Quick tips: score college scholarships for your child

With so many scholarships out there, it's hard to tell which ones you ought to apply to. But you have a good chance of getting something if you keep track of deadlines and rules. These tips will give you the best shot of getting a scholarship for your little academic.

• High school guidance counsellors should be able to alert you to university entrance scholarships worth as much as $10,000 a year or more, but don't count on it.

Sometimes they're asleep at the wheel, contends Murray Baker, the Vancouver-based author of The Debt-Free Graduate: How to Survive College or University Without Going Broke.

• While you may be automatically considered for many scholarships and awards simply by applying for admission to a particular school, in some cases you have to actually apply and perhaps write a short essay or pass an interview.
• Don't let thousands of dollars slip away just because you missed the application deadline — inquire at the university or college awards office directly and early, even a year or more before you plan to attend.

Here's advice for landing free money for your child's college education from The Debt-Free Graduate: How to Survive College or University Without Going Broke.

• It's never too soon to start. Check out the requirements for a number of scholarships early in high school. Since many look at skills and experiences, such as community involvement and leadership roles, you can groom yourself to be the ideal candidate.
• Use the Internet for free resources. You can search up websites that compile different scholarships and keep a note of the dates and requirements.
• Read the small print. Parents often miss eligibility information on scholarship applications, meaning they miss out on the money.
• Don't send generic applications. Murray Baker, who has adjudicated the scholarship awards process in the past, says people try to "slot in the same answer for every scholarship they apply for." The problem: that standard paragraph doesn't really answer the question being asked.
• Meet the deadline!
• If there's an essay or art project required, read the criterion carefully and, if possible, find out what past winners submitted. This tells you what the judges are seeking.
• Look in the local paper for scholarship announcements. Then get the application so you can apply for your kid next year.
• Don't give up! There are thousands of scholarships, but you can't win them all.