Last June, I got my financial aid package. It was great to know I was accepted, but I also saw I’d need a little more money to pay for any of the colleges I got into. So, now that I knew just how much I’d need, I went online to search for scholarships that could make up the difference. But by then, all the scholarship deadlines had passed. How does that even make sense?

College Money Matters Responds

Scholarship application deadlines are one of the main due dates that students miss. And unfortunately, the timing does seem backwards. Why should you be applying for scholarships before you know what colleges you’ve been accepted to or how much they’ll  cost? But the fact is, that’s how it works. Many scholarship deadlines are as early as December of your senior year and most of the rest are over at the end of March. 

But remember that scholarships are not only available for students entering their first year of college. You can continue to apply for new ones every year that you’re in school.   

Visit this section on our website to learn all about when and how to apply for scholarships.