Do you know the 3 biggest mistakes both parents and students make when looking for free money for college that destroys their results? If you want to dramatically increase your chances of having your child’s college tuition and fees covered by scholarships and other college financial aid while avoiding these 3 college funding mistakes, read this immediately because the mistakes and what to do instead are inside this article.
Mistake #1: Starting Too Late
What is the mistake? The mistake here is to believe that students need to wait until they reach their junior or senior year in high school before locating different sources of free money for college.
Why is it a mistake? This one is a mistake because the longer a student waits before getting started, the less time they actually have to research awards they will qualify to receive.
What you should do instead? Regardless of how old your child is, start now by creating a list of college funding opportunities. As your children grow up, that list will grow over time as well.
Mistake #2: Doing The Work Themselves
What is the mistake? The mistake here is to push yourself to find all the money for college you need by yourself. This leads to overwhelm and before you know it, you and your child have given up hope.
Why is it a mistake? This is a big mistake because to win at the game of finding free money for college, you will want to identify ways to accomplish this without having to do all of the legwork yourself.
What you should do instead? Relationships are key here. Try building a relationship with the college advisor at your child’s school and ask for email updates if any new scholarship award should cross their desk. This person is usually your greatest resource.
Mistake #3: Not Knowing The Numbers
What is the mistake? The mistake here is to find and apply for 30 or less scholarship awards to help you pay for college.
Why is it a mistake? This is a mistake because even the very best student will win less than 3% to 5% of awards for which they apply. With that said, if a student locates and applies to 3 college scholarship or college funding opportunities that is 90 or so over the course of the month.
What you should do instead? Get aggressive about finding as many credible sources of free money for college. Set a daily or weekly goal and stay with it until the question of how to pay for college quickly becomes a thing of the past.
