Another semester is upon us. My youngest will be a sophomore in college so I’m in the same shoes you are. Our financial awards have been calculated, the scholarships have been applied and now there is a balance that remains. How do we pay the rest? I wish I knew the amount of people who are having this conversation in their kitchens and living rooms. Families all over the country are in the same situation. These students and families all look different. Many are students trying to figure out how to approach mom / dad. Others don’t have the option of going to mom or dad. Some are ..read more

    I love working with students on finding money for their education as well as the college admissions process. The Passion project is my absolute favorite part of working with the students. It is a fabulous day when a student finds their passion and chooses a way to implement that into their lives. Your passion is often related to your why. What is a passion project? A passion project is what makes you stand apart from your competition in both the college admissions process as well as in the scholarship process. It is a project you create that allows you to use your passion, dream ..read more

    How to find an internship Looking for internships is no joke. Finding a place where your skills, passion and a companies needs all align feels like a Christmas miracle. It doesn’t have to be that way. Everyone would love to have a paid internship, I get that. However, I encourage you to be open to non paid internships as well. The value of a good internship far exceeds monetary value. If all goes well, you well get far more than a paycheck from a good internship. You’ll get a recommendation and your resume will be glowing. However, the most valuable thing you’ll get is hands on ..read more

Pay for school the smart way, not the hard way! Everyone wants to use someone else’s money. It’s just how the world works. The wealthy people want to keep their money in investments and those who are not wealthy need money to get the education they desire. Educational costs are a subject all on their own but paying for college or even trade schools can be out of reach for many. Smart Tip: Let’s take a look at how to get the biggest bang for your buck ( pun intended ) A student can get a job at Home Depot and get paid $14.05 per hour. While this is nice, just think of the hourly return on that ..read more

Salty, Sticky and Strawberry Jam - The innovative way to reach underserved and disadvantaged students. I love living in Texas. I’m from outside of Austin now but grew up in East Texas. I was a first generation student who came from very humble beginnings. You can learn more about that story here and here.  As a latch key kid, I walked home to an empty apartment on many days. One day I was walking home and saw a strange site that hasn’t left my mind. In the crack of an old dusty sidewalk, something caught my eye. In the middle of nowhere, one small strawberry peeked its shiny head out as ..read more

    Day 1 Wake up in the morning.  No electricity School starts in an hour Not sure how I’m getting to school Tired Didn’t sleep well last night The adults were yelling Hungry White powdered donuts and Dr. Pepper  Mom says she can drive me to school She is nice like that Car has trouble starting, but moving No heater Cold Stop for gas Mom says to get money out of her purse and go in to pay $3.00 of gas Late to school Teacher is mad Embarrassed I’ve been late 3 other times this week Time to turn in homework Forgot to do it Sugar high wearing off Very tired Survive math clas ..read more

Hi there, This is Sherri with Imagine Scholarships. I am sharing our most -read article of all time. It is filled with links to your favorite 80s songs and how references to those songs can help you and your student find great scholarships in the college admissions process. For those of you who want to get straight to the details they are here. For those of you who are looking for some fun…. keep reading.     Remember the 80's when you were graduating from high school? The landscape looked different then. So did the hairstyles, leg warmers and neon clothing. Applying to college req ..read more

     In the words of the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, “I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date! The good news is, YOU AREN’T LATE, FAFSA is. Every year since the beginning of what seems like forever, FAFSA opens on October 1st of each year for the next school year application. This year is different. There are major changes and improvements coming to the 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. As a result, the new form will be available in December 2023, not Oct. 1. The launch date will apply only for the 2024–25 FAFSA form. a more streamlined ap ..read more

Football season is off to a great start, and it’s even more exciting this year with Taylor in the stands. Looks like maybe now she is cheer captain AND in the bleachers. (Yes, I’m a Swiftie and even got to go to the Eras tour.) I love football season! I’m from Texas so Friday night lights are part of my DNA. I love college football and wear merch for all of my favorite teams. Shout out @aggies, @baylorbears, @texaslonghorns Sure football is entertaining for us spectators, but for those out on the field, many hours of work and strategy are poured into each game. Football players are expert ..read more

Seven Secrets to Winning Scholarships     Get Started Early - Start building your leadership experience early, this will give you an impressive resume to start applying with as early as 9th grade. Everything counts. Keep a record of your volunteering hours and look for opportunities that sound fun to you. This requires effort on your part, opportunities are out there but you have to find them.  The Art of Storytelling - Your story is already interesting, learn to tell it in a precise way that others can connect with. Being a good storyteller is a talent that few have. Learn ..read more