One of the toughest questions college-bound students ask is how to win scholarships. To find answers, we talked to four students at Christian colleges to see what they learned in their scholarship searches. These students won thousands of dollars from businesses, community organizations, their colleges and their church denominations. Some made mistakes in the application process they now regret. Some got big awards. Others found money by just working hard. From the diversity of their stories, we hope you can pick up some scholarship strategies.

When I first saw Toccoa Falls had a leadership scholarship, I was too intimidated to apply. First of all, I wasn't really sure if I had the leadership qualities they were looking for. Second, this scholarship was a big deal. Only 10 people are chosen per year for Toccoa entrance scholarships. I was positive I would not be one of those 10. So I decided not to even apply.

When I mentioned my thinking to a Toccoa senior I knew, she told me that she'd won the leadership scholarship. She insisted that I apply for it. She believed I could win. But it was pretty late in the game at this point—in fact, I was at the campus preview weekend and the deadline was the next day. I still wasn't so sure.

I think I hesitated to apply for the scholarship because I thought my high school years were too drastically different from a normal experience. When I was 16, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. I took off a year of high school to take care of my mom and siblings. I was running a household of 10 people. I did all the grocery shopping. When the washing machine broke, I had to go buy a new one. My siblings copied everything I did, and I played a large part in raising them.

When my friend recommended that this would make me a good candidate for the scholarship, it really humbled me because I really just did what duty called me to do. But the more I thought, the more I realized that this had been a huge leadership role for me to fill. So, during the campus preview festivities, my parents and I went to my admissions counselor to talk about the scholarship. Together, the three of them convinced me that I was qualified. Besides, it doesn't hurt to try.

I used my counselor's computer and spent the next three hours scrambling to apply. It was pretty intense. I had to write essays and fill out paperwork with several references who could talk about my leadership experiences.

I couldn't believe it when I got the letter saying that I'd won the scholarship. It was such a blessing. The experience made me realize two things: 1) Sometimes we have qualities and qualifications we don't think are useful, and 2) as we apply for scholarships and write essays, we need to talk to those who know us best about what qualities they see. Without my friend and my parents, I never would have thought of myself as a leader.

As a recipient of the award, I am expected to demonstrate leadership abilities on campus. To do that, I became an admissions counselor as a freshman, which is rare. My job is to inform high school students and parents about Toccoa Falls College.

Through my job as an admissions counselor, I have learned a few things about scholarships. First, I think students should apply for as many scholarships as they can. I wish I would have gone after more. What can you lose? Second, I see now how important it is to apply right away, maybe even in the beginning of senior year. What I didn't know was that the scholarship "season" runs October to May. If I'd known that, I would have started the scholarship process a lot earlier—and possibly wouldn't have still been looking for scholarship money during that campus preview weekend.

To be completely honest, my biggest strategy was to pray like crazy. I knew there was no way I could attend Baptist Bible College unless the Lord provided. I couldn't have afforded the tuition. Because of my family's financial situation, my parents couldn't help pay for my schooling at all. My need was overwhelming. And that need taught me firsthand that if you believe God has called you to do something, he's going to provide. I just had to trust God for the money.

Another strategy that paid off for me was being really active in high school. I was involved in student government, sports, choir, band and my church. I also did Project Pal, an internship program where you volunteer to spend time with an elementary school kid. I really enjoyed all of my activities, but as I was applying for scholarships I realized a side benefit: They all looked great on scholarship applications. My broad array of interests also made it possible for me to apply for a broad range of scholarships.

I also made it a point to check in regularly with my guidance counselor about scholarship opportunities and deadlines. And without being pushy, I kept in touch with the selection committees of scholarships I was interested in.

I also developed a good relationship with the financial aid director at Baptist Bible College. I was very open and vulnerable with him. I made sure I wasn't just another name in a stack of papers. He knew I had a great deal of financial need. He also knew I genuinely wanted to be at his school with all my heart, but needed help to get there. I wanted to be in ministry so badly and I was clear about my ambitions. A couple of times he was given donor money to distribute to incoming freshman and he chose to help me with some of those funds.

I have also attempted to stay in contact with those administering scholarships by writing thank-you notes. After I received the first gift from an anonymous donor, I wrote a pretty extensive thank-you letter to him that my financial aid director delivered. In the letter, I described my goals and where I felt the Lord is leading me. The next year he gave me another $5,000 gift.

I believe I was successful in my scholarship search because I was always very upfront with my desires and needs. At one interview with area band directors for a high school music scholarship, I opened up and honestly shared that I very dearly wanted to be a teacher and return to the community. I think hearing that I had such clear and passionate ambitions moved them to award me the scholarship. Of course, my career ambitions have changed completely now. I had no idea where the Lord was going to take me, but I was always honest about what I felt in my heart at the time.

I received a large academic scholarship through my college that makes up a huge chunk of my tuition. And I worked really hard to get it.

When I was in high school, I researched Hannibal-LaGrange and discovered that ACT scores made the biggest difference in how much of a scholarship you received. So, I studied hard to get a good score on the test.

The first time I took it, the score I received would have only given me a scholarship for 25 percent of my tuition. So it was a no-brainer for me to try again. I did get a better score and I raised my scholarship to 30 percent of my tuition. Based on that, I always encourage my high school friends to take the ACT more than once.

Getting that 30 percent award was huge for me. But I do have one big regret: I didn't search for other scholarships. That was a mistake. I saw notices for different scholarships and essay contests offered through businesses and foundations. But I didn't take time to apply. I also didn't put much effort into my college search until late in my senior year. Starting the entire process earlier would have helped me a lot.

Another mistake: I wasn't as concerned about grades as I should have been. While I'm glad I focused on the ACT, I wish I would have also focused on keeping my grade point average up, not just in my senior year, but all throughout high school. A better GPA might have led to more scholarship opportunities for me.

Wondering how I could ever pay for something so expensive was, and still is, overwhelming. But there is help out there. You have to look for it and work toward it, but there is help.

When I was figuring out how to pay for college, I found quite a few scholarships locally and even at my school. I was surprised by all the places you could find a little money here and there.

For instance, I found one scholarship given by the parents of our high school's band students. It required me to audition. Auditioning in front of people was nerve-wracking, but I did well and won $1,000 toward my tuition. I also heard about an American Legion community service award, and so I wrote a letter about how I'd served in my community. I won $300 just for writing that letter.

Both of these scholarships took work and time. But when you think about it, the time I put into it wasn't that much considering the payoff. It was much more than I'd make at a part-time job. However, I didn't realize that then. I didn't think it was worth the effort. There are a lot of other scholarships that I could have gone for. But I didn't. I just got lazy.

I now realize that the more you are willing to work at it, the more you will get. If a scholarship requires an essay, you have to be willing to write it. You have to be willing to put in the effort. And it is well worth your time to do so.

I learned another lesson once I got to college. The hunt for scholarships never ends. Every year of school, there are new opportunities to find additional money. Some scholarships are available only to juniors or seniors. Some are renewable every year—but you have to re-apply. It's important to keep your eyes open. And I realized that you just have to prove yourself every day by being a good student, being active in the campus community and working hard. For example, I received one scholarship this year that I didn't even apply for. My professors recommended me for it without my knowing. This was just another example of how my hard work and showing that I care about my education and my career field paid off.

Rebecca graduated in '04 with a communications degree from Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is an arts and entertainment reporter for a suburban weekly newspaper.

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
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