Searching for scholarships can be a rather tedious exercise, much like job applications – there are often a lot of requirements that seem to be listed that are barriers. However, this is not necessarily the case. While some scholarships are intended to help specific groups achieve their goals, others are looking for applicants *regardless* of the application guidelines. This is why many people, particularly those who help job seekers find jobs right out of university, college and high school – don’t think about the restrictions or who they’re looking for.  Apply anyway.

In some cases, the organization providing the scholarship is simply looking for the best candidate to who they think are the best deserving of the scholarship money. You got good grades to back up your eligibility. You participated in a lot of school activities, school groups or team sports. You demonstrated a high standard of character. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be all of the above. You might not have to excel in every single category. Again, you might as well try and apply anyway!

With school being rather expensive – especially depending on which school you wish to attend – every little bit of financial aid greatly helps, particularly when the student loan comes due after you graduate, and the banks start asking for their money back. Even if you get one scholarship that may not be as much as others, it can be a great load off your shoulders in the future, since student loans can be particularly pricey with the building of interest.

Research helps a lot too – what do you know about the organization offering the scholarship grant? Would they be a good organization to apply to? Would they be interested in your future – whether you’re interested in nursing, history, or architecture? Would they be interested in your hobbies and dreams of owning a fashion line? Would they be interested to see you invest back into the community in which you are from? These are all good reasons why you can write an amazing application letter detailing why you feel that you deserve this scholarship and how you would best use the grant towards your future and your education.

Many organizations will ask you to give them an idea about what your plans are regarding courses and potential career options.  This gives you a good opportunity to show them how much you’re looking forward to your next level of education.

Look on many different websites, to see if a prominent company in your chosen career is offering a scholarship. Sometimes they are not as well-known, meaning that there will be less competition. This is not always the case, but sometimes less advertising can help you promote yourself towards possibly gaining a scholarship grant. If you do well, perhaps that grant would be a great foot in the door for an entry-level job in that company. That’s why you should apply wherever you can – the possibilities are endless. Try anyways. You never know until you hear back one way or another.

Go for it. Apply to every scholarship you think you can, and believe in yourself and your future. A scholarship may be waiting for you.