correct one is at the top of

the application." One had a cassette tape inside. We played it and it

was a country song. The applicant was a good musician.

That was twelve years ago, and many people still do not know or

realize that College Scholarship Planning could reduce or totally

eliminate college financial debt.

One of the first questions I am always asked is,"When should we start

looking?" Then some answer their own question with, "I'll bet we're

too late already huh?" The ideal time is to start is the 8th grade to

freshman year. Good planning starts early, but scholarships are posted

monthly, and if you start planning early, you have a chance to win

big. Many win the very first time.

If you are a junior or senior in high school, go for it. But remember,

your chances to win increase with every completed application. You

should start College Scholarship Planning even if there is a chance

your child may decide not to go to college. But if the decision is yes,

you will have everything in place. And the planning experience is more

than filling out a few applications.

Another common concern is assuming your family income is too high to

win scholarships. Fact: 80% of all scholarships are need based and

income related, but 20% are not. This means millions of dollars are

still available. It makes good solid financial sense to make an effort

to win scholarship money regardless of income.

You should start College Scholarship Planning even if there is a

chance your child may decide not to go to college. But if the decision

is yes, you will have everything in place. And the planning experience

is worth more than filling out a few applications.

Always remember: the college cholarship effort is truly a family affair.

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Š2006 The Scholarship Doctor, Dale Clifton - All Rights Reserved - Dale is
an educational consultant and expert at helping families win college
scholarships. To learn more about planning to win scholarships,
visit ScholarshipDoctor.com