Whether you’re in high school or college, you may find that scholarships aren’t readily available to apply for during the summer. Much like students, scholarship providers are often on summer break. But this doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to improve your chances of winning money to pay for college.
While it is important to use summer to relax and spend quality time with friends and family, this is also a great time to participate in activities that will not only help you find scholarships but also make you the strongest candidate to receive the awards.
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— Get a summer job or internship: Getting a summer job or internship can help you earn money for college. It is also a great way to add to your scholarship resume.
Many scholarship providers like to see that you have used your summer in a productive way, especially if your activities help advance a particular academic or career interest. Even if the internship is unpaid, the experience may earn you money for college in the long run.
Not only is the experience helpful to boost your scholarship applications, but summer jobs and internships can actually be a great scholarship source themselves. Some organizations offer scholarships and financial assistance to employees who are planning to or already attend college.
Additionally, you can use any connections you make through your job or internship to find even more scholarships available within your field of interest or community — just make sure to ask.
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— Participate in summer school or college summer programming: Another way to make yourself stand out to scholarship committees is to show a commitment to academics, even during the summer. One of the most obvious ways to do this is by taking summer classes or attending programming on a local college campus.
Summer school can help you get ahead and free up time during the semester to focus on classes that you’re interested in. If you’re in high school, this can mean having more time to take Advanced Placement courses, which can save you money by earning you college credit you don’t have to pay for.
Many colleges also offer special summer programming for high school students interested in specific fields. These can be great experiences and position you well to earn scholarships, either in that academic area or from those colleges. Research the offerings at local colleges and universities as well as any colleges you’re interested in attending.
— Begin your scholarship research: Just because you may not be able to apply for the scholarships over the summer doesn’t mean you can’t research and prepare for future application periods. Create a list of scholarships you’re eligible for and arrange them by deadline — this will help you stay organized and be ready to apply when the applications are available.
Cast a wide net and consider all kinds of scholarships. Include easy scholarships that will allow you to apply quickly, but don’t forget about scholarships that require more work or have restricted eligibility requirements , such as local scholarships, scholarships for specific areas of study, scholarships for students from certain backgrounds, and so on . Both will have fewer applicants and can increase your chances of winning, so make special note to apply to these scholarships.
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— Apply to any available scholarships now: Although limited, there are scholarships with open application periods during the summer. Use this time to apply for these scholarships.
For example, high school juniors and senior who are active players in the G o — a Chinese board game — community can apply for the $1,000 American Go Foundation Scholarship. Applicants must be U.S. citizens no older than 20 years who are planning to attend a college or university. The application period is open until Nov. 1.
In an effort to give students another scholarship opportunity during this slow time, our organization, College Greenlight, offers the Summer Challenge Scholarship to rising seniors. Two students — regardless of U.S. citizenship status, including undocumented students — who have used College Greenlight to jumpstart their college and scholarship search will receive $500 scholarships.
Do some digging and you may find even more scholarships worth applying to during the summer break. Current college students of the Jewish faith can apply for the Sara and Max Goldsamler Fund Scholarship, which awards $300-$1,000, by Aug. 10.
Enjoy your summer — but also make sure to use it wisely. Taking advantage of any of these tips may help you earn money to pay for college.
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Heat Up a Scholarship Search Over the Summer originally appeared on usnews.com