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College students receive billions of dollars in scholarship money every year. How can you get some of this money to fund your college education?

Start looking early

Start looking for scholarships at least by your sophomore or junior year in high school. Some scholarships are even awarded as early as junior high. Where to look? Your first stop should be your high school counseling office, followed by your college financial aid office. Other places to look include

• Civic and community organizations
• Cultural institutions
• Your parents' place of employment
• Your state Department of Education
• The internet

Keep looking

Keep searching for new scholarships and renewing existing scholarships even after you begin college. Many scholarships need to be renewed annually, and you may qualify for new loans throughout your college years.

Develop your interests

While some scholarships are based on financial need or academic achievement, others are based on particular interests, extracurricular achievements, ethnicity, or religious affiliation.

Meet deadlines

Pay attention to the scholarship requirements ' meet them in as creative a way as possible, and always be on time!

Diversify

Apply for every scholarship that you qualify for. Even small scholarships can add up to big money if you win enough of them.

Beware of scams

As you search for scholarships, especially on the internet, look out for scam artists who

• Charge application fees
• Guarantee you will receive a scholarship
• Ask for unnecessary personal information, such as your bank account number

There are plenty of free scholarship search sites on the web, so don't pay for this service.

This article is distributed by NextStudent. At NextStudent, we believe that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and we're dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding as easy as possible. We invite you to learn more about how to maximize your scholarship search at http://www.NextStudent.com.