The first time I went to college, the search for scholarships was easier-ish. There were catalogs of scholarships available that were shared with the high school juniors and seniors to apply for. We filled out an application, wrote our essay, and sent it in. I didn’t win a lot of scholarships, but I did win a couple. Of course back then, the internet wasn’t what it is now.

My next foray into education started with some scholarship searches as well. This time the web was involved, and you could find all kinds of scholarship offers on various websites.

Today it’s a struggle to find scholarships because there are so many sites that present themselves as scholarship finders that just send you to list after list and from one weird grant or contest to another. It takes a lot to find a site that provides information on legitimate scholarships.

Once you find a legitimate scholarship site, you still have to sign up for mailing lists and all of the online for profit “universities” start spamming you. It’s frustrating and almost enough to turn you off the search. Almost.

Because I’m serious about finding a way to go back to school and finally get my degree, I am wading through all of the nonsense to find those valid, real scholarships that I qualify for. And I’m applying. No matter the road blocks, this time I’m not giving up.