Finding money for college requires patience, as well as both the willingness and the ability to research. There is money to be had, but the biggest mistakes that parents, and students alike, make is thinking that the scholarships and/or grants will find them.

When looking for money it is important to begin early. Waiting until the a child's junior year is self-defeating. The search should begin when your child enters high school. Begin by having your child list her/his interest. There are many organization that offer monies to students who want to enter specific fields. Once you have this list, sit down with your child and look over Scholarships.com. After setting up your profile, you can search for scholarships by talent, interest, or field. Be sure to look over the requirements for different scholarships in order to help your child plan out his/her academic and extracurricular activities over the next four years.

That's right, extracurricular activities are very important when looking for money for college. Students should take advantage of all that their schools have to offer. Scholarship committees like applicants who are go-getters and have a track record of success. In other words, signing up for Student Government is good, but heading a committee is better, and of course, being President or Vice President is even better.

You should also speak with your child's guidance counselor and/or the college office at her/his school. Find out if former students were particularly successful with certain scholarships or grants. This will give you a starting point and insight into what worked best in the past.

Is your child left handed? Does he/she have asthma? How about a learning disability? Does your daughter love science and math? Does your son like fashion? Are you in a minority group? Are you in the military? If you can answer yes to any of these, there is money for you.

Another method is to find former students from your child's school who may work for companies that offer scholarships or head scholarship boards. Local television stations, radio stations, newspapers, and/or businesses are great places to start. Or simbly check out your child's school website. Sometimes they have a list of alumni. Even better, have your child join a local chapter of a national organization like JROTC, Kiwanis Club, Model UN, or political organizations.

For even more information, go to Princeton Review's list of the recent "Best Colleges" rankings on their website. You can find out what financial help specific colleges offer and the best way to go about getting them. And while you are there, sigh up for a SAT/ACT review class because getting high scores on these exams can lead to National Merit Scholarships and more.

In addition, be sure to fill out your Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FASFA) forms the year before your child graduates. You can get a jump-start on finding federal financial aid. Do not listen to anyone who tells you not to fill these out, and don't assume that you make too much money. Fill it out anyway. You may be pleasantly surprised.

And don't forget to take advantage of College Savings Plans in your state. Go to Collegesavings.org for more information about your state's 529 plan. You should also sign up for Upromise as you can earn money toward college when you buy certain products.

The number one thing to remember is that procrastination is your worst enemy when looking for money to fund a college career. Start early, be diligent and use every resource available to you.

Learn more about this author, Kristina Daniele.
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