This little piggy went to college

Finding money for college might seem daunting, especially when budgets are tight, but experts say that with organization and effort, you can find the financial aid and scholarships you need.

FILLING OUT THE FAFSA

The first step is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and high school seniors who want to enter college this fall should do that now, said Willene Holmes, the director of financial aid at Augusta State University

You need to fill out the form completely and accurately.

Don't estimate incomes: That will trigger a sometimes lengthy verification process. Give exact numbers, down to the cent.

Keep a copy of your parents' tax return, Ms. Holmes said. If you need verification, you'll have it readily available, rather than applying to the IRS for a copy, which can take 10-15 days, she said.

Double check Social Security numbers for accuracy, and make sure you understand common terms.

Frequent mistakes in filling out the FAFSA include confusing adjusted gross income with income, or income tax withheld with income tax paid, Ms. Holmes said.

Make sure your parents electronically sign the FAFSA; otherwise, your application will be invalid.

Also, get your forms in by the deadlines set by the school you are applying to.

FINDING SCHOLARSHIPS

There are free scholarship sites online, says Mark Kantrowitz, the ublisher of FinAid and EduPASS, the director of advanced projects for FastWeb, and the author of two financial aid books.

In addition, look in the newspaper for announcements, and ask your high school guidance counselor for help. You can try calling community and fraternal organizations that might not have Web sites or didn't send news releases about their scholarships, said Marianne Ragins, a scholarship consultant who won $400,000 in scholarship money and is the author of Winning Scholarships for College .

There are books available that list scholarships. You can buy them retail or check them out from the library.

Watch out for scams. If you have to pay more than a postage stamp to apply, it's often a scam, Dr. Kantrowitz said.

It's not too early for underclassmen to get a jump on scholarships.

"You don't just apply for scholarships when you're a high school senior," Dr. Kantrowitz said.

There's usually more competition for scholarships with larger payouts. You'll face less competition for smaller, lesser-known or local scholarships. Winning a smaller one can even lead to larger awards.

"It may suggest that you're a better-quality candidate," Dr. Kantrowitz said.

Apply for every scholarship you're eligible for, even the $50 ones, Ms. Ragins said.

"When you're applying, you have no idea what you're going to win," she said.

BE EFFICIENT

Do you feel you have too much going on to find time to apply?

Ms. Ragins says you can work on applications in your spare time, such as when you get work done early in a class.

"If you get organized, it's really easy to apply for scholarships," she said.

Many scholarship applications require an essay, but you don't necessarily have to write a unique one for each.

Ms. Ragins used two essays, which she would recycle and tweak. One was an essay describing herself. The other was about her career goals.

Stand out

The first impression is often the way you write, so Dr. Kantrowitz recommends taking care in your essays.

Don't rely on your computer's spell-check to catch poor grammar or awkward phrasing. Print your essay out and edit it by hand, then get a parent or teacher to look it over.

Add details that will be important to the sponsor. For example, if applying for an engineering scholarship, focus on a summer project related to engineering, not your varsity athletic career.

Avoid abstractions and give details. You can't just say you're a leader and expect the selection board to take your word on it. You need to give examples.

When finished, let an essay sit for a day and then come back to it.

It will likely be worth the effort.

Your odds of winning a scholarship are one in 15 at a two-year institution and one in 10 for a four-year institution, Dr. Kantrowitz said.

"You can't win if you don't try," he said.

Reach Sarah Day Owen at (706) 823-3223 or sarah.owen@augustachronicle.com.