Seniors, now that the January 1 college application deadline has passed, it is not time to slack off. While you do have time to take a breather and relax a bit, don’t forget to apply for scholarships. College is expensive and unless your parents own their own island, you probably can’t afford to go without some kind of financial aid.

So as second semester begins don’t let senioritis take over. Instead, do a little research on scholarships you can apply to. I can assure you if you know where to look they are abundant.

Every penny counts when it comes to books, meal plans, dorms, and classes. Don’t look down on scholarships that only offer $500 or less. That could be a book or two.

Naviance is a great resource for national scholarships and the National Scholarship Search uses your information to provide you with a list of scholarships you qualify for. After logging into Naviance this link will get you to the National Scholarship Search’s page.

However, there are more local scholarships with less competition as well. The Student Scholarship Search’s website connect students with scholarships in each state. New Hampshire has its own page and list. 

Other sites include:

1. Scholarships.com, a site that matches you to scholarships you are applicable for and provides a list of scholarships available, their requirements, and their due dates.
2. College Board is also a great resource. We are all familiar with if from SATs and many schools require the CSS profile to apply for school specific financial aid. Their scholarship webpage also matches you with available scholarships.
3. The U.S. Department of Labor has a useful list of different scholarships available for all levels of education including trade school and community college.
4. Unigo, a company that helps students apply and find ways to afford it, provides a list of scholarships and also offers a few through the company.

Be aware of scams for your information. There are some sites out there that pose as scholarship websites that are just trolling for your personal information. Look closely at the site and don’t use it if it doesn’t look legitimate.

If you are proactive about applying for aid, money shouldn’t be the only reason you don’t go to the school of your dreams.