(NAPSA)—Thereis a misconception that scholarships and grants are only for high school students entering college. However, there are manyscholarships and grants available for working adults and graduate students. In fact, many awards do not have age restrictions and students can access more than 1,800 of these awards in FastWeb.com’s database. As higher education enrollments of students age 25 and older continues to rise, adult learners are becoming more the norm than the exception. “If you're a graduate student or working adult returning to school, you can still take advantage of scholarships,” said Jason Lum, J.D., M.P.P., a core faculty member in Walden University’s School of Public Policy and Administration whospecializes in advocacy for college access and college education funding. “For adult learners, it’s important their scholarship application essays demonstrate theirlife and professional experience because their experiences may actually give them an advantage over a younger, first-time college student.” Whether you're in high school now, looking to attend graduate school or already enrolled, it pays to learn all you can about the grants and scholarships that are available. Here’s a look at some of the waysto identify, apply for and win awards: eMakea list of what’s important to you as well as your current and past employment, professional affiliations, volunteerism and interests. Identify commonalities within this list to determine what organizations to research for scholarship opportunities. Work the phone and Internet to see what awards are Photo credit: Peter Howard You can apply for scholarships throughout your entire school career. available. Useful resources may include www.finaid.com and www.fastweb.com. eShare your civic experiences in your application. Scholarships often go to people who are involved in their community. *Demonstrate how you align with the organization’s mission and goals. Often, organizations aren’t looking for academic superstars but instead are trying to find the person who best embodies their mission andgoals. eApply year-round. Any time of year is a good time to seek a scholarship. Note the deadlines of scholarships you find and don’t hesitate to apply for multiple scholarships at one time. eLook for scholarship opportunities or tuition reimbursement where you work. For working adults, this is a great option when returning to school. Makesure to find out any eligibility requirementsor limitations. To learn more about the variety of merit-based scholarships for academic and professional accomplishments available at Walden University, www. WaldenU.edu/ scholarships.
