Keep your grades up while you are in high school. Keeping your grades up will help you to get into a better school and give you a better shot at getting merit scholarships as part of your acceptance. Some students are able to get full-scholarships by keeping a 4.0 grade-point average and applying to a school that specializes in their area of study.
Become involved in sports. Many schools will award scholarships to athletes, especially if they are also gifted academically. Apply for a school known for excellence in your sport. If they believe you will boost their program, they are likely to help finance your education.
Stay active in your community by participating in volunteer work. Showing that you care about other people is a great way to demonstrate you are a well-rounded individual who plans to use their education for the betterment of society, not just themselves. Volunteer with soup kitchens, Habitat for Humanity, nursing homes or with a children's group.
Get letters of recommendation from a variety of people. Your teachers may be willing to write letters of recommendation for you if you are a particularly good student. You can also ask coaches, religious leaders and supervisors to write letters of recommendation. If they keep the recommendation letters generic, you should be able to use them for the college application process as well as for applications for specific scholarships.
Check with employers, religious communities and other groups you participate in to see if they offer scholarships. Many scholarships go unclaimed each year because nobody knows about them. If you do a little digging, you will likely be able to gather funds from a variety of sources.
Use a free scholarship search service such as FastWeb to find scholarships that match your interests and abilities. Scholarships are available for all areas of study and for students of varying backgrounds.
Set aside time for completing scholarship applications. Applying for scholarships can be time intensive, so don't try to do it all at once. Aim for spending an hour each day on finding scholarships and applying for them. If you do this throughout your junior and senior year of high school, keep your grades up, play sports and participate in the community, you will likely find that funding will be available for your college education. If you apply yourself, there is no reason why you cannot achieve your dream of a college education.