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By Mackenzie Langemeier

Scholarships were a vital part of my college career, and now, they play a huge role in my brother's as well. I wouldn't have been able to take the next steps with my education without the support of scholarships, grants and loans.

Many students are intimidated by the "price tag" of major universities and junior colleges. On average, college students will pay anywhere from $40,000-$100,000 for a 4-year education at a university. Unfortunately, that number continues to increase. But don't let that discourage you from reaching your goals and pursuing your dreams.

There are numerous websites that will allow you to submit your profile information and in return send back numerous scholarships that pertain to you and your needs. My favorite resource is my own university's website. Simply, go on your college's website and search scholarships; it will then pull up a page that has scholarship, grant and loan information for incoming students, transfer students and current students.

You can also visit with your guidance counselor at school. They should have a file of scholarships in your area that you can pull applications from to apply for. There are many different resources you can use that will allow you to be a candidate for thousands of dollars worth of scholarships and awards if you work hard and seek them out.

When applying for scholarships, nine times out of ten the selection committee will take a close look at the activities you are involved in such as: showing, camps, leadership conferences, speaking contests, judging contests, church youth groups, sports teams, etc. They also review your grades, so be sure to keep up with your studies and maintain a good GPA. This will tell the scholarship committee whether or not you are serious about your education and your future. If they see you have a decent GPA with several different extracurricular activities, they're more apt to pick you over the person that has an outstanding GPA with little to no extracurricular activities. They want an overall well-rounded student who is involved in several different things. They don't want you to outdo yourself, just demonstrate that you're well-rounded, ambitious and energetic.

Once you have been selected as one of the top candidates for a scholarship, you may be asked for an interview, whether that is "face-to-face" or over the phone. Prepare before going into an interview. Rehearse some questions beforehand, look over your resume and make sure everything is correct and orderly. Look your best, even if it is a phone interview, because presentation is the third component when it comes to the selection process. The committee selecting the winning candidate will want someone who is put together – not someone who just got out of bed.

Most importantly, don't be intimidated! If you don't succeed the first time, keep trying and never give up. I read a story about a young girl who applied for 200 scholarships and was awarded all 200 for a grand total of $315,000. Nothing is impossible!

You may get turned down numerous times, but that is OK. There are many scholarships out there for you to get, and some are left untouched because students don't know they are out there. If you have any questions regarding scholarships, loans or grants contact your local guidance counselor, teachers or advising center, and they will be glad to help.