Staring your search early will also give you time to prepare yourself in the criteria of your targeted scholarship. In other words, if the type of scholarship you are targeting at requires applicants to have working experience, extracurricular activities, good grades, and others, you can prepare for it before you actually apply. But you have to remember first that not all college scholarship grants are created equal. There are those that answers partial expenses. There are those that answer full. There are other college scholarships that provide the need of minorities, particular degree the student would like to take, particular race, etc. While you are searching for college scholarship, you must already be preparing the requirements. Never wait for the sponsor to ask before you prepare the requirements. Write a compelling application essay. It does not mean that you dramatize your life story. It means that you convince your would-be sponsor that you need the scholarship more than anyone else. Private individual or organization There is a certain number of individuals or organizations out there that are willing to finance the studies of students who cannot afford to pay for the tuition. Although the terms may not be fixed and may vary depending on the agreement of the applicant and the individual or organization, it is still one of the best scholarship grants available for they would not usually ask for return. Most colleges and universities offer this type of scholarship. Academic scholars would have to maintain certain grade to keep their education free. For private organizations that offer academic scholarship, rules on maintaining certain grade are less strict than colleges and universities. This though does not mean that private organizations are more lenient to their scholars. Most students are discouraged with the idea that all scholarship grants are reserved for A students. This is 100% untrue. Although many scholarships offered everywhere have something to do with considering the academics performance of students, there are several factors that are also taken into great account.