Author: Going Merry

The cost of college has soared over 180% in the past forty years. With tuition, room and board, books, and other education-related expenses, it can feel like expenses are never-ending. Thankfully, there are numerous scholarship programs to help you afford higher education. If you’ve applied to any of them, you’re probably wondering: Can I use scholarship money for anything? The answer is a bit complicated. But we’re here to help you make sense of it all. It’s worth noting that many awards will be paid directly to your college or university. For the others that come straight to you, check out the tips below to help decipher different scholarship rules.

A lot of students assume that if you’re not a straight-A, gold-star, super athlete, you won’t qualify for college scholarships. Fortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Colleges need all kinds of students — which means there are scholarship opportunities that cater to a vast range of interests and backgrounds. Going Merry is one of the most comprehensive and user-friendly scholarship platforms out there. To give you a sense of that variety, we’ve put together this guide to the 18 different types of scholarships we offer.

For single-parent families that only have one income, educational costs can represent an especially significant burden. Fortunately, there are a number of high-quality scholarships that provide financial assistance to students raised by single moms, dads, or other single guardians. To qualify for many of these single-parent scholarships, you’ll need to complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA®) and calculate your expected family contribution (EFC) to your college education. Not sure how to begin? Use our custom tools to figure out your EFC and answer the FAFSA®’s trickiest questions. Then sign up for Going Merry to find even more scholarships specifically for you.

While scholarships are most popular among incoming freshmen, they’re an important source of funding for all collegians, up to and including seniors and graduate students. Still, many students find themselves uncertain about where to begin. How do scholarships work? Where exactly does that money come from? How do you know which scholarships are worth applying to? To help you understand the details, we put together this guide. Give it a read to start off your scholarship search on the right foot.