How to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Francis E McIntire This book is intended to be used by parents, high school counselors, and high school students who are engaged in the search for college scholarship money. The media touts that each year millions of scholarship dollars are not applied for. For many students, however, that is not exactly the case. In most cases those dollars are unavailable because they are set aside for students in a special category. It is extremely frustrating to seek out these unclaimed millions only to discover that they are set aside for others in an exclusive category. The Problem The millions of dollars in scholarship funds that are set aside for exclusive groups tend to exclude a much larger segment of the population. The result is widespread frustration. Many excellent students spend hundreds of hours filling out scholarship application forms on paper or on the Web only to discover that they qualify for only a small fraction of the money that they need for college. The fact remains that there is tremendous competition for the relatively few dollars that are awarded to those students who seek merit scholarships. In comparison with the full cost of a college education, the merit scholarship dollars that you can expect to win will be relatively few. Consider this in the context of having to finance a college education that can easily exceed $30,000 per year (with tuition, books, and living expenses) and the problem becomes very real. The solution for most is to apply for and accept funds from a variety of loan sources. The problem here is that the principal and interest grow continually while the student is in college. Four years later, the student and the family must face the arduous task of slowly paying off the mammoth debt (principal with compound interest.) The Solution For the patriotic American, the solution lies in having a strong desire to attend an excellent school and a willingness to serve our Country. During the 2020/2021 school year, less than 12,000 high school students completed the application process to attend the United States Air Force Academy in the summer of 2021. This school offers successful candidates the opportunity to accept a full ride merit scholarship that has been conservatively valued at between $280,000.00 and $400,000.00 dollars (over four years). To do this you will need the assistance of a knowledgeable guide. This roadmap provides the way ahead.