College costs a pretty penny, which is why a lot of American teenagers defer their college education. It becomes harder for the kids in foster care. However, if one researches extensively for the grants and scholarships, then college education is not as elusive as it seems for the foster kids. If done correctly, one can even emerge debt-free at the end of their college education. So here are some ways to search for scholarships for foster youth.

The difference between grants and scholarships

Both of them serve to help students with weak finances to complete a college education. However, grants differ from the scholarships based on the parameter used by them for awarding these monetary aids. Grants are given to those students who come from financially weak families or kids who were raised in foster care. One can check out several websites that list grants meant for economically weak families or children.

How to find scholarships?

One must begin the search with the local scholarships as these are not as competitive as those at the state or national level. However, it does not mean that one should not apply for national or state-level scholarships or grants such as Federal Student Aid.

Usually, students start applying for scholarships in their senior year. However, one should begin applying for the same way before that to have the advantage of time on one’s side. To minimize the number of junk or spam emails received, one can set up an email account solely dedicated to getting a scholarship.

Can college students apply for a scholarship?

One has not lost the chance to get a scholarship after enrolling in a college program. There are financial aid departments in the universities that cater specifically to its students. The parameters of the college-sponsored scholarship are as follows:

  1. a) Sports: Athletics is greatly encouraged in colleges and universities; therefore, if one is great in sports, then one must apply for the scholarships based on one’s athletic abilities. These scholarships can give one a full ride to the university or college.
  2. b) Academic achievement: Got exception grades in the first semester? Well, think about the financial aid offered to the freshmen and women. Use your excellent GPA or PSAT scores to land a scholarship.

Follow these tips to fulfill one’s dream of getting a college education.