#055 Scholarships: Where to Find & How to Win Them

Lisa Marker Robbins

Jan 31, 2023

Show Notes

EPISODE SUMMARY

Regardless of your family’s financial situation, the thought of paying more than necessary for college is a less-than-desirable prospect. With a variety of scholarships available to students, families of all income levels are wise to take advantage of any opportunities they can. It may feel like the odds are stacked against you and your high school student when it comes to knowing where to look for scholarships, how to apply, and whether or not it is worth your teen investing the time to apply. In this episode, my expert guest, Jennifer Finetti answers these questions and gives great advice for your family.

EPISODE NOTES

My guest Jennifer Finetti has supported over 12,000 college-bound students who are trying to figure out how to fund college. Her expertise is from her own journey with her children, the work she does with ScholarshipOwl.com, and her background in counseling and psychology. There are three types of scholarships that students can apply for, and Jennifer does a fantastic job of breaking down the three categories, as well as the advantages and downsides of each type. She provides great tips for when and how your teen should apply, as well as how to determine which applications are worth the effort. Not all scholarship opportunities are created equal.

High school can of course be a very busy and sometimes stressful period for you and your student. Jennifer believes, and I tend to agree, that it’s important for your teen to carry some responsibility for paying for their college education. Whether this means working a job and building their savings or applying for as many scholarships as they can, many students are going to have to find some way of easing the financial burden of college. This is generally true regardless of your family’s financial situation. Thankfully, there are many available funding options, so the more your student is able to get out there and find that free money, the easier it will be to find the school that will truly be their best financial fit. With thousands of 4-year universities, there is a fit for everyone regardless of your budget. I hope this episode gives you a few more tools to help you find common-sense ways to achieve your teen’s post-graduation goals.

Highlights

The 3 types of scholarships
Tips for finding scholarships & paying for college
Why local scholarships are best
The right age to start – it’s earlier than you think!
Offsetting the expense of college through paid work

Meet Our Guest

As a parent who recently helped her own kids embark on their college journeys, Jennifer approaches the transition from high school to college from a unique perspective. She truly enjoys engaging with students – helping them to build the confidence, knowledge, and insight needed to pursue their educational and career goals, while also empowering them with the strategies and skills needed to access scholarships and financial aid that can help limit college costs. She understands the importance of ensuring access to the edtech tools and resources that can make this process easier and more equitable – this drive to support underserved populations is what drew her to ScholarshipOwl.

Jennifer brings over 20 years of experience in edtech, marketing, communications, student engagement, content development, academic advising, admissions, financial aid, and scholarship counseling to ScholarshipOwl and ScholarshipApp. She is also a marketing consultant and content developer for Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California.

Jennifer earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from the National University, and her BA in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

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