January 20, 2026 · Season 2 · Episode 25
How I Earned Scholarships
By Avery Roth, Lesley Sanchez, & Gage
What does winning scholarships really look like? Gage talks with two Nebraska college students about finding opportunities, managing deadlines, writing essays, and turning smaller awards into major college savings. 💰📈 Start your scholarship search 👉 https://eqf.org/SQ
Scholarships open doors to new opportunities, and learning from students who have navigated the application process can bring clarity, confidence, and motivation. In a recent episode of Countdown2College, Gage sat down with Avery, a nursing student at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and Lesly, a business administration student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, to discuss how they earned scholarships and what they learned along the way.
Starting Early Makes a Difference
Both Avery and Lesly emphasized the importance of starting early. Beginning their scholarship search during their junior year of high school gave them time to understand what was available and stay ahead of deadlines. Starting early can take a lot of pressure off as senior year gets incredibly busy.
Use Resources Around You
When it came to finding scholarships, Lesly relied heavily on her high school counselor, who regularly shared updated lists of scholarships with deadlines and requirements. She also searched her college’s website for scholarships specific to her academic major. Checking these resources regularly helped her stay organized and catch new opportunities before deadlines crept up.
Small Scholarships Add Up
Rather than focusing only on large national scholarships, Avery chose to prioritize local and college-based awards. These often have smaller applicant pools and higher chances of success. While the individual award amounts may seem small, they can add up faster than you think. In Avery’s case, they covered the full cost of college!
Stay Organized
Both students agreed that organization was key when applying for scholarships. Avery used a detailed spreadsheet to track deadlines, requirements, and application status. Lesly preferred a color-coded document that showed which scholarships were submitted, pending, or awarded. No matter the system, having everything in one place can help you avoid missed deadlines and unnecessary stress.
Keep Applying
One surprise for many students is that scholarships don’t stop once you start college. Both Avery and Lesly continue to apply for scholarships as current college students, including those specific to their academic majors and college-based opportunities. Continuing to apply can help offset future costs and unexpected expenses.
Final Advice for Future Applicants
Both Lesly and Avery agreed: apply early, apply often, and don’t overlook smaller scholarships. Looking for awards tied to your major or interests can also improve your chances and help you find scholarships that truly fit your goals.
Earning scholarships requires a significant amount of time, organization, and focus. For Avery and Lesly, that effort and persistence helped make college far more affordable.