Late to the Party

You know the saying “fashionable late?”  Well that only applies to parties and not the real world.  One specific place that lateness is not recommended is when applying for financial aid and free money.  I know because I live it each and every day!

 Being tardy for a free opportunity is unacceptable and having your name at the tip of others’ tongue is not always a good thing.  For example, for the last three years, 37% - 41% of incoming college students waited until the scholarship deadline to actually apply.  Now, even though these students made the deadline, they still displayed an image of waiting till the last minute and a work ethic of procrastination.   Is that the way you want to be regarded when being considered for a scholarship?

Instead, make a personal commitment to be early for the party (or at least on time).  When applying for free money:

List eligible scholarships.  Determine what scholarships you are eligible to apply for and make a list of their deadlines chronologically.

Make a schedule.  Mark your calendar with deadlines and plan timeframe of when to apply.  Make sure you are aware of everything required in completing each application (i.e. essays, transcripts, recommendations, etc). 

Submit your application.  Whether it is an online application or paper, don’t wait till the last minute to apply!  You never know when the web server goes down or the USPS mail could delay your package. 

Confirm and follow up.  Track your package if you mail it to foundation/committee.  If online, ensure you receive a confirmation and follow-up to see there are no additional documents necessary for consideration.

Remember, free money for college depends upon your timeliness!

Be financially smart--

Keia Brown