subject: Are You Needing Money For School? [print this page] When you don't have money for college, can't get a scholarship, and don't want to repay back student loans; you may want to look at grants for college. Grants are money that can pay for tuition, books, or housing; but unlike loans, they don't have to be paid back.
Grants for college are much more plentiful than you might think; you just have to do some research to make sure that you fit the criteria. Usually grants for college are awarded to those students with financial needs who would never be able to afford a college or university education. However, there are college grants for students who have shown exceptional achievement in a specific field like science or the arts.
The Saint Louis University College of Arts and Sciences offers the A.R. Herman Scholarship program which also provides tuition money for students who excel in the field of applied sciences. To earn this scholarship, academic merit and financial hardship must be proven in order to qualify. Along the same lines, Toledo's college of Arts and Sciences offers the A. Jackson & Sally K. Smith Scholarship fund.
Personal heroes are also a great theme for a college essay that is written in order to win a scholarship. The best heroes are the local ones that you can identify with and also relate to your major that you want to declare. For example, if you want to obtain a degree in sociology, write about a volunteer in your community who has made a difference.
If you want to major in English, you can also refer to an author who has been an influence in your writing. At any rate, the writing in your essay is really what reveals the true person that you are. So if you want to be considered for a scholarship, the essay that you write has to come from your heart and really tell what you care about as a person.
