This person got into their first choice college but is having difficulty finding scholarships.

Hey!

Congratulations on getting into your first-choice school! That is a big accomplishment, and we wish you all the best in your academic ventures.

Now, looking at your request, this is most definitely not an ideal situation to be stuck in because you can’t exactly make money out of the air but let’s walk through some of our options here:

Even if you aren’t exactly the first choice for community service-based scholarships, there’s no harm in applying for them. Try out all the opportunities given to you, so you won't have regrets later on. The worst that can happen is that you don't get them, and who knows? Maybe you'll be surprised!

If your school advisor isn’t of any help, try talking to the college (you applied to) and ask them for their scholarship and grant options. On the school website, there will be a list of possible grants and scholarships as well with a link to the application or instructions to find it if it's still open, and don't forget to do your FAFSA!

There are multiple online scholarships as well that you can try your hand at. Sites like scholarships.com, fastweb.com. Be careful not to get scammed. If it asks you for money, it’s most definitely a scam. Don’t give away information that is strictly confidential either.

In all honesty, even if all these options are exhausted and you can’t pay for it, you could try another college with a slightly cheaper fee. You can’t make money out of air; unfortunately, we can’t help you do that. If that is absolutely not an option for you (I understand wanting to be at your dream school), then look into possibly getting a part-time job to help cover the costs.

There are things you have no control over sometimes. You have to be considerate sometimes that the fee is too high for your parents to pay and perhaps the scholarship is insufficient to cover it as well. There are things you have to give up in life but that doesn’t mean you can’t give it a try. Try your chances, work your way through annoying websites and applications, and see what you can or can’t do. You simply have to accept whatever comes your way, do your best, and put in all your efforts. What you can’t control, don’t stress over. What you can control and do, do your best.

Talk to your parents! I pray your situation becomes favorable and you really get a good scholarship that grants you enough to study in your first-choice college. Good luck! Do your best and don’t get too sullen over losses. You simply have to make sure you’re doing your utmost and it’ll end in fruitful results.

Thank you,

The Advice Column Team