Some of the top ten reasons some individuals are not successful in applying for aid:

1. Administrative errors on the paperwork front - Incomplete application forms or incorrectly filled out forms.Errors or incosistencies cause big problems and even rejection to occur, so extra care has to be taken to avoid these situations.

2. Getting financial aid is not a sure fact and definitely NOT an easy process, especially NOT if you are interested in optimizing the funds and aid available to you. Expect to spend 20-40 hours of your time gathering information and facts, even prior to filling out or submitting any application forms.

3. Picking the wrong school for the wrong reasons, due to misinformation or mistaken perceptions that some of the prestige schools are either out of their league or financial reach, that then keeps them from applying, missing out on opportunity. Unearth the insider secrets that could make it possible to pursue the college and career of your dreams. It is possible.

4. Not spending enough time figuring out which college has the best comprehensive financial aid and scholarship packages to address your needs and requirements.

5. Mistakes on the financial front, which assets are included, which excluded and what is the difference when it comes to financing? Declaring assets that should not form part of the application form due to lack of knowledge, might reduce the amount of aid that you actually receive. Not including all relevant assets can also put you at serious risk, including a $20,000 US fine or even prison (maybe both).

6. Not understanding how the financial system works and failing to take advantage of it, getting some value back for all those tax-dollars you have paid into it.

7. Getting a financial expert like a CPA or tax consultant to fill out your college scholarship or funding application form could be a mistake. Get a professional familiar with the process and system to help you out.

8. Not researching or delaying application, almost waiting until it is too late to apply and then hoping for the best, is not a pro-active or rewarding strategy. The earlier you begin your application process the better. First come, first serve is often the rule of thumb with these funds, awards and allocations.

9. Thinking that you do not qualify for financial aid leading to not applying at all and missing out on opportunity.There are various forms of financial aid, be sure to capitalize and explore all your options.

10.Tackling the complex application process on your own to save money on costly fees. Do not gamble with your future, get an expert to help you figure out both the big picture, but also the little details that can make the difference.
For parents: Costs for College could be between $10,000 and $35,000 per year. Multiply this by the amount of years your children want to study and how many children you have and it becomes obvious that saving early and getting the aid you need and deserve early on will make the difference for you.

Everyone - including you - is eligible to receive some form of financial aid. The options and research is however up to you. This guide wants to focus with you, on helping to make paying for college, more easily affordable

Online scholarship searches, college grants and other funding options are open for your scrutiny and review. Private sector funding is available as well. Regional scholarships, where you live, competitions and athletic scholarships, the list is growing annually. This affords you choice and variety to make your custom-tailored selection and solution from.

There are numerous things you can familiarize yourself with to enable you to better streamline and prepare, organize, get noticed, stick with and get results and success in your application and scholarship application or awards processes.

§ What Is a College Scholarship Good and Used For
§ What are factors that contribute to scholarship awards and how can you make them work in your favor
§ Your course and location, as well as duration and cost of study (Which College And Where it is located, What will you be studying and For How Long)
§ Value And Cost Of A College Education
§ How Scholarships Help And Work and Other Funding Options And Strategies

We will take a quick look at each of these, before continuing our discussion, but elements and answers will be provided as the remainder of the text unfolds.

Typically there will be stipulations on what the tuition grant can be used for, class and tuition fees, books, boarding and living expenses and the like, transportation etc. Read the fine print on all your documentation or ask if you are uncertain. When the funds will be appropriated is important as well. Ensure that you verify any and all financial details necessary to take care of the transacting of any related matters. Make yourself aware of any responsibilities that you might have regarding the scholarship and a follow-up thank you note and regular contact with your ‘sponsors’ is a good idea as well. Also confirm the details of the grant, is it a one-time offering or does it cover the full time of your studies, is it a full or partial payment (does it cover all costs).

There are more scholarships and funds available than one might think at first glance.It will take time and effort to sift through them all and apply to as many as you can, in a very short timeframe, but they are there, waiting to be ‘s.c.o.o.p.e.d.’ UP!