There Are Many Scholarship Options For Prospective College Students

With rising costs of continuing education, coupled with troubled economic times, prospective college students need all the financial help they can get. Providing they either received excellent grades in high school, or excelled in one particular area, students can receive financial aid in the form of a college scholarship.

Various types of scholarships are available to high school students, depending on several factors. Awarded scholarships commonly based on merit take into consideration a student's academic accomplishments or on receiving high scores in standardized tests.

Depending on the institution for higher learning that students ultimately choose, there lies the possibility to earn academic scholarships for good grades along with participation in community service and extracurricular activities. They award scholarships in the athletic, academic, or artistic fields as well. These scholarships also require that qualified students participate in activities outside of the normal school environment to help fellow students or people in their neighborhood.

Students wishing to receive an academic scholarship will need to maintain an excellent grade average. They will most likely need to graduate in the top five to ten percent of their graduating class. They will need to get involved in their community, volunteering in different activities in general. Those students who demonstrate a potential for leadership in their school through extracurricular activities, become likely candidates for college scholarships as well.

Colleges look for students they perceive as a good example of what a future leader looks like. Students that held positions as class officers, presidents of the debate team or captains in school sports, have the qualities of leadership colleges and universities look for in their student body.

Students possessing talent in a specialized field such as visual arts, whether it is for photography, design, painting, or drawing, may receive an art scholarship. Scholarships are available also for those wishing to pursue a career in the culinary field as well as in music. Art scholarships are normally specific to certain colleges, or to particular counties or states. For the athletic student, institutions award athletic scholarships based heavily on a student's unique abilities in a particular sport, as well as their ability to maintain a good grade average.

Scholarships intended for specific students, such as those with the most need for financial assistance depends on a number of factors. These factors include the students or family's medical history and financial situation. Qualifications for such scholarships may include particulars like race, religion, or gender. Financial scholarships awarded to students in need of financial aid qualify for this scholarship at the federal level in the form of federal student aid. At the federal level, the financial amount awarded goes by the family's ability to contribute and the cost of the college the student intends to attend.