5 Scholarship Benefits That Last Longer Than Cash

Andrew Pentis

Updated on June 6, 2020

June 6, 2020June 6, 2020Paying for CollegeFeatured, Student Loans952Andrew PentisAmanda GarciaEmail

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Scholarship benefits might seem self-explanatory. These awards help you shrink your cost of attendance and afford your next semester or school year.

The benefits of scholarships for college span much longer, however — they could last a lifetime.

How scholarships can benefit you over the long haul

These five long-term scholarship benefits could be just as meaningful (or even more) as receiving a check in the mail and a pat on the back.

1. Lessen your student loan debt
2. Get a potential career mentor
3. Build out your professional network
4. Beef up your resume and LinkedIn profile
5. Gain an unforgettable experience

1. Lessen your student loan debt

Every dollar you earn via scholarships is one less dollar you have to put toward college tuition, books and other fees. It’s also one less dollar you’ll have to borrow — and repay with interest — via federal and private student loans.

It might not be possible for you to avoid loans altogether — after all, class of 2019 graduates left school with an average student loan debt of $29,900. Winning scholarships for college is a great way to lessen your debt burden down the road.

Say you borrow $20,000 in loans at 6.00% and repay it over 10 years. You’d have to fork over $6,645 in interest, according to our student loan payment calculator.

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Now say you earn a $10,000 scholarship and have to borrow only $10,000 at 6.00% — in this case, your interest charge would be a more reasonable $3,322.

You’d save more than $3,000 in interest thanks to your scholarship benefits. And with less debt to worry about after graduation, you’ll be able to focus on other financial goals, such as scoring your first job.

2. Get a potential career mentor

A scholarship benefit might last a year, or longer if it’s renewable. But if it’s a scholarship that includes other advantages, such as on-campus support, you could be in a position to find a mentor who will guide you for the next decade.

The UNCF/Koch Scholars Program, for example, awards up to $5,000 a year to African American students interested in entrepreneurship. It also matches these students with a faculty member, community leader or off-campus subject matter expert via its mentorship program.

So if you’re a business major, the right business school scholarship could pair you with a professional who can show you what it takes to make it in commerce.

Other scholarship benefits might feature less formal mentorship programs, but the opportunity exists anytime you win an award from a private foundation. Try to build rapport with the people leading the program so you can make the proper connections.

Like with all relationships, you get what you put in. Just remember that careers are all about connections, and you could make great ones via a scholarship. You never know how that benefactor-turned-mentor could help you down the road.

3. Build out your professional network

While scholarships can help you save money, they also can help you earn money as you begin forging professional relationships. Winning awards now can help you add peers to your professional network.

While hunting for journalism scholarships, for example, you might land awards that include out-of-town trips, off-campus lunches and networking events with fellow winners.

Anytime a scholarship benefits more than one student, you have the opportunity to meet a fellow striver, someone who’s also climbing the ladder in college and beyond. They too could be a long-term connection to commiserate with or even partner with down the road.

To make meaningful connections, apply for scholarship benefits advertised by professional associations. They typically include a conference visit, where you can rub shoulders with your regional or national peers. To get started, become involved with the local or on-campus chapter of an association connected to your field.

4. Beef up your resume and LinkedIn profile

If you’re still in school, writing a resume or filling in your LinkedIn profile could be something of a chore. You might be too young to list part-time jobs, summer internships and full-time work.

Scholarships make for solid stand-ins on your resume, at least until you have more career achievements to highlight.

If you’re asked about these financial aid victories during a job interview, you’ll be able to talk about how you took the initiative to apply for them. This could go a long way with a company that’s seeking an independent, autonomous employee.

5. Gain an unforgettable experience

As much as they can positively affect your future, scholarship benefits also help you make everlasting memories. You could win study abroad scholarships, for example, and discover your passions (or yourself) on another continent.

That’s the true benefit of a scholarship award that spans more than a semester or two — it might grant you an experience that could change your life.

With that in mind, expand your search to include scholarship benefits that include an experience — whether that’s volunteering in your community, taking on a leadership role on campus or traveling the globe. The rewards might not be obvious right away, but give them time to manifest accordingly.

As you start applying for scholarships, make sure you avoid common essay mistakes so you can put your best application forward.

Reap the benefits of scholarships

You might equate applying for scholarships with going to the dentist or doing the dishes, but it could help you afford the school of your dreams.

In fact, students and parents cover about 31% of college costs with scholarships and grants, according to an annual survey by private lender Sallie Mae.

Don’t miss out on scholarship benefits that could limit your student debt, further your career or help with self-discovery. Start by applying for scholarships that cater to your skills or background.

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Lender	Variable APR	Degrees That Qualify	More Info
	1.25% – 9.44%¹	Undergraduate Graduate	Visit SallieMae
	1.24% – 11.98%²	Undergraduate Graduate	Visit College Ave
	1.24% – 11.44%³	Undergraduate Graduate	Visit Earnest
	1.24% – 11.37%⁴	Undergraduate Graduate	Visit Discover
	1.30% – 10.00%⁵	Undergrad & Graduate	Visit SoFi
	2.73% – 13.01%⁶	Undergraduate Graduate	Visit Ascent
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¹Sallie Mae Disclaimer: Click here for important information. Terms, conditions and limitations apply.

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Discover Disclosures

Students who get at least a 3.0 GPA (or equivalent) qualify for a one-time cash reward on each new Discover undergraduate and graduate student loan. Reward redemption period is limited. Please visit DiscoverStudentLoans.com/Reward for any applicable reward terms and conditions.
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Get a variable interest rate from 2.37% APR to 6.14% APR (3-Month LIBOR + 2.00% to 3-Month LIBOR + 5.77%) for either a 10-year or 20-year repayment term. Or lock in a fixed interest rate from 3.99% APR to 7.49% APR for a 10-year repayment term or from 4.24% APR to 7.74% APR for a 20-year repayment term. The fixed interest rate is set at the time of application and does not change during the life of the loan. The variable interest rate is calculated based on the 3-Month LIBOR index plus the applicable margin percentage. The margin is based on your credit evaluation at the time of application and does not change. For variable interest rate loans, the 3-Month LIBOR is 0.375% as of July 1, 2020. Discover Student Loans may adjust the rate quarterly on each January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 (the “interest rate change date”), based on the 3-Month LIBOR Index, published in the Money Rates section of the Wall Street Journal 15 days prior to the interest rate change date, rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent (0.125% or 0.00125). This may cause the monthly payments to increase, the number of payments to increase or both.

Lowest APRs shown for Discover Student Loans are available for the most creditworthy applicants for undergraduate loans, and include an interest-only repayment discount and a 0.25% interest rate reduction while enrolled in automatic payments.

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Ascent Student Loans Disclosures

Before taking out private student loans, you should explore and compare all financial aid alternatives, including grants, scholarships, and federal student loans and consider your future monthly payments and income. Applying with a cosigner may improve your chance of getting approved and could help you qualify for a lower interest rate. Ascent Student Loans may be funded by Richland State Bank (RSB). Ascent Student Loan products are subject to credit qualification, completion of a loan application, verification of application information and certification of loan amount by a participating school. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions, and certain restrictions, limitations; and terms and conditions may apply. Ascent is a federally registered trademark of Turnstile Capital Management (TCM) and may be used by RSB under limited license. Richland State Bank is a federally registered service mark of Richland State Bank.

Competitive variable rates calculated monthly at the time of loan approval based on a margin plus the 1-Month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) rounded to the nearest 1/100th of a percent. The current LIBOR is 0.190%, which may adjust monthly. Your interest rate may increase or decrease, based on LIBOR monthly changes. Rates are effective as of 07/07/2020 and reflect an Automatic Payment Discount. Automatic Payment Discount is available if the borrower is enrolled in automatic payments from their personal checking account and the amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month.(See Automatic Payment Discount Terms & Conditions.)
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2. Graduate Loans: Variable rate loans have an APR range between 5.33% and 11.42%. Fixed rate loans have an APR range between 6.14% and 11.92% based on your credit worthiness and your selected program. Rates reflect an Automatic Payment Discount of 0.25%. (See Graduate Loan repayment examples.)
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