Thelife- Samantha Leach is a junior at Clemson University.
- She covered her entire tuition with grants and scholarships.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Samantha Leach. It has been edited for length and clarity.
When I was a high-school student at an academically rigorous school, everyone was thinking about the cost of college constantly. My friends and I didn't want to be paying for college for the rest of our lives: that was the horror story looming over us.
I always knew it would be difficult for my family to pay for college, even if they didn't explicitly say it. My dad passed away in 2010, and my mother and grandparents worked together to raise me.
My senior year, I decided to get serious about pursuing grants and scholarships. I applied to about 60 scholarships. It took about as much work as taking an extra class.
But the payoff was much more than just an A grade. I was selected for about 10 scholarships, which together were enough to pay for my entire undergrad education. Having all of college paid for is comforting, and I want other people to have that, too. Here's my advice on applying for scholarships:
Think outside the box
There are more than 1.7 million scholarships available to American students. That means there are a lot of niche scholarships you might not know about — like the one offered by Tall Club International to especially tall students.
I applied to anything I qualified for. I did the big national scholarships that are well-known; local and state scholarships; and regional scholarships, including funds for coastal communities. Sites like scholarships.com, niche.com, and fastweb.com helped me find anything I might be eligible for.
Don't assume you're not qualified
I applied to some scholarships that were "reaches," including one from the National Society of High School Scholars. That felt like a one-in-a-million chance, so I was pleasantly surprised when I was awarded $5,000. At the end of the day, you have to be bold with applying.
Brush off rejection
On that note, it's important not to get discouraged if you're not selected. There's going to be rejection involved in this process. If I didn't hear back from a scholarship, I crossed it off my list and moved on. Instead of lingering on rejection, I focused on what I could control, like applying for more scholarships.
Organization is key
Applying for scholarships was like a class my senior year, and I came at it with the same dedication. Once I compiled a list of scholarships I wanted to apply to, I had a master document with their deadlines and what they required. This helped me keep everything straight. Then, I would plan to complete two to three applications at a time, treating their deadlines as nonnegotiable, just like class assignments.
Work smarter, not harder
Lots of scholarships want to get to know the authentic you, often through essays. But there's only so much room for creativity. I did dozens of applications, but I used the same five essay ideas over and over. The core topics were the same, and I adjusted my essays to the specific application and organization. That saved me effort while still allowing my personality to come through.
Learn about matching scholarships
Sometimes, an organization will match scholarship funds. I received one $1,000 scholarship, but my school matched it at a four-to-one rate, so it ultimately netted me more than $5,000 a year. Likewise, renewable scholarships that help throughout your college career, not just freshman year, have been hugely helpful.
Ask for help
In my experience, there are lots of people who want to advocate for you. My teachers, guidance counselors, and family all helped support my applications.
Applying for scholarships was a lot of work. But now I'll graduate without debt. That's a benefit well worth the effort.