Ms. Sun's Admission Blog for Highly Selective California Public Universities - Show Me the Money!

It's never too early to start thinking about financial aid and scholarships. Some large-sum scholarships can have deadlines as early as October. You should be looking for money well before you start applying for college. Just remember, you are going to college one way or another, you just don't know where yet.

Here are some scholarship search sites to help you get started:

• FastWeb
  
• ScholarshipExperts
  
• CollegeNET
  
• Pacific Northwest Scholarship Guide from College Planning Network
  
• SuperCollege
  
• NextStudent
  
• MeritAid

I highly recommend reading 20 Insider Strategies to Save Money on College NOW from MeritAid. The e-book offers some very good advice in between quite a bit of not-so-subtle advertisement about the MeritAid web site. The one excellent point the e-book makes that I want you to consider is the fact that there are a lot of misconceptions about how much colleges charge for tuition; public colleges (like the UCs) are not necessarily cheaper than private colleges. Find out everything you can about college costs before you decide where to apply. Case in point: students from families with incomes less than $60,000, who are accepted to Harvard under [the] regular admissions policies, have no expected parent contribution for their education (translation: if you are accepted to Harvard, you can attend for free if your parents make less than $60k per year).

Read the rest of the post for additional resources, notes on financial aid scams, financial aid information for undocumented students, and a list of scholarships I have come across.

I was a government grant student back in the Jurassic Age, when students could actually afford college just on government grants. Uncle Sam and the State of California met about half of my student budget at Cal and surprisingly I was able to survive on that (I started with $6,000 I had saved under the mattress and I also got a monthly allowance of $100 from my parents). In my junior year, I was running low on savings and had to get a part-time job at the library. I did some calculation and decided I would be broke half way thru my senior year; so I crammed 3 summer classes in between my junior and senior year and graduated early in the middle of my senior year (0.7 units above the absolute minimum required number of units for graduation). I guess I'm trying to say that with some diligent course planning and miserly lifestyle, you too can survive the college experience with a handout from the government (if available, which is a big if nowadays). Here is a list of federal and state financial aid resources that will walk you thru the basics:

• UC's Financing Guide for Parents and Students (for freshman applicants)
  
• UC's Financing Guide for Transfer Students
  
• Fund your Future: Free Money for College (published by the EdFund and The California Student Aid Commission)
  
• Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid (published by the Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education)
  
• Fact Sheet - More Ways to Pay for College (published by the California Student Aid Commission)
  
• NACAC's Financial Aid Resources (published by the National Association for College Admission Counseling)

There are endless resources on the net to help you find money for college. Just beware of places that ask you to pay for information and/or places that ask you to provide personal information (don't be handing out your birth date and social security number to every Tom, Dick, and Harry). California Student Aid Commission has some resources on how to avoid scholarship scams: Is it a free scholarship? Or a scam? You should also try your local library; many online resources are published in book form (and staying offline when you first get started might be a good idea until you learn how to spot a scam). For libraries on the Dewey Decimal System, look for call number 378 for financial aid books.

Books on money for college tend to fall into two categories: scholarship or federal financial aid. I recently looked into books on saving money for college while remaining eligible for financial aid and found couple books that addressed this issue: 529 & Other College Savings Plans for Dummies and College Financial Aid - How To Get Your Fair Share.

For undocumented students, you may qualify for in-state tuition under AB540; see the AB 540 Student Manual or contact the UC campus you are interested in attending for more information. Futuros Educational Services (a nonprofit) has a pretty comprehensive list of scholarships for AB540 students; one AB540 student I know went to Cal entirely on outside scholarships (last I heard from the student, the total for the scholarships was adding up to $18,000 for freshman year), so it is totally doable. ¡Adelante! California has two AB540 scholarships: Luisa Moreno Scholarship - $500 to $2000 and Founders’ Scholarship - $1000 to $2000. Both deadlines are in the beginning of January. For more information visit http://www.adelante-ca.org/index_files/Page798.htm.

A list of scholarships (majority of these scholarships target high school graduates) I have come across over the years listed in chronological order (starting with multiple scholarships with varying deadlines, then scholarships with the earliest deadlines to scholarships with the latest deadlines):

• Scholarship America is a nonprofit entity that manages employer-sponsored scholarships for employees and their families. Some general scholarships are also available. List of available scholarships is at http://scholarshipamerica.org/open_scholarships.php. Deadlines vary depending on scholarship.
  
  
• Asian Pacific Fund Scholarships & Awards has a variety of scholarships and awards for students of varying backgrounds and interests. For more information visit http://www.asianpacificfund.org/awards/index.shtml. Deadlines vary depending on scholarship.
  
  
• The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation offers 50 four-year $20,000 scholarships and 200 four-year $10,000 scholarships for use at accredited colleges and universities within the US. Rewards leadership and excellence as exemplified through academic achievement and extracurricular activities, including commitment to community service. For more information visit https://www.coca-colascholars.org/cokeWeb/page.jsp?navigation=15. Deadline is at the end of October.
  
  
• MetroPCS offers $1000 scholarships to high school seniors who plan to continue education in college or university programs. Rewards students who have demonstrated exceptional involvement in volunteerism and community service, in addition to academics and other criteria. Scholarships are offered for full-time study at an accredited two or four year institution of the student’s choice. For more information visit http://www.metropcs.com/scholarship/. Deadline is in mid-December.
  
  
• Wal-Mart offers a variety of scholarships with varying amounts and criteria - Wal-Mart Associate Scholarship, Sam Walton Community Scholarship, Higher Reach Scholarship, Walton Family Foundation Scholarship. Deadlines are in January.
  
  
• The Gates Millennium Scholars Program provides outstanding, low income African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American, Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest. Continuing Gates Millennium Scholars may request funding for a graduate degree program in one of the following discipline areas: education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science. For more information visit https://nominations.gmsp.org/GMSP_App/. Deadline is in mid-January.
  
  
• BURGER KING Scholars awards students who work part-time and excel academically. For more information visit http://www.bk.com/companyinfo/community/BKS.aspx. Deadline is at the beginning of February.
  
  
• The Best Buy @15 Scholarship Program awards scholarships to students in grades 9-12 living in the U.S. or Puerto Rico who plan to enter a full-time undergraduate course of study upon high school graduation. For more information visit http://www.bestbuyinc.com/community_relations/scholarship.htm. Deadline is in mid-February.
  
  
• The Los Angeles Clippers Foundation offers $2,500 Stay in School Scholarships to seniors planning to attend a four-year college. Scholarships are made available to students residing in the greater Los Angeles area. For more information visit http://www.nba.com/clippers/community/education.html. Deadline is in mid-February.
  
  
• Mahatma offers high school seniors in designated areas who wish to attend college the chance to win a $2,000 prize by writing an essay. For more information visit http://scholarship.mahatmarice.com/. Deadline is in mid-February.
  
  
• US Bank Internet Scholarship Program awards up to thirty $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors entering college next fall. For more information visit http://www.usbank.com/cgi_w/cfm/studentloans/marketing.cfm. Deadline is at the end of February.
  
  
• The Race for Education Scholarship Programs offers various scholarships for those interested in pursuing a career in the equine or agriculture industry. For more information visit http://www.racingscholarships.com/page.php?page=programs. Deadlines vary depending on scholarship, between February and May.
  
  
• Jackie Robinson Foundation provides scholarships of up to $7,500 annually to minority high school students showing leadership potential and demonstrating financial need to attend an accredited 4-year college or university of their choice. For more information visit http://www.jackierobinson.org/apply/index.php. Deadline is at the end of March.
  
  
• TYLENOL® Scholarship provides several $10,000 and $5,000 scholarships to students who are pursuing healthcare-related education at an accredited institution. Scholarships are awarded based on leadership qualities and academic performance. For more information visit http://www.tylenol.com/scholarship. Deadline is in mid-May.
  
  
• SunTrust Off To College Scholarship Sweepstakes gives high school seniors the chance to win a $1,000 scholarship for their first year expenses at an accredited college or private career school. One winner will be chosen every two weeks. It's FREE to enter and eligibility is not based on GPA or financial need. Each $1,000 will be payable to the winner's school of attendance. Only one entry per person for each drawing; you can register after each drawing for the next one! For more information visit http://www.suntrusteducation.com/sweeps/default.asp. Last drawing is on May 15.