Anyone applying for college this coming year and not paying attention to scholarships may as well skip the SAT and ACT in favor of counting change at the local Michael's. Seriously, going to college without taking advantage of free money is one of the dumbest decisions you can make. There are plenty of excuses to avoid applying for scholarships: I'm not special enough, my grades aren't great and I don't have any time, but honestly none of these should keep you from applying for at least one scholarship.

Don't be discouraged by lackluster academic performance. Many scholarships focus on a well written essay and your future plans. Some others focus on more outlandish criteria including these 9 weird and unusual scholarships, which are awarded based on your last name, height or your affinity for Duct tape! While most scholarships require a little more effort, they are worth it.
Right now many scholarships go un-awarded because nobody applies which means even you have a shot at winning! Today is an excellent time to start the application process, fall sports are wrapping up, and you have a few days of vacation coming during Thanksgiving and winter break. If you can put down the Xbox controller or your boyfriend for an hour you might earn enough to pay for a semester of school.

My biggest regret of high school wasn't that I didn't hit all the senior parties or score a date with a cheerleader but rather that I didn't apply for enough scholarships. I only applied for a four or five and while I won two, including a Papa John's scholarship that came with a pizza party, I still ended up taking out more student loans than I should have needed to.

Honestly if you'll take the time to fill out 18 surveys and join 3 movie clubs to get a free Macbook Air, isn't a 250-word essay about a formative life experience worth 2 grand?