Ask the Experts: Anissa Strickland

Q: When it comes to scholarships and financial aid, where is the best place to start? 

A: “My first piece of advice is that the students work with their high school guidance counselor,” says Anissa Strickland, senior associate director of student financial aid at Kent State University. “Those people are usually very familiar with what’s available in the community, within the high school and what students have received before. They should also be checking with the admissions and financial aid offices of every school that they’re considering, asking the question, ‘How do I find scholarship opportunities?’ They should also be asking the same questions of the academic department for their major. On a more global level, there are some very good reputable, [scholarship] search engines available on the Internet that are free and will help the student find more obscure opportunities. You can’t do a scholarship search one time, or ask the question one time, and be done. It has to be a continuous process.”