Why are scholarships so great? Well, they are like having your cake and eating it too. Mmm, cake. Why great? Well, not only are they free money but they can be quite lucrative as well. But of course free still comes at a cost…your time. When it comes to scholarships, applications are a must. But the good thing is that you don't need to demonstrate financial need. This time you need to sell yourself...modesty doesn't earn you points. Tell them how great you are and don't hold back.

Don't let the length of these applications intimidate you and here's a piece of valuable advice: the first one is always the hardest. I'm not saying that you can write an essay for one application and just use it for every subsequent application but in reality, how many different ways can they ask you about your achievements and/or extracurricular activities. So, all you need to do is perfect yourself once then tailor your answer appropriately for each additional application.

There are many scholarships out there. Great places to start are websites like www.studentawards.com and www.scholarshipscanada.com. These websites are geared to help you find money. How handy is that? Another way is to simply type the word ‘scholarship' into a search engine like Google and you'd be surprised how many results appear. In fact, we stumbled across a scholarship that was available for any student who was over 6 feet tall. Not kidding. So when I say that money is out there to be found, I mean it.

Aside from scholarships that you need to look for on your own, Fanshawe does participate in some specific opportunities for you.

There are some scholarships where the College nominates a student(s) to enter a competition.

Upper Year Garfield Weston Awards — application period will begin during winter semester (February 2010). See the website for more information (www.garfieldwestonawards.ca)

Datatel Scholars Foundation — application process will be announced soon. See the DSF website for more information (www.datatelscholars.org)

Canada Millennium Scholarships — awarded for the last time by January 2010. No new applications are being accepted.

AUCC/CISCO Systems Canada Scholarship — no student application required. Nominated student will be contacted by Awards and Scholarships.

And there are some where the College simply selects a student after an internal competition.

CN Scholarships for Women — currently seeking applications from first year technology students. Go to www.fanshawec.ca/EN/money/money/17853/whatsnew.asp for more information and a copy of the application form. Applications must be submitted by Thursday, October 15, 2009.

Alberta Centennial Premier's Scholarship — students nominated by program coordinator. For 2009, this scholarship will be awarded to a student from the Faculty of Arts, Media and Design. Nominated students will be contacted by Awards and Scholarships.

Canadian Hospitality Foundation — application period will begin during winter semester (March 2010). See the CHF website for more information (www.chfscholarships.com)

At this time, Fanshawe College would like to congratulate the following students on their achievements:

Garfield Weston Awards
Lila-Kay Collins, Child and Youth Worker
Frank Neufeld, Graphic Design

Canada Millennium Scholarships
Lila-Kay Collins, Child and Youth Worker
Diana Montano Rubio, Graphic Design

Canadian Hospitality Foundation
Krystie Haire, Hospitality Management — Hotel
Ben Husband, Culinary Management
Amanda Hennebry, Hospitality Management — Food and Beverage
Christopher Bird, Hospitality Management — Hotel

So, I'll end this week's column with one final piece of advice. When it comes to scholarships, keep looking and when you think you've looked hard enough, look some more. There's money out there to be found, you just need to find it.

Next week's topic: Awards...celebrate your success!