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Why It's Important to Search for Scholarships Over the Summer

Summer is one of the best times to search for scholarships. Here are a few reasons why you should be finding money to pay for college during the summer months.

One of the most important resources students can utilize for a smoother journey through college is scholarships. Scholarships are a key form of financial aid that students don’t have to worry about paying back—and the best part is you can apply for them whether you’re currently a high school student or already an undergraduate or graduate student. Here are a few reasons why it’s important to amp up your scholarship search during the summer.

You have more time on your hands

The summer months allow you to unwind after a long school year, but they can also serve as a time to do all the things you didn’t have time to get to. During the school year, you’re occupied with classes, homework, extracurricular activities, and maybe even a part-time job. A busy school schedule can lead you to forget about other important duties, like filling out scholarships applications. However, the summer presents a great opportunity to catch up on these things and devote your focus to them as you’re most likely dealing with fewer academic responsibilities. Finding scholarships can be time consuming, so reviewing various opportunities you’re eligible for and making note of their requirements, deadlines, and other details can make the process of applying for them much easier. Dedicating time to the scholarship search leads to better organization and overall efficiency in expediting applications. As you intentionally spend more time seeking and applying for scholarships, you’ll increase your chances of having less financial burden in the future. 

Related: 3 FAQs About Timing in Your Scholarship Search Process

You can explore your major interests

Another benefit of choosing to work harder on your scholarship search over the summer is you can take more time to explore your interests. Many scholarships are associated with specific organizations related to certain fields that promote unique values, and they may host events or activities for students to partake in that can be beneficial to your growth. By looking further into the organizations that offer scholarships related to your current major or area(s) of interest, you may learn more about a particular field you’d like to pursue. These organizations can provide enriching academic environments and professional development opportunities that can enable students to grow in their interests and overall journeys before and during college. By taking note of who’s offering certain scholarships and what their mission is, you may be able to refer to valuable resources to assist you in the future. This can lead students to reflect on where their passions lie as well as who they can connect with to receive more insight.

You can increase your productivity

Searching for scholarships over the summer allows you to make good use of your time. While it’s important to give yourself a mental break from academics, it’s also wise to make time for things that can greatly benefit you. If you find yourself bored over the summer, use your free time to pursue extracurricular interests while also working on your professional growth. Professional growth and strong extracurriculars are both often eligibility requirements for scholarships, and dedicating some extra time to these activities this summer will only make you a stronger applicant. Summer break gives you the freedom to explore more opportunities outside of time constraints and restrictions you may have at other points during the year. Therefore, it’s highly recommended to use that time to your advantage and seek out application-boosting opportunities.

Related: Scholarship Search Best Practices You Need to Follow

The scholarship search may seem like it’s never-ending, but it holds the potential to yield great results for your academic, personal, and professional future. Summer break is a great time to begin or continue your search—and it’s an opportunity you should not be wasting!

Get started on your summer quest for scholarships using the new and improved CollegeXpress Scholarship Search tool.

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About Lianna Jacob

Lianna Jacob is an undergraduate student who has gone through the college admission process and wants to share her experience with others! She enjoys learning more about her Christian faith and spending time with family and friends.

 

 

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Farrah Macci

Farrah Macci

High School Class of 2016

CollegeXpress has helped me in many ways. For one, online searches are more organized and refined by filtering scholarships through by my personal and academic interests. Due to this, it has made searching for colleges and scholarships significantly less stressful. As a student, life can already get stressful pretty quickly. For me, it’s been helpful to utilize CollegeXpress since it keeps all of my searches and likes together, so I don’t have to branch out on multiple websites just to explore scholarship options.

Cameron Lee

Cameron Lee

High School Class of 2022

I used CollegeXpress to search for colleges. It helped me narrow down the schools on the West Coast and which schools had Construction Engineering programs. I made my decision to go to OSU and I am so excited about it.

Asia Stockdale

Asia Stockdale

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress helped me overcome a huge hurdle. Because of the small town I live in, I felt like I would never achieve more. I felt like I could never go beyond because of costs. I feared I wouldn’t be able to find scholarships. I had no idea of where to start. With CollegeXpress, I easily found scholarships—they came to me. It was a helper, and I was instantly matched with opportunities to go above and beyond educationally.

Katelyn

Katelyn

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress gave me options of schools with my major and from there I was able to pick what was most important to me in a school. Everything was so organized that I could see all the information I needed.

Ruth Aguilar

Ruth Aguilar

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress helped me by providing me with many scholarship opportunities and information about universities I want to attend. What I love about CollgeXpress is how it provides a variety of information, and as the first child attending a university next year, it has been very essential and helpful. I’m so grateful for this because the information provided by CollegeXpress has also helped me see that there are so many college opportunities, and it always informs me by email. In other words, CollegeXpress has been like a guide for me as a future college student.

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