College-bound students should start planning for the 2024–2025 academic year now. Applications for most scholarships will be available in January. Experts advised against waiting until summer to begin applying for grants or scholarships.
“The sooner you get in front of the panelists, the more scholarships you’ll have time to apply for and the higher likelihood you’ll have to be chosen,” said Christina Lindley, Vice President of Revenue and Partnerships with Bold.org.
“You can actually start applying for scholarships as young as 13,” said Lindley.
It may seem difficult to find and apply for scholarships, but Lindley explained that it all comes down to identifying your specialization. In order to stand out, she also advises you to find out who will be on your panel and write to them.
“There are scholarships for everyone! For example, we have fan scholarships. If you’re a Taylor Swift fan, there is a scholarship for you.”
According to Forbes, a dearth of candidates results in the annual loss of $2 billion in grant money and $100 million in scholarships.
“Time is money,” said Lindley, who knows parents and students are busy. “You want to focus in on scholarships you have the highest likelihood of being awarded.”
Regarding the FAFSA, Lindley advised everyone to complete it, even if they don’t believe they will be eligible for financial assistance. Students can find out which grants they qualify for with the aid of the FAFSA. This year, the FAFSA application will be redesigned with the goal of expediting the process.
The FAFSA form has traditionally launched in October, but this year, the 2024-2025 FAFSA will launch on December 31, 2023.
