Going to college is an exciting time for many students. As the associated costs begin to grow, however, figuring out a way pay for school can be challenging. This is why free money—such as grants and scholarships—are a great option for students to bridge the financial gap in paying for college or technical school. Scholarships are contests where applicants must fulfill a set of requirements in order to be considered. They can be highly competitive, making it necessary to ensure that all requirements are fulfilled prior to submitting an application. In today’s blog, we’ll explore four common scholarship application mistakes and provide a few suggestions for avoiding them.

Missing the deadline
Missing a scholarship application deadline is one way to guarantee your application won’t be considered. Avoid wasted time and frustration over having your application rejected for a missed deadline by marking the due date in your calendar. Other things to consider are where to send the application, how to submit it electronically, if applicable, and the application postmark deadline if you are sending it via mail.

Waiting until the last minute
Another common scholarship application mistake is waiting until the last minute to submit (or even start) the application. Procrastinating may seem tempting, especially if the deadline is a month or farther away, but time moves quickly and the due date can creep up on you if you aren’t prepared. To avoid this mistake, consider pacing yourself as you are completing applications and give yourself at least two weeks from the deadline to complete each application.

Not following directions
A third mistake commonly found in scholarship applications happens when a student doesn’t adhere to the directions. It is especially important to read the directions carefully as well as take the time to guarantee all basic requirements have been met prior to submitting an application. Some scholarships may require special formatting or have rules in place expressing how the application must be submitted. Consider making a list of all the requirements and check them off as they are completed. Then when you are ready to finalize your application, you can double-check your list to ensure all conditions have been met prior to submission.

Forgetting to proofread
Our final common scholarship application mistake is about the importance of proofreading. Once you have completed your essay and scholarship application, be sure to have someone you trust review your work, paying close attention to spelling and grammar. You want your essay to be as polished and professional as possible, and proofreading your work will help you identify mistakes and areas that need to be changed. One errant typo could ruin an otherwise thoughtful and captivating essay, so be sure to proofread prior to submitting your application.

Finding funds to pay for college or technical school can be challenging, and scholarships offer a great way to bridge the financial gap. If you are a student looking for ways to improve your chances of winning a scholarship, avoiding these four common application mistakes can help. At DCCU, we’ve been awarding scholarships since 1995 and see this as a way of helping to make a difference in the lives of students and their families right here in our community. Our 2023 scholarship contest is currently underway. To learn more about how you could win $1,000 for college or technical school, please visit our Scholarships page.

This article is for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
 

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