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Five reasons to pursue scholarships even if you aren't a high school senior yet

By Catherine Mueller

February 28, 2022

It's never too early to begin your search for college scholarships.

All high students – not just seniors – should pursue scholarships. In fact, some scholarships are aimed at students as young as those in elementary or middle school.

And, even if you can't apply for some scholarships until your senior year, here are five reasons why you should begin your scholarship search early:

• The earlier you start applying for scholarships, the better opportunity you'll have to receive enough funds to pay for your education.
• You're more likely to find out about those scholarships aimed at younger students if you start early.
• Many scholarships have requirements (such as achieving certain grades or taking specific courses) and finding out about those requirements when you're a senior could be too late.
• You can get a head start on the application. For example, if you know a scholarship is going to require an essay on a specific topic, you'll have more time to work on that essay if you know what will be asked for on the scholarship application.
• You won't waste your senior year (when you are busy with a lot of other things) wading through scholarships that aren't a good fit. If you know in advance those scholarships you want to pursue, you'll be able to focus all your time on those applications.

The years you spend researching and preparing for scholarships before you are a senior will be time well spent. You'll probably do a better job preparing the scholarship applications, and, most importantly, you won't be too late for a successful scholarship pursuit.