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Wondering, deep into your second year of high school, how you’re ever going to afford to attend college? Consider yourself wise beyond your years. Most high school kids are more interested in how their hair is looking after their new haircut than they are in thinking about the future! Since your mind is obviously in the smart lane already, you may find that you qualify for scholarships to help pay for college. There are two basic groups of scholarships granted; athletic and academic based. If you’re not an athletic elite, don’t bother trying to go that route – it will take more work than you have time for to land an athletic scholarship.

But if brains are your strong suit, you’ll find that there are many scholarships that have been set up by an almost unlimited number of organizations to help you get further education. That phrase, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste” applies here. No one likes to see a bright mind left unused, so scholarships have been set up largely to help those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, or who offer exceptional promise of academic achievement. And that’s the focus of full ride scholarships; help the exceptionally gifted.

But there are many lesser scholarships which can cover tuition, minus room and board costs, for less than A+ students. The depth and variety is stunning. It only takes a bit of time to search them out, and a bit more time to apply. But doing so could chop a substantial amount from your total college costs, making the effort well worth it.