Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

There are hundreds of scholarships awarded each year and there are thousands of students looking for scholarships each year. While Aunt Betty's country club scholarship seems to be a shoe in or the scout promised you a full ride to a particular college, until the offer comes through, don't count on the money.

Apply for as many scholarships as possible, even ones for which you may not be eligible. The more you apply for, the better chance you have of getting something. Make sure you apply for the smaller scholarships as well as the larger ones. Several smaller scholarships are better than no scholarship at all.