It’s now easier than ever for students to find scholarships for college.
Sallie Mae, the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing
in education, today unveiled a newly enhanced Scholarship Search tool,
free for anyone to use.
The supercharged tool launched during National Scholarship Month, which
marks the start of the scholarship season. According to analysis of
Sallie Mae’s scholarship database, more than 70 percent of scholarships
list deadlines in the six-month period between November and April.
Sallie Mae’s Scholarship Search (www.SallieMae.com/ScholarshipSearch)
now contains more than 3 million scholarships worth $16 billion, and it
is expanded and updated daily. The enhanced tool also offers new sharing
capabilities for social media. The modern design and optimized user
experience include features like tip boxes with guidance for users to
get the most out of the tool. Registered users will be entered to win a
$1,000 monthly drawing.
To search for scholarships, users complete a simple profile that will be
matched to specific scholarship programs. Students can view details
about each scholarship program, including the award amount, eligibility
criteria and deadline date. Students should return to the tool
throughout the application process and annually while in school to see
what new scholarships match their profile. Parents and guidance
counselors can also use the tool to assist their students.
Four in 10 families used scholarship money to help pay for college in
academic year 2012-2013, according to Sallie Mae’s “How America Pays for
College” 2013 study. Nine in 10 families used some type of resource to
help them plan ahead to pay for college. The most widely used resource,
scholarship search websites, was used by 60 percent of families.
In honor of National Scholarship Month, Sallie Mae also offers these
tips:
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It’s never too early or too late to apply for scholarships.
There are scholarships open to students as early as grade school.
Don’t stop applying for scholarships after you graduate from high
school. Keep applying throughout college.
-
Give it try. There are scholarships for all different passions,
talents and achievements. You don’t have to be the class valedictorian
or star football player to qualify for a scholarship. Awards for
future welders, potato researchers, tall and short students and
promoters of vegetarianism are just some examples.
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Prioritize your results. Students should research their matches
and find the awards that are the best fit. Apply for those
scholarships first. You’ll need to show the scholarship judges why you
deserve to win and you can only do so if your background, experience,
goals and achievements match the scholarship requirements.
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Dedicate time to your search. Set aside time to follow up on
the latest matches from scholarship search engines, fill out forms or
work on essays.
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Don’t miss deadlines. Scholarships are very strict when it
comes to deadlines.. You need to be organized (something parents can
help with) and make sure you know when everything is due.
Join the conversation on how to save, plan and pay for college at Facebook.com/SallieMae
or Twitter.com/SallieMae.
Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is the nation’s No. 1 financial services
company specializing in education. Celebrating 40 years of making a
difference, Sallie Mae continues to turn education dreams into reality
for American families, today serving 25 million customers. With products
and services that include Upromise rewards, scholarship search and
planning tools, education loans, insurance, and online banking, Sallie
Mae offers solutions that help families save, plan, and pay for college.
Sallie Mae also provides financial services to hundreds of college
campuses as well as to federal and state governments. Learn more at SallieMae.com.
Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are
not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.
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Copyright Business Wire 2013