[hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”aboveTheFold” /] [hen-ui-card variant=”background-white” border=”stroke”] [hen-ui-flex direction=”column” gap=”lg”] [hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Key Takeaways[/hen-ui-heading] [hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”check” marker-color=”secondary”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Academic scholarships help students save on college costs by awarding funds based on high grades, class rank, test scores, and participation in extracurricular activities.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]This guide outlines what makes a strong scholarship candidate, how to prepare competitive applications, and why applying widely increases your chances of earning merit-based awards.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]It also includes a large list of active academic scholarships, with ongoing updates to help students track deadlines, award amounts, and eligibility requirements.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [/hen-ui-list] [/hen-ui-flex] [/hen-ui-card] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ class=”heading-2″]You’ve rocked your classes, nailed your test scores, and rounded it all out with a great combination of extracurricular activities. Well done.[/hen-ui-text] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]You’ve excelled as a student and you plan to do the same in college. Since you’re obviously pretty sharp, we won’t waste your time explaining why an academic scholarship or merit scholarship would be helpful. Clearly, you can do the math: [hen-ui-text tag=”em” variant=”b4″]free scholarship money = more affordable college experience[/hen-ui-text].[/hen-ui-text] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]You are probably already aware of the scholarship opportunities unique to your college(s) of choice. Perhaps you were even moved to make your final college selection based on a generous merit-based scholarship award.[/hen-ui-text] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Or perhaps you’re an excellent student who has chosen an alternative path to higher education, the kind that might not provide obvious scholarship opportunities to even the best students.[/hen-ui-text] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]In either case, there is still a vast world of scholarship opportunities open to you. As with anything in life, all you have to do is ask—or apply. From small cash prizes to big money bounties, your academic excellence is worth a few bucks. As always, your eligibility may vary from one opportunity to the next.[/hen-ui-text] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Of course, because these are merit-based scholarships, you should have some merits. If you are considering an academic scholarship, you should have:[/hen-ui-text]
- Awesome grades
- A class rank in the top five to ten percent of your graduating class
- A strong extracurricular resume
- Recognition from national scholar organizations, honor societies, and other prominent academic groups
- A ton of stamina