If you are in high school and have plans to attend a popular San Diego college, such as the University of San Diego or San Diego State University, you will likely need to obtain scholarship money in order to defray some of the cost of your education.
FAFSA
The first place to begin your hunt for scholarship money is by submitting your FAFSA. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The federal government takes FAFSA information from each student and their families in order to determine how much federal aid students will need. Most scholarships require that you have a FAFSA on file with the federal government in any year that you are going to apply for financial aid.
Cal Grant
With your FAFSA in hand, you can provide your high school GPA information to the California Student Aid Commission. The latter administers the Cal Grant, a series of grants that are awarded for all four years of a student’s undergraduate degree program. Cal Grant provides funds for either undergraduate or teacher preparation programs.
Students can also receive grants provided by the Student Aid Commission for middle class students whose families earn up to $170,000 yearly as well as grants for dependents of law enforcement officers, foster children and members of the California National Guard.
Other Sources for Scholarships and Grants in San Diego
Other sources for scholarships and grants can be found on the following websites:
U.S. News and World Report Scholarships
Steps to Improve Your Chances of Securing Scholarship Money and Succeeding in College
While still in high school, you can implement the following routine to ensure that you will earn the most possible scholarship money and that you will achieve in college once you are there:
- Read widely and daily: Students who read every day and from a variety of topics acquire immense vocabularies and are better readers. This will help you succeed with the heavy reading load of a college student.
- Maintain a high GPA
- Take rigorous coursework: Where possible, take Advance Placement and Honors courses
- Be involved in community service and school leadership activities: Many college admission departments look for candidates involved in community service and school leadership. Candidates who have not participated in community service risk rejection.
- Be able to articulate your goals and how college will help you achieve those goals.
- Join organizations that help you learn more about your proposed college major: Realize that these organizations often also provide scholarships.
- Intern in your proposed field, if possible