We didn't report to any colleges (mistake since you could report to 4 free and now we have to pay to get them sent).
A small piece of advice: After you "send" to your schools (and pay -- yippee), give it a week or so and then CALL TO VERIFY. It's rare, but I"ve known of a couple students who paid to send "later scores", and the testing people didn't do their end of the bargain. If you don't check, even though it's their fault, you'll have no recourse. I remember one student whose life was significantly impacted by the testing company's mistake! So spend a couple minutes and KNOW that all is well.
Check your local high school website to see if they have scholarship info.
In addition to your individual high school's website, check the county (or school district) website, and check the individual college websites.
Keep checking because new things pop up. As a general rule of thumb, the big-deal, super-competative scholarship information is available in the fall and deadlines tend to fall November-December. Smaller scholarships tend to have January-February-March deadlines.
Definitely go to collegeconfidential and read, read, read. You will find forums with hundreds(thousands) of parents and students going through the process--finished with college, attending college, on their way to college. After investing some time the myth, or should I say fantasy that "there is soooo much money out there" will be completely shattered...you will be a realist. The best advice I have is just to zone out when you are told stories about how anybody can get money for college and about all the unclaimed scholarships there are yada, yada. Spend a few hours reading heartbreaking stories from students and parents that bought into that only to discover otherwise after it was too late. Also search for another recent thread here discussing how top student after top student (valedictorians, stellar SATs, distisguished ECs) didn't get a dime.
Yeah, having taught high school seniors for more than two decades, I assure you that KCrew is totally right. Sooooo much money is not "out there". Scholarship applications are easy to find, and many people are highly motivated to apply. I've never known a single person to win a left-handed or red-haired scholarship. Most students do not receive a dime in scholarship money.
Having said that,
you should search! Many scholarships are unique, and only a handful of students qualify. Someone will win, but if you don't apply, it won't be you! TRY . . . but while you're trying, live in the real world and don't expect money to come rolling in, even for a top student. Have in mind a financial back-up so that IF nothing comes together for you, you're not left out.
Top tier schools do offer money, but even the Presidential Scholarships at approx 35K are a drop in the bucket compared to the Actual Overall Costs. Costs which Increase yearly and Financial Aid Often Decreases.
Yes, top schools do offer money . . . but, for example, UNC Chapel Hill has something like 26,000 undergrads, and the school's going to give money to a couple hundred. So, again, be realistic. Your kid may've been a super-star in high school, but at a competitive college EVERYONE was a super-star in high school
Ultimately a Student/Family Needs to decide if the Loans/Money is best spent on Undergrad work or better invested at the Graduate level...
So many graduates now cannot even qualify for a car loan never mind a Home loan.....The Huge debts are crushing........the job opportunities are Limited at best....
Financial Considerations should be forefront in College Discussions...
Best of Luck Op and to all those starting out........
Keep in mind, too, that although "everyone" on these boards talks about their child's future grad school work, the reality is that only 8% of all American adults have a masters' degree. The vast majority of our kids will not need to worry about choosing between undergrad and grad school.
I never said that there was no money out there. My point was that parents and students need to educate themselves early rather than later, because the reality of college financing is often a shock. I am not sure why you chose to comment in the way that you did.
Totally agree. Educate yourself now rather than waiting and expecting that scholarships will appear. If you and your student have in mind a dream school IF everything goes perfectly AND a couple realistic schools, you're safe no matter what happens.
Also, in my experience -- again, two decades, thousands of high school seniors -- MOST scholarship money does not come from the school itself. My own daughter was awarded two scholarships, which total to about half her college costs. Neither was from her university, so she could've applied them to any school.
As to your analogy, that applies if you are Harvard-able and go to a community college (not bashing CCs). There are plenty of good colleges that are not Harvard level, but will provide a great education. It's all in what a family wants & can afford. If you can get in to the top teir and afford it, I'm all for that. If you need to fund education with scholarships (as many middle class families do), you may have to lower your bar. Not saying you have to, just that it's an option if money is an issue.
Harvard-able is a stretch. Here's a situation I see occasionally:
I can attend the state flagship, which is a fantastic school and what I really want, but I'll pay full price and probably finish with some moderate loans . . . OR I can attend a mid-tier state school OR a lackluster private school and get about half the cost paid.
This is NOT an option that comes to many students, but it does happen to a few students. I'd estimate it happens to 1-2 students out of every graduating class (we tend to graduate 330-350/year).
In closing, as the parent of a college sophomore, I can assure you that after the first year,
it's so much easier. No choices to make, no orientation to attend, little to buy, no new schedules and methods to learn.
