I'm afraid my grades are not high enough. Scholarships can be based on your interest in a particular career or academic major, the community you live in, your activities, or other criteria.

My parents make too much money. Some scholarships are based on need or financial aid eligibility, but there are many merit-based scholarships which are not based on income or assets – they are based on your own academic achievements and promise.

I don't know where to look for scholarships. You can find information on scholarships on web sites, published in books at the bookstore, in your college counsellor's office, at Bermuda College or at your school overseas, by calling or visiting local businesses, professional organisations, and Chamber of Commerce, and checking with your parents' employers and organisations they belong to.

I don't have the time to look for scholarships or fill out applications. Unless you have a money tree, time is money, and in this case money well spent. If it takes you ten hours to look for scholarship opportunities, complete and mail applications, and you receive only one $2,500 scholarship you have made $250 per hour—more than most of us make at our jobs!

I can't write a good essay. Writing an essay, especially if it is about yourself, is difficult. In most cases, this is how a scholarship committee gets to know you so you need to represent yourself in a positive manner without boasting. After you have drafted an essay and you feel comfortable with it, have several people read it over for grammar, style, and content.