Secrets to Winning a College Scholarship

There are ways to win scholarships, even if you speak Klingon or have so-so grades. The secret is to find scholarships that are right for you, then prepare and apply.

With more than 50 million people using his Fastweb scholarship-matching site over the past 15 years, creator Mark Kantrowitz seems to have the knack for helping students and their families reach scholarship sponsors.

There are scholarships available to everyone, at all ages, he says, and his first piece of advice: Start now. Begin researching the sponsors and the scholarships that you match, and complete an online profile with Fastweb.