If you're in high school, you have probably heard your guidance counselor talking about how important it is to apply for scholarships, especially if you're a high school senior. But did you know that students should start applying for scholarships before high school?
That's right! Scholarship Experts recommend that students start searching and applying for scholarships when they are 13 years old. If you're already a high school senior and haven't started applying for any scholarships yet, you are way behind the ball.
Now, you may be wondering why 13 years old? Most scholarship applications are online these days, and due to federal guidelines, most web sites do not allow personally identifiable information to be collected from children under 13 years of age.
This does not mean that there aren't scholarships for younger students, but most college-bound students should start searching and applying for scholarships after their thirteenth birthday. While every scholarship has different requirements for applying, you may notice that many programs start allowing students to apply if they're aged 13 years or older.
Think about this if you're a high school senior, and you're 18 years old; that is five years' worth of scholarship applications you missed. It might sound like you avoided a lot of work, but what you missed out on is five years of possibly receiving free money for college. It's also important to consider the following advice when wondering when students should apply for scholarships.
