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I am a senior in high school, and I’m trying to figure out how can i find different scholarships lingering around, like essay contests, and things in that nature, my gpa is a 2.5 and I’m trying to find these scholarship essays so i could help pay off future tuition

Talk with a high school counselor & ask your questions. There may be locally funded scholarships just for students graduating from your high school. He/she can also explain the ins & outs of all the types of financial aid, including the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid – http://www.fafsa.ed.gov ) & how to plan your college/univ. budget & choose a school that fits your/your parents budget.

Many colleges/universities have scholarship/grant funds for just their own students. Staff members of the colleges/universities may need the info from your completed FAFSA or may need a completed CSS Profile (from the College Board – https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp ) to determine if you will be awarded any scholarships/grants. Look for info about them on the Financial Aid/Scholarships web pages of the schools that interest you.

Use one of the good online scholarship database with which you will not receive any spam email. I recommend the following:

Scholarship Search from the well-respected College Board:
* https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search
Click on the Start button.
If you choose to register (free – registration is not required) to return later & modify your search strategy, feel secure you will not receive spam emails.
CollegeNet Mach25 Scholarship Search database:
* http://www.collegenet.com/mach25/app
No registration required. Scholarships specific to particular colleges/universities are included in the Mach25 database.

Don’t select too many defining terms in your search strategy, which may result in a poor scholarship search result.

With the results of the scholarship search databases you will have to look at each scholarship option in the results & the info on the scholarship granting organization web pages to determine if you qualify to apply.

Given your current GPA, I recommend you also look at the information about scholarships for students with average grades here:
US News and World Report (a well-respected publication) article:
*http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-scholarship-coach/2011/08/04/students-with-average-grades-can-get-scholarships
FinAid.org Article:
* http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/average.phtml

Also, Discus Awards Scholarships do not focus on grades:
* http://www.discusawards.com/
But, you may end up with a lot of spam email by using the Discus Awards Scholarships information. Be sure to look at the web site Privacy Policy:
* http://www.discusawards.com/privacy-policy
I recommend you set up a new, separate email account to use just for the Discuss Awards Scholarships & any other scholarship databases where the Privacy Policy indicates that your personal info & email will be sold/given to other places & you will receive emails.

Beware of many other "scholarship search" web sites. Many have info on contests & require registration to use, resulting in a lot of spam email. Read their privacy policies very carefully regarding selling/giving your info to 3rd parties. If they sell/give your info to 3rd parties, avoid them.

When you find scholarships for which you want to apply, make sure you meet the scholarship requirements, follow the application rules to the letter; use perfect spelling, grammar & punctuation; & submit your application before the deadline.

Many other students will be applying for the same scholarships & only a few or maybe just 1 will be awarded. Do not pin all your hopes of higher education financing on being awarded enough scholarship/grant funds to cover all your college expenses.

I hope you have been saving any gift money & earnings – as much as possible for a number of years.

Go to your HS library or local public library & ask a librarian to help you find these books (or find them at another library for you – InterLibrary Loan) to check out, read, & learn more:

The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price (2nd edition), by Lynn O’Shaughnessy. Publisher: FT Press, 2012
Getting financial aid, 2013 (7th edition). Publisher: New York: College Board, 2012

Debt-free U: how I paid for an outstanding college education without loans, scholarships, or mooching off my parents, by Author: Zac Bissonnette. Publisher: New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 2010

Clark Howard’s living large in lean times, by Clark Howard; Mark Meltzer; Theo Thimou. Publisher: New York: Avery, 2011

The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2012 (4th edition), by Gen Tanabe, Kelly Tanabe. Publisher: Supercollege, Llc;, 2011

Librarians–Ask Us, We Answer!

Best wishes