One thing I have noticed in my experience is that students planning for college do not apply for enough scholarships. There are so many opportunities out there to receive awards for college, that really it is almost foolish not to apply to as many as you can. The more you apply, the better the chances of receiving an award. Not all are based on accomplishments, GPA's, or test scores, so research all that are out there. Universities will have links on their webpage to financial aid and scholarships, as well as each state usually has a page with different listings. If you have an international student, there is also special funding that can be obtained as well. Some great sites I have found that seem to have great variety are www.thewashboard.org (for students attending in Washington State), and www.fundforthought.com.