Apply early for Scholarships!
Scholarship tips Volume One was composed by our scholarship research team to give you a better understanding and ultimately the necessary tool to find, apply for and win Jamaica scholarships in your area.
Scholarships are gifts of financial aid to students that are not required to be repaid from entities that wish to contribute to education. Although thousands of scholarship go unissued annually, there are some that are always oversubscribed and some that are first-come first-serve. The main scholarship tip is that your wining hand is to apply early!
Understand that the scholarship tip is to start searching for scholarships as soon as possible. Don’t wait until January of your senior year in high school or while at university to start searching, or you’ll miss half the deadlines. There are many scholarships available to students in grades 10 and 11 or while in any year at university, not just high school seniors. Continue searching for scholarships even after you are enrolled in university or college. Sometimes a scholarship tip can worth more than any one award, so please make a note.
To be successful, one needs to start the scholarship search early – at least one year before enrollment. This allow you the time to search all possible avenues, whether it be through the schools website, ScholarshipJamaica.com, government agency, referral, your employer, local media, scholarship tip resources, club or association. Peruse newspapers and make note of previous winners and donors, and contact them for information about the next issuing period.
Additionally, explore our websites (www.ScholarshipJamaica.com), especially our scholarship listing, the scholarship tip resource centre, and register as a Newsletter member for FREE to receive weekly updates of new and current scholarships, bursaries and the latest scholarship tips.
Additionally, use social media networks to follow foundations, ScholarshipJamaica, agencies and associations that offer scholarships and scholarship tips for daily updates on financing opportunities. Applying these strategies will give you first preference to apply for the best scholarships and bursaries before they are oversubscribed.
Additional Scholarship Tips
Apply for Local Scholarships
Many communities offer local scholarships through clubs, organizations, small businesses, schools and benefactors. The odds of winning these scholarships are greater because they’re open to a smaller group of students. Here’s how to find local scholarships:
- Check with your teachers and guidance counselor
- Search local media websites, like television and radio stations
- Check community portals like scholarshipjamaica.com
- Use geographical Internet searches, like “scholarships in Jamaica” or “scholarships in Portland”
- Ask people who graduated and previous scholarship winners
Apply for Scholarships With Smaller Awards
Many students look for scholarships and other financial aid opportunities that offer the biggest bucks—but those are also the most competitive. Scholarships with smaller awards usually have fewer applicants, so your chances of winning may be higher. These scholarships can help with university tuition related costs like books, supplies, and living expenses. Paying off those smaller expenses can quickly add up to big savings.
More work = fewer applicants = better chances
Many students avoid scholarships that require a lot of work, such as essays, videos, and projects. As a result, the applicant pool is much smaller, which means greater chances for you. Scholarships with essays over 1,000 words often have fewer than 50 applicants, compared to the 150 students who enter easier scholarships.
Simple Essay Scholarship Tips: Get Personal
Instead of burning yourself out applying for every scholarship you qualify for, have some fun! Apply for scholarships that fit your interests and that you’ll enjoy. There are scholarships for everyone under the sun that fits everyone’s interest and needs. The more personal the scholarship, the more likely your passion will show through, resulting in a better submission. for instance, if you are an artistic student, scholarships in the arts will more interest you and will result in a much comprehensive and personal application compared to an application to a medical related scholarship award.
Write a Comprehensive Essay
Don’t introduce yourself in the essay: It’s cliché and may even get you disqualified. Many scholarship committees conduct blind readings, and essays that include names or other identifiers are immediately discarded. Get to the point as quickly as possible.
Don’t repeat the essay prompt: No one wants to reread the same sentence hundreds of times a day. Be original! Use the beginning of your essay to showcase your personality and set yourself apart from the crowd. Try starting your essay by setting the scene for a story or jumping directly into your answer.
Avoid the use of quotes: Your essay should be about you. The best essays are unique and stand out from the competition, so be original and use your own words. You can write the best essay in the world, but if the prompt asks for a list of five things, and you only list four, you may be disqualified. Make sure you answer every question and accurately meet every requirement.
Stick to the word limit: Get as close to the word limit as you can, but don’t go over. Exceeding the word limit may disqualify you.
Proof read: Spelling and grammar mistakes may get you disqualified. Make sure to proofread your essay at least twice and ask your parents and friends to look it over, too. The more eyes, the better.
Submit Your Application Early
Be a scholarship early bird. Don’t wait until the due date, just in case there’s a problem with the site, the Internet connection, or your computer. It is important to remember that applying early means applying for the scholarship when it is OPEN, be the first to apply! Scholarships have an OPEN and CLOSING date; most are from November 1 to May 30 annually (this may vary by donors).
Don’t apply October because you want to be the first to apply, compose your essay (if required), and practice your interview techniques while you wait for opening date. Be guided by these scholarship tips and you will be a scholarship winner this year.
Do you have a scholarship tip that you would like to share with us and our student population? Please drop us an email or make a statement on our social media pages here.
