1. Start with the FAFSA - The Free Application for Federal Student Aid: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov 2. Do some volunteer community service - many scholarship applications require service hours. 3. Start searching for scholarships early. Look at the websites for Compass Guide. FastWeb, Questbridge, etc. 4. Some scholarship applications open during the summer following 11th grade.: Gates Millennium Scholarship, Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards, Coca Cola Scholars Foundation 5. Summer is a great time to seriously seek and applyfor employment and to start a savings account. The money you make can help to pay for books, materials, and other expenses. It can minimize the money you must borrow for college.