Staking your claim to the $74 billion scholarship bonanza - Education

IF you've ever wanted to pursue higher education, now is the time to do it. According to the College Board, there is more financial aid available right now than ever before--a whopping $74 billion--and higher education is still an affordable choice for many families. Unfortunately, in Illinois, and several other states, funding has been cut for state schools; this makes finding other options to pay college tuition and fees of the utmost importance.

Financial aid experts, educators, guidance counselors and scholarship strategists have already mapped out the best routes for you to find your way to the scholarship pot of gold. All you have to do is work hard, be persistent, and have a strong game plan for success.

Here, then, are three tips to lead you on your way:

[check] 1. Strategize your money hunt.

Don't run in circles to find money for school, warns Barry Beckham, editor of the Black Student's Guide to Scholarships (5th edition). Beckham says there are at least six key places to start your search for financial aid:

* The financial aid administrator at each school in which you're interested can tell you what aid programs are available there and how much the total cost of attendance will be.

* Your state higher education agency can give you information about state aid, including aid from the State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG) Program, which is jointly funded by individual states and the U.S. Department of Education.

* The agency in your state responsible for public elementary and secondary schools can give you information on the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program. Call 1-800-4-FED-AID for additional information.

* The AmeriCorps program provides full-time educational awards in return for work in community service. You can use the funds to pay current educational expenses or to repay federal student loans. Call 1-800-942-2677 for details.

* The public library is an excellent source of information on state and private sources of financial aid.

Many companies, labor unions, church organizations, sororities and fraternities have programs to help pay the cost of postsecondary education for employees, members and/or their children. Don't overlook community organizations, civic groups and business organizations connected with your field of interest.

[check] 2. Apply yourself, the right way.

Before you begin your scholarship search, you should complete an application for financial aid. There are two primary financial aid forms, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), provided by the government, and the College Scholarship Service-Financial Aid Profile. Contact the institutions you are interested in to determine which form they prefer.

You've only got one shot to get your hands on that scholarship that you're applying for, so you'd better make it count. When it comes to your application, everything from the content of your resume to the grade of the paper it's printed on should be superior.

"The most crucial stage of your quest for college scholarships will be completing applications," notes Marianne Ragins, author of Winning Scholarships for College. "The first item that college and scholarship administrators will see is your application. Their first impression of you will be made through the application you submit. If your application is sloppy, they will get that impression of you before they have a chance to formulate a positive one." Ragins, a senior marketing representative in Washington, D.C., is the founder and president of the Scholarship Workshop and has won more than $400,000 in scholarship money.

Submitting a quality scholarship application can pay off in a big way. Follow these tips to get a leg up on your competition.

ORGANIZE AND FILE YOUR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS BASED ON THE DUE DATE. Make copies of all your applications as you receive them. If you will, hire a typist, fill out the copied application and submit it to him well ahead of the deadline. Proofread your application before mailing it out. Give out the recommendation section to those parties as soon as possible.

ONLY APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS THAT YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR. It can cost you anywhere from $10 to $60 to throw your hat into a scholarship's ring, so choose your rings wisely. If the scholarship is for left-handed golfers, and you definitely are not one, move along to the scholarship that you're eligible for. And don't get frustrated about having to move on, there are scholarships for everybody--farmers' daughters, computer geeks, milk lovers, avid readers, low-scoring bowlers--you get the idea. (See the new scholarship grid for details.)

COMPLETE THE APPLICATION IN FULL. Follow directions fully, and complete your application. All applications should be typed. Never leave blank questions--if a question does not apply to you, write "not applicable" in the blank space. If the application wants you to list your special awards and activities, it's a good idea to write "See additional information" in the space provided and, instead, include a professional, one-page resume.