SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Cheap Out-of-State Colleges: Top 17 Most Affordable

If you're hoping to be far from home for college but are worried about the cost of an out-of-state school, you might run into some issues in the application process. How do you find out-of-state schools that still offer relatively cheap tuition?

In this article, I've compiled a list of schools that offer the lowest tuition rates and highest rates of institutional aid to out-of-state students. Keep reading to learn what these schools are!

Read More

 

The 36 Colleges With the Best Financial Aid

College in the US is expensive—too expensive, in fact, for the average student to be able to afford on their own. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 87% of first-year students at four-year colleges were receiving financial aid in 2019-2020. Financial aid is good in all its forms, right? If it helps college students afford their education, what could be the problem?

Unfortunately, not all financial aid is created equal—and not all schools can afford to give out "good" student aid. Here, I'll briefly talk about the types of financial aid available (the "good" kinds and the "bad" kinds) before introducing the colleges with the best financial aid programs in the country.

Read More

 

The 51 Art Scholarships You Need to Know About

People are always saying that art doesn’t pay. Fortunately, they aren’t always right! Prospective art students will be happy to know that there are a multitude of art scholarships out there that will help pay for their education.

We have all the details on the best art scholarships below, so read on to see which scholarships are the best fit for you!

Read More

 

The Best Scholarships for Juniors in High School

Many students think that they should begin looking at college scholarships once they actually start applying to college—so some time early in their senior year. Although it's true that many big-name scholarships require applicants to be high school seniors, there are some great awards out there for younger students as well.

So why not get a head start on applying for scholarship awards? You could win money for college, sure, but you'll also get experience with the scholarship application process before submitting even more applications during your senior year.

We've compiled a list of scholarships for high school juniors. This list will be a great place to start, but you might also want to search for more targeted awards (e.g., by geographic area). You can browse the scholarships below based on whether they're competitions or merit-based scholarships. And be sure to read to the end for tips and strategies on getting the most scholarship money possible!

Read More

 

Here's Every College That Offers 100% Financial Aid

One of the most important questions you'll have to ask yourself during the college selection process is whether or not your top-choice school is affordable for your family.

Affordability has a huge impact on college decisions. Some students will luck out and be offered a nice scholarship by their school that will make things affordable; others will win independent scholarships. Usually, though, both of these options for financing your education are based on merit, and there is a lot of competition.

But did you know that some schools are committed to making sure all admitted students can afford to attend, regardless of whether they are scholarship recipients? Read on to see a list of colleges that meet full need, or provide for 100% of their students' demonstrated financial need.

Read More

 

31 Top Scholarships for High School Sophomores and Freshmen

It's never too early to start saving up money for your college education. Even if you are only in your first or second year of high school, there are plenty of opportunities to start bringing in money that will pay for your tuition, books, fees, and living expenses a couple of years down the line.

You might be surprised to learn that there are actually hundreds of scholarships available to underclassmen. If you're just starting your hunt, use this list of the best scholarships for high school freshmen and sophomores to get started.

Read More

 

When Is the FAFSA Deadline for 2022? Federal and State

To be considered for federal financial aid, you must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Most states, colleges, and universities also use the FAFSA to award other types of institutional financial aid, including state- and college-sponsored financial aid, such as grants, educational loans, and work-study programs.

If you don't get your FAFSA submitted by the deadline, you might be missing out on free money. Don't do that. Make sure you know all the applicable federal, state, and college deadlines. Get that money!

In this article, we'll discuss when you should submit the FAFSA and how to ensure you don't miss any important deadlines. We'll also explain the financial aid process after you submit your FAFSA.

Read More

 

80 Colleges With Full-Ride Scholarships

You've worked hard all throughout high school and are an academic and extracurricular superstar. You're looking forward to the challenges that college will bring. But are you ready for the challenge of paying for college?

There are a lot of ways students come up with the money to fund their higher educations. Did you know, though, that it can be as easy as getting one award? In this article, we give you a list of 79 colleges that offer at least one full-ride scholarship to cover all of your tuition costs.

Read More

 

Pell Grant Eligibility and Requirements: Do You Qualify?

Pell Grants are awarded by the federal US government to help students pay for college or vocational school. Figuring out whether you're eligible can be confusing, but this post will guide you through all the eligibility requirements you should know about if you want to apply for a federal Pell Grant.

If you need a basic intro to what the Pell Grant is, check out our overview guide.

Students are automatically considered for the Pell Grant when they submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. For 2023, the deadline for submitting a FAFSA (and thus being considered for a Pell Grant) is June 30th. You can learn more about Pell Grant submission here. In this post, we'll cover the following:

  • How to figure out whether you're eligible for federal student aid
  • What the Pell Grant income limits are
  • How to figure out whether you're eligible for the Pell Grant specifically
  • Pell Grant award maximums
  • What you can do to increase your chances of getting the Pell Grant
Read More

 

Walmart's Live Better U: Reviews and Requirements

It’s no secret that college is expensive. That’s especially true for people who want a degree but have family, financial, or other obligations that make going to school difficult. 

That’s why Walmart has created the Walmart Live Better U program. Designed by the Walmart Corporation, Live Better U offers 100% free GED, trade school, and college degree programs to all Walmart employees. 

If you work at Walmart, are considering working at Walmart, or are just curious about ways to attend college without breaking the bank, this article is for you! In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the Live Better U Walmart program, including:

  • What the Live Better U program is
  • How Live Better U differs from a traditional scholarship program
  • What the Live Better U requirements for eligibility are
  • How to sign up for Live Better U
  • An overview of Live Better U reviews, and
  • How to decide if you should use Live Better U

Are you ready to learn more? Then let’s jump in!

Read More

 

How to Win a Coca Cola Scholarship

If you're looking into scholarship programs to help pay for your college education, the famous Coca-Cola scholarships are a good place to start. Why are they famous? Well, the Coca-Cola foundation offers some of the most generous awards out there to graduating high school seniors. They tend to be very competitive, so if you want a shot at the scholarship, you should learn as much about them as you possibly can.

In this post, I'll talk about some of the logistical concerns you might have about the scholarship— things like deadlines and eligibility requirements. But more importantly, I'll also offer helpful tips and strategies to give your application the boost it needs. Read on to optimize your chances of winning one of these competitive scholarships!

Read More

 

12 Amazing Full-Ride Scholarships You Can Win

The full-ride scholarship: the most mythical of scholarships that all students secretly (or not-so-secretly) dream of. Unfortunately, these scholarships are hard to come by, and they're even more difficult to win.

Though many schools offer full-ride or full-tuition scholarships, there are also a handful of scholarships out there—run by independent organizations and even the government—that you can use at almost any school. Read on to learn about some of the most highly sought-after scholarships in the country.

Read More

 

17 Amazing Scholarships for Moms and Single Mothers

Mothers and single mothers have it harder than others when trying to get a college education.

In addition to balancing a full academic course load, they are also responsible for feeding, clothing, and financially supporting their children.

Plus, data shows that between 30% and 40% of families headed by single mothers are living in poverty—which makes the idea of spending money on education even more difficult to fathom.

Fortunately, there are multiple companies who want to help moms and single moms improve their situations through education. Read on to see a list of scholarships directly aimed at mothers who are pursuing higher education.

Read More

 

How to Create a Perfect Bright Futures Application

The Florida Bright Futures scholarships are great funding options for Florida residents who want to stay in the state for college or vocational school. All four awards are easily renewable, which means you could significantly cut your college expenses for several years.

You might think there’s some complicated paperwork involved in submitting the Florida Bright Futures scholarship application. As it turns out, much of the process is streamlined and automated —you actually don’t have to jump through too many hoops to apply. The eligibility requirements are a bit of a different story, but once you meet those, the application process should be pretty easy.

In this post, we'll briefly explain about eligibility requirements before moving on to the application timeline. We end with tips and strategies you can use to submit the best possible Bright Futures application.

 

Read More

 

Complete Guide to the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship

The Florida Bright Futures scholarship programs are great resources for Florida students who plan on staying in-state for college. To date, the Bright Futures program has helped over 725,000 Florida students go to college!

As with any scholarship program, though, there's a lot of information to process about the awards. Just sifting through all the eligibility requirements and award limitations can be overwhelming, never mind figuring out how to actually submit an application.

In this guide, we've compiled all the information you need about the Bright Futures scholarships. We'll talk about the different award programs, their eligibility requirements, the application process, and strategies to help you win your own.

Read More

 

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

Join the Conversation

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!