Did you know you can win a scholarship as early as kindergarten? That’s right, scholarships aren’t just for graduating high school seniors. This means you don’t have to wait until senior year to start searching for, applying to, and winning scholarships—and here’s why you shouldn’t wait:
Start as Early as Possible
Ideally, you should start applying to scholarships ASAP. Even at the beginning of freshman year in high school. College may feel like it’s a long way away still, but there’s no such thing as starting a college fund too early.
Scholarships Add Up
The more you win in scholarship money, the less you have to take out in student loans. Scholarships don’t have to be repaid with interest, after all, and are by far the best way to pay for college because of that.
If you get a head start on winning scholarships, you’ll have that much more money in your college pocket.
More Time, Less Stress
Junior and senior year get pretty busy. There are college visits, ACT/SAT study sessions, writing college app essays, submitting applications, and regular school on top of it all. While you should still definitely apply for scholarships during those years, it can lower your stress levels knowing you already have a few scholarships tucked under your belt.
Use College Raptor’s new Student Loan Finder to discover personalized loan options. Compare lenders and interest rates to find the ideal student loan—for FREE!
| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
5.34%-15.96%* Variable
3.99%-15.61%* Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CITIZENS |
 |
4.92% - 15.08% Variable
3.99% - 15.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT SALLIE MAE |
 |
4.50% - 17.99% Variable
3.49% - 17.99% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CREDIBLE |
 |
6.00% - 13.75% Variable
3.99% - 13.75% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT LENDKEY |
 |
5.50% - 14.56% Variable
3.69% - 14.41% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ASCENT |
 |
3.70% - 8.75% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ISL |
 |
4.99% - 16.85% Variable
3.47% - 16.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT EARNEST |
 |
5.00% - 14.22% Variable
3.69% - 14.22% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ELFI |
