How do students receive a full-ride scholarship to a university??

Answer 1

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There are lots of ways ... it can be a purely academic or athletic question for some scholarships, that being, if you are really smart, or really good at a particular sport the school in question will pay all your expenses because you will make them look good. There are also thousands of scholarships for applicants from lower socio-economic and minority backgrounds. Usually, however, no single scholarship is for a major amount of money, but when you add up several small scholarships they equal one 'lump-sum' full-ride scholarship. If you meet certain federal and/or state guidelines you can qualify for a rather hefty amounts of free money in certain circumstances.

There are lots of ways to earn enough scholarships and grants to not only cover the cost of tuition, but, many times, to have quite a bit left over for other expenses. Sometimes you shouldn't focus so much on the huge big dollar scholarships that are hard to get, and extremely competitive, but find a half dozen or so smaller scholarships and add them up. Free money is free money ...

When I started college I didn't even bother applying for financial aid because my grades were average (3.0), I was a white male, and my parents made over $100,000 per year (and the better part of it ... my parents didn't pay for any of my college). So, my first year I had to go to a California Community College (because it cost a fraction of a regular university) and worked 35 hours a week at the local UPS warehouse. After a year and a half of throwing boxes around the inside of ridiculously hot trailers one of the guys I was working with was talking about how he had gotten $2,000 from the same school I went to for absolutely nothing, and I thought "this dude is just like me ... why can't I do that?" So, I looked into it and the next semester I got $3,400 in scholarships from the college I never had to pay back. The only thing I ever had to do was fill out a couple forms, and submit one or two applications.

After that semester I thought, "wait ... if they gave me $3,400 this semester and I really didn't really even do anything then I wonder how much more money I could get it I really started applying seriously for some of these scholarships!?!" And, after that, I always received enough from where ever I was going to school that I didn't even have to work ... I could pay my car insurance, rent, utilities, and everything else (after tuition) from the money I was receiving from school (that I never had to pay back mind you ... I'm not talking about loans).

The key factor is to get good grades (like 3.5 and above) ... if you do that then you will qualify for a lot more scholarships, and you will probably get them. The other important thing I learned is don't focus on the really big scholarships ... go after a whole bunch of small ones (they're easier to get). Add up six or seven $1,500 scholarships and you're looking at a pretty hefty sum.

By the time I got to graduate school I was offered studentships/fellowships that covered all my expenses. In fact, my fellowships were for more money per year than most of my friends whom had gone directly in the work force after their Bachelors were making (my Ph.D fellowship was for $54,000 per year ... and thats on top of free tuition).

Source(s):

I haven't had to pay a cent for my college education since my sophmore year ... and I spent another 8 years in college after that. Its not as hard as you might think it is ... plus, I'm a WASP, so if I can do it anyone can.

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Asker's Comment:

Thanks. . .but it was long

Answer 2

quit your job, father a child out of wedlock, and move back in with your folks. Or apply from jail like I did.

Answer 3

depends on the school, but they have to really want you. usually it's being a top student and/or athlete. also less competitive schools offer easier to get full scholarships. it would probably be much harder to get one from an ivy league

Answer 4

In a nutshell. Get an awesome score on the ACT or the SAT. Graduate Valedictorian or very close. Apply for as many scholarships as you can EARLY EARLY EARLY.

Answer 5

Check on fastweb.com or with the appropriate administrator from the college that you would be interested in applying to.