In the upcoming months you will hopefully receive some scholarship money, i.e. free money for college.  And while you should be excited, be sure to read the fine print.  Many of us skip right to the part about the dollar amount and then breathe a sigh of relief that we know exactly where x amount of dollars is coming from to pay college costs.  But if the scholarship is renewable (and some are), you need to find out what you have to do in order to maintain those free dollars while you are in college.  Oftentimes you have to maintain a certain number of credits, or GPA, or both.  You may have to submit your grades to an outside organization (if a private scholarship) or if the college is the source awarding you the money, their financial aid office will check to make sure that you stuck to your requirements.

To read more tips to maintain your free scholarship dollars for college check out this article by U.S. News.

Now is the time to start applying for scholarships if you haven’t already (or to keep applying if you have!)  Visit your Guidance Office to inquire about local resources and also check out www.nh93.com, www.nhcf.org and www.iamcollegebound.org.  With some hard work, research and advance planning, hopefully you too can receive some free money for college!

Best of luck,
Val