Financial Aid Essays Examples
Posted by Sandra Wright
How to pay for college if I am not elligible for FAFSA?
For some reason I am not elligible for Federal Financial Aid, and I am wondering what other ways there are to pay for college. I plan on going to UCONN which is about 33k out-of-state.
Do you know of any scholarships that may be available? My grades are good(Mostly A’s, some B’s) I’m not quite sure of my class rank though.
Where could I go to find some essay scholarships, or maybe some of those weird scholarships you sometimes hear about that give you money, for example, for being jewish, or for having blonde hair and blue eyes, etc. (I don’t know if those really exist).
Thanks in advance
Why aren’t you eligible? I would try applying anyway, because it may open up the door for loans, which are one way to get through college.
Fastweb.com is a great website for finding scholarships for you. They create a profile based on questions you answer and find scholarships applicable to you. Then it’s all about applying.
Your high school guidance counselor will also have information on scholarships, especially ones for students in your specific area.
Your parents’ employers may offer scholarships as well as your place of worship- just ask!
Then there are loans. Try to keep loans as a last resort because it can take a while to pay them off and they accumulate quickly (I know personally- I’ve been in college 2 years and owe $10,000 already!). Some schools offer loans, some don’t. If yours doesn’t, try going through a bank. Chances are your parents will need to cosign for your loan.
You may want to consider a lower-cost college. In-state colleges are usually cheaper and if you can commute from home, that’s a LOT less money you will have to pay. Community colleges, while lacking the more in-depth programs larger universities have, can still give you a good education for less money.
There are lots of options to explore. Talk with your parents and guidance counselor to see which ones are best for you.
