The Discover Card Scholarship is for the student who is thinking ahead in paying for his/her college tuition. Scholarships are designed to meet many needs and in some cases fill particular niches. One of the most important things to do when looking for college funding is to start early, especially in high school, to try and find unique scholarship programs. As is the case with the Discover Card Scholarships Program, if you wait until the last minute to find funding for school, you may quickly realize that you have missed the boat.
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Looking at the scholarship by Discover Card in 9th grade, for example, it would be easy to set your goals early, understanding that over the course of the next two years you will want to build your grade point average up above a 2.75 while also getting involved in community oriented projects. Because so little information is available on the Discover Scholarship Program homepage, you would also need to take some time to do some digging in order to get a better handle on who has won and why.
Getting access to scholarships is not simply as easy as happening upon them randomly and then hoping that you meet the criteria. While it’s always possible that you may have randomly fallen into what they are looking for, your best bet is always to plan carefully.
In 2011, the company which brings us the Discover Card is providing a scholarship for high school juniors towards their college education, the maximum award being $25,000. Apart from the specifics on a minimum required GPA, it can be difficult to understand what exactly they mean by clubs or community groups. Taking a look at previous winners of the Discover Card Tribute Award Scholarship will help you build up on the particulars.
Consider the case of Natasha Mathurin, a 2010 winner of the Discover Scholarship. In her biography as provided by the Discover program, it becomes quickly clear that Natasha was not simply a member of a school group or that she did the bare minimum required of her person. Ms. Mathurin was involved in leadership roles, brought in new members, was active in volunteering in public activities and, despite a learning disability she was diagnosed with earlier in life, has struggled hard to achieve everything she has accomplished.
Moving from Natasha and considering Juan Acosta, another 2010 Discover College Scholarship winner, we see yet another example of a student involved in leadership roles while overcoming obstacles in his life. As a legal immigrant to the country at a young age, Mr. Acosta had to learn English while also overcoming a cataract on his left eye. Despite these troubles, he learned English and eventually was accepted into his school’s gifted program, along the way taking up leadership roles in school clubs and volunteering at a local rehab center.
In each of the above cases, commonality becomes a direction, showing young applicants what others are capable of and suggesting to them a positive direction for their own future. The Discover Card Scholarships are available to students who have encountered obstacles in their lives and overcome them, while at the same time rising up to meet new challenges of their own. The earlier a student starts along this path, the better their chances of getting this nationally offered unique scholarship, and for a maximum potential payout of $25,000, it is important to start thinking about their future as soon as they can. The 2011 deadline for the Discover Card Scholarship Program is January 31.
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If you are a student planning on applying for this unique scholarship program later in your high school career, keep your eyes on the website and watch the future winners for ideas of what you can do to increase your chances of winning. Step up into leadership positions, and realize that obstacles are rarely insurmountable. Such challenges are normal in life, and in this case may help you achieve funding for your future college education through the Discover Card Scholarships.