How To Find Scholarships

As college costs rise, scholarships become more and more important. Scholarships are great, because unlike a lot of other aid, you don't have to pay them back. Some people think that scholarships are reserved for people with very high GPAs, but this is not the case. There are scholarships for almost every interest, talent, religious and ethnic background. The trick is to look and apply for many. Don't be discouraged if you find scholarships for low amounts of money. Every dollar counts! They are also usually easier to get, and will actually benefit you in getting larger scholarships in the future. Now that you are excited to start looking, how do you do it?

1. Begin to look early. While every scholarship has a different deadline, you want to make sure that you not only meet the deadline, but also have enough time to get together all the requirements that they are looking for. Some scholarships are only looking for an application. Others want reference letter, an essay, financial statements, an interview and other documentation of your qualifications. It will never hurt you to have a plan about how to get these items together as soon as possible.
   
   
2. The library is a great resource. The public library and your school library are great sources for books about scholarships. Many books have been printed, and why not check them out for free.
   
   
3. Contact your references. Nothing is worse than having everything you need together except the references from your teacher, coach, employers etc. It is not fair to ask them to write a reference for you quickly. Before you even know what scholarships you are applying for, it's a good idea to ask your possible references if they would write a reference for you.
   
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Author: Simone P.

The American Opportunity Credit is not available on the 2008 returns taxpayers are filing during 2009. The new credit modifies the existing Hope Credit for tax years 2009 and 2010, making the Hope Credit available to a broader range of taxpayers, including many with higher incomes and those who owe no tax. It also adds required course materials to the list of qualifying expenses and allows the credit to be claimed for four post-secondary education years instead of two. Many of those eligible will qualify for the maximum annual credit of $2,500 per student.

The full credit is available to individuals whose modified adjusted gross income is $80,000 or less, or $160,000 or less for married couples filing a joint return. The credit is phased out for taxpayers with incomes above these levels. These income limits are higher than under the existing Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits

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