To keep it simple, Scholarships = Free Money.

Ulnike educational loans, and similar to grants, scholarships consist of money awarded to students that does not have to be repaid. Although another opportunity for free money may seem a little too good to be true - that is not the case. That is not to say that this free money comes easily. Searching for scholarships can prove to be extremely overwhelming and exhausting. There are a lot of opportunities, each demanding a different set of criteria (academic record, gender, extracurricular activities, and the like), and each competitive as millions of students across the country are vying for this free money.

Don't let that dissuade you. The trick to gaining free money through scholarships is never giving up. If you keep trying and applying, the right scholarships opportunities will fall in your lap and you'll be able to reap the benefits.

Common Places to Look on your Scholarship Quest

• State Department of Education
• Memership Organizations and Employers
• Institutional Scholarships
• Local Scholarships
• Our Go Financial Aid Facebook and Twitter pages
• Free Scholarship Search Engines, such as: Niche, fastweb, and College Board

Some General Requirements for Scholarship Eligibility

Citizenship

For most scholarships, applicants are required to be legal citizens of the country in which the opportunity is offered. Example: Students applying for scholarships in the U.S. must be American citizens.

Course of Study

Some scholarships require candidates to be pursuing a specific course of study in order to considered for the award.

GPA

While it is not necessary for students to possess the perfect, coveted 4.0 GPA in order to have a shot at receiving scholarship funds, most opportunities do have minimum GPA requiremnets

Of course, each opportunity comes with its own set of regulations and requirements for applicants. Therefore, make sure to carefully review scholarships guidelines to ensure that you meet the criteria for receiving this type of financial aid for college. To find some of these awesome opportunities, check out these useful sites and visit the Go Financial Aid Solutions center today.

More Information

• Scholarships for Women - Scholarships can be won for a variety of reasons. Aside from merit or athletic prowess, various groups are eligible. Discover women's scholarships.
• Graduate School Scholarships - Not all scholarships are for undergraduate students. Graduate scholarship opportunities are available from many sources.