Articles of the Month

Scholarships

Having the grades and getting into university is one thing, but being able to pay for it is another. Scholarships are an easy way to get money to pay for post-secondary education.

There's No Such Thing as Free Lunch... But Money?

You applied to college or university. You waited, and you waited and finally "the big package" filled with your acceptance letter has arrived and has been ripped open. You parade it around for a few days and finally it has sunk in. "I got into university, but how the heck am I suppose to pay for it?"

According to Stats Canada, an undergraduate will have to pay about $4, 050 an academic year. That may not seem as much, but when you add in books, transportation and if you're lucky and living on campus, living expense too! This can easily add up to more than $10, 000 a year! The first instinct would be to "get a job". Of course, that can limit the debt a little, or at least cover the book fees and over time, be able to pay for a bit more of the expenses. And there's always the student loan route, borrow money from the government interest free, and then when done school, find a full time job and pay it off bit by bit. Those were some of the more obvious choices in financing your education. A lot of people are over looking the option of scholarships.

Scholarships are grants of money that does not have to be paid back. All sorts of companies, organizations and schools offer scholarships, essentially "free" money depending on academic achievement, community involvement and other factors. Many scholarships require you to fill out an application, send in a transcript or have a reference letter. Some other scholarships require you to use your creative side and write a story, or an essay for your consideration. Also, if your grades are pretty good, you can look into the entrance scholarships offered by the school you're going to next year. Often, those scholarships are automatically rewarded without an application if your grades meet a certain standard.

So if you're looking to lighten your education fees, try searching for scholarships that you can apply for. And don't be afraid to apply to many scholarships, the more you apply, the more chances you'll get in receiving some money to pay for books, or even for food while living on residence.

Try www.schoolfinder.com and www.studentawards.com for lists of available scholarships.