Who could resist getting free money for school? Apparently, many students at American River College can.

Students aren't being consistent about applying for scholarships. Some students are under the impression that they would not qualify for them or it's too time consuming. Some students aren't even aware of the scholarships out there. With these misconceptions, students are not applying. The students that are applying don't have many people to compete with to win and of those winning, many are not necessarily the most qualified for it.

Kristen Dubray, Director of College Advancement, stated that there were 154 scholarships that were available for students to apply for. The amount disbursed to students range anywhere from $250 to "a couple thousand" with the average scholarship "being around $500."

have grade point average requirements, proof of financial need or long letters and essays; all they require is that you are a student and complete a simple application with a short explanation about why they are applying for the scholarship.

With that in mind, students need to remember that these scholarships were designed to help students get through college without racking up massive loans. Each scholarship has a target group of students that are eligible to apply. Some don't even

It's not that hard to find out about different scholarships. The Career Center was hosting many workshops, with multiple times to accommodate different student schedules, about the various scholarships that American River College has. Even if a student chose not to attend one of these workshops, students are able to stop

by the Career Center and ask about the various scholarships available or view some of the one's that are posted on the wall across from the Financial Aide Office at any time.

The most important thing that students need to pay attention to is the requirements and strict deadlines. Many of them have certain requirements and deadlines that must be followed otherwise the application could be disqualified. Being one day late on the postmark could ruin any chance of receiving that scholarship, even though that student might be the most qualified for it.

With that in mind, students should take a few minutes to stop by the career center or get online at www.arc.losrios.edu/funds to see what scholarships they could qualify for. Hey it's worth a shot; it's free money.