As parents face the stress of ever increasing tuition costs the need for scholarships becomes even more pressing. Parents and students are focusing more of their time and efforts in order to find that right way to pay for college without incurring loads of student debt.  A scholarship can be a valuable tool in helping a student get through college with minimal debt but the real trick to getting a scholarship is understanding when you should start looking for them and where you can possibly find them. Here is what you need to know about when to look for scholarships-

• When your child is in elementary school-This is not really a productive time to look for college scholarships while granted there may be that "lifetime achievement" based scholarship the reality is they are few and far between.  Do a quick search online to help you get acquainted with what is available now.  Keep in mind that scholarships change, requirements may be different and there may be a whole lot more options by the time your preschooler or 2nd grader reaches high school.  Your time and money now is best spent opening a savings account or specified 529 program to help get that college fund started.  Just remember this is only if you can afford it.  While every parents wants to help send their child to college financial experts advise that you must take care of yourself first financially (that also means retirement funding) before socking away big bucks for your little darlings education.  Just remember there are no scholarships available for retirement.
  
• When your child is in junior high-Now is the time to start seriously considering the requirements of many college scholarships.  First and foremost your young student needs to understand that grades are permanent and will be considered in most cases for scholarships from the 9th grade and above.  Also parents should keep in mind that many non-academic scholarships require several years of whatever they feature.  For example: many music or foreign language scholarships will require 5-7 years experience.  If your child is looking to gain a scholarship in this area now is the time to begin gaining the experience needed.  In addition while sports scholarships are much harder to come by students interested in gaining a scholarship for their sport will usually have to be playing consistently by junior high. Also many scholarship applications will ask for community involvement and service organizations so it is not to early to have your child become involved with these type of endeavors.  If your student receives a special award or commendation or participates in a special program be sure to have a record of this whether it is the award itself or a letter of recommendation from an advisor since these will all help in the scholarship process.

• When your child is in high school-When your child enters high school he or she should just continue with the steps you have taken beginning back in junior high.  Grades are always a priority but many scholarships focus on other achievements as well.  Continue keeping a record of your student's achievements (having it all in one place will make applying for scholarships much easier). At the end of your child's junior year of high school is the time to begin earnestly searching for college scholarships.  This is because many scholarships have the requirement that your student must be a senior in high school or already enrolled in college.  If they do not fall in this time frame their application may be automatically denied. The internet is a great place to start.  There are many free web sites that will allow you to register your student, their achievements, preferences and talents and then receive notifications as to when scholarships that they match become available.  All you do then is apply for the scholarships.  Continue with this until graduation day.
  
• When your child is in college-Many people mistakenly believe that once you reach college your chances for a scholarship are over.  This is not true at all.  In fact in some areas there are more chances for scholarships for students already enrolled in college.  Continuing on with your search for scholarships can pay big dividends since many college students with their demanding schedules do not take the time to search for scholarships.  This leaves a much higher chance of being given a scholarship to continue on with your education.

Now that you know when to look for scholarships it becomes equally important to understand where to look for them.  The good news is that the options for scholarships are plentiful and easy to find.  Here are some guidelines to get you started-

• Start at your child's high school-Whether large or small most high schools have a financial aid counselor.  This person is designated to help students find financial aid for college. Check with that person often to find up to date information on available scholarships.  In addition many organizations that offer scholarships will send the pertinent information to the high schools.  You or your child should ask whether there is a central scholarship library.  Many schools will set up a place (usually within the counseling center that will give all the information about available scholarships).  Your student should become highly familiar with the contents of this library. In addition your student should check with their favorite teachers.  Many teachers are aware of specialized scholarships that apply to their area of teaching.  The math teacher may know of special math scholarship while the drama teacher may know of something for your little theater lover to apply for.

• Ask around-Now is the not the time to be shy-speak up!  Other parents can often be a great resource and they love to brag about how their college student got a scholarship.  Ask your friends, family, neighbors, book club members etc. if they know of available scholarships.  Many people who are part of a community organization often report that they have unclaimed scholarship money since often students do not know about it. If you belong to a organization be sure to check if they offer a scholarship since they will often give first priority to student who's parent is a member of their organization.  Check with your employer since many companies get a generous tax write-off for scholarships they may be happy to help fund your child's education with a scholarship.  Just remember the worse thing anyone can say is no!
  
• Search the web-Like everything else there are now huge databases of scholarships on the internet.  This is often the quickest way to determine what scholarships your student can apply for. These directories will often require a profile of your student and then after it is completed they will send you matching scholarship applications based on the information that was submitted.  One of the biggest benefits to searching online for scholarships is that you can quickly see scholarships from all over the country (and world) that you may not have been aware of simply from you live.
  
• Check with the colleges-Many scholarships come directly from the college or from funding from a private source associated with the college.  Do not confuse this with applying for financial aid from colleges (that is a separate step).  Call the financial aid office at the first three colleges your child is considering attending and ask about scholarship information.  Many colleges have a separate procedure for applying for scholarships. In addition if it is possible you and your child should make visit to the campus since many times there is scholarship information available in the student union, college library and student organizations. While you are on campus, stop by the Student Career Center or the Admissions Office. They often have scholarship information, as well.  If you wander through the student union and look at message and bulletin boards and you might find even more scholarship information.   Best of all the reward of a big scholarship from a particular college may just make the final decision of where to attend all that much easier for your student to make. 
  
• Libraries-While it seems we all just turn the internet do not discount the value of a scholarship search at your local library ask the librarian to help you find scholarship information. He or she will be able to refer to you books, magazines, and other media that contains scholarship information.
  
• Newspapers-Be sure to check out your local newspaper.  Many times these newspapers will advertise scholarships that are given by local organizations.

Finally, it is important to realize that many scholarships seem like only a small payout but there is no limit on how many scholarships you can apply for and receive.  While academic and sports scholarships often have the highest payouts each dollar amount you receive can help offset the total cost of your education.  If you are lucky enough to receive a scholarship (or many scholarships) to cover the costs of tuition smaller scholarships can help offset the costs of books, fees and other living expenses.