oh you a college girl?: scholarships and grants just for YOU

"...a good education is another name for happiness." -- Ann Plato

college is the place to be.  it was the best four years of my life (getting away from home, meeting new people, feeding my brain, learning more about myself as a young black woman... i could go on forever) and every last one of you can and will have the experience if i have anything to do with it.

BUT it's expensive and money don't grow on trees!  it's never too early to start planning for how you will pay for school.  there are generally 3 ways to pay for college:
1) out of pocket, if you got it like that (and if you do... can i get a loan? sike i'm only serious); 2) borrow money from a bank or the government (in which case you'll owe something or somebody a whole lot of money once you graduate); or 3) earn a scholarship or grant.

scholarships and grants are the way to go.  they're like free money.  scholarships can come from any kind of organization, while grants typically come from the government or a non-profit.  scholarships may be very specific in what you can use the money for (i.e., only tuition and room and board), while grants may be more flexible about the use of the money.  but if you follow the conditions of your scholarship or grant, you don't have to pay the money back once you graduate. **music to your ears**

there is usually an application process for either a scholarship or grant, and the applications aren't too bad. to get the apps done, pick a weekend, call it "how imma pay for college weekend" and grind out.

click here for a list of scholarships and grants specifically for black girls. there's money to be got, now go get it!