How can I get a need based scholarship

Hi Emma,

That is such a thoughtful question. College can be pretty expensive and putting four kids through college can be really expensive. Based on your question it sounds like you are about to start college or you are already in college so it sounds like you have experienced this first hand. I worked as an academic advisor for four years so I'll give you some of the advice that I offered to my students about paying for college. Fist of all there are a LOT of scholarships out there but you have to be willing to put in the time looking and applying for the ones that you qualify for. Have you checked out the scholarship book the Barnes and Noble sales? In "The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2016" they publish information about 1.5 MILLION scholarships, grants, and prizes. I would say definitely check that out. Here's a link to the website: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ultimate-scholarship-book-2016-gen-tanabe/1120251316;jsessionid=1862825BF1B1A3FF184B4893046A2D5A.prodny_store02-atgap06?ean=9781617600708

Another thing to consider is most colleges do take transfer credits from Community College. I graduated from a private university and it was pricy. I was fortunate enough to transfer in my basics, it was around 60 credit hours, from my local Community College. That left me with just my junior and senior year to pay for at the private university I graduated from. Community Colleges are generally very affordable and super flexible with their class schedules. The community college I attended was less than $50 a credit hour and I paid for it all out-of-pocket by working a minimum wage job. That saved me a lot of money when I went to the private university and the cost per credit hour was around $375. Big difference! Also a lot of high schools these days are working with community colleges and offering dual credit that you can transfer to a four year school. Is that something your brother's highs school offers?

Another thing to consider would be getting a job on campus to help your family with your expenses. Student worker jobs offer very flexible hours and it's a great opportunity to get some job experience that you can put on your resume after graduation. Bonus! Some schools may offer student worker jobs that include scholarships. Ask your school's career center if your college offers anything like that.

Lastly I would encourage you and your family to attend any financial aid workshops that your school offers. Financial Aid can be so intimidating! The best thing you can do is educate yourself. Be sure to ask lots of questions. If you aren't sure which questions to be asking Fastweb.com has some great questions you can ask. Paying for a college education can be expensive but there are so many ways to lower the cost and hopefully make things more manageable for your family.
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If you visit finaid.org, there is a section on the homepage titled "Scholarships". This has links to a variety of scholarships that aren't financial aid related. Hope this helps you, keep us posted on how it goes!