Find Money For College!

Worried about how to pay your future tuition bills? Three girls reveal their secrets to scoring major cash. Plus: creative ways you can find some too.

What she did: Marya could only go to college with financial help, so during her senior year of high school she began an online search for scholarships. “I just started googling,” she says. She found a lot of potential opportunities on unigo.com, then made sure they were legit by talking to her school adviser. The next step: “Apply, apply, apply. Out of 15 scholarships I applied for, I got 11.” (She also submitted a request for Federal Student Aid on fafsa.ed.gov.)

Success secrets: She stayed organized, never missed a deadline, and proofread everything. She also followed up on each application. “I was very persistent. Scholarship foundations want to see you’re passionate about college and your future.” By the time that Marya graduated from high school, she had $20,000. “That paid for a year of community college and a computer, plus other things I needed for school.” The only catch: She had to reapply for the scholarships each year.