Sending your kid to college continues to get more expensive. The College Board estimates it costs $21,000 a year to study and live on campus at the average public university. It's a lot more for private colleges.

But it's possible to get a big chunk of that tuition covered by scholarships if you start early and don't buy into myths.

There are a lot of misconceptions about applying for college scholarships that keep many students from taking the first step.

"In this country, 90 percent of students getting ready for college are eligible for help, but only 60 percent bother to apply," says Doug Breithaupt, the director of the College Planning Network. "There's this huge gap of students and families who self-eliminate, thinking they won't qualify."

He says a common myth is that you have to be a straight A student or an amazing athlete to have chance. Those things certainly help, but Breithaupt says there are many scholarships that reward students who have other talents and interests.

"There are such a wide variety of programs out there, especially in the private scholarships, and many students who don't think they're eligible, in fact, would match and qualify," he says.

Breithaupt says too many families are also quick to assume their incomes are too high to get scholarships.

To make it easier to find out what your child is eligible for, the state has set up a new online scholarship clearinghouse called the WashBoard.org. Breithaupt says it's the first of its kind in the country and already more than 70,000 students have signed up.

"They fill out one single application, and it brings up the list of scholarships that match the student. The student then selects the ones he or she wants to apply for. Then you check the box and you are automatically applying for all the scholarships you are eligible for," he says.

Breithaupt says the key is to start the process early. There are some scholarships that require students to apply by the time they're in 7th or 8th grade.

"Another big mistake families make is that they wait until the student is a senior in high school. By then, you'll have missed some options, your deadlines are so tight, and you might not be able to follow through on all of them," he says. "You should still go ahead, but you might be more frustrated by things you could've done earlier."

Sam Lim became an expert on finding scholarships when he was in high school.

"I had applied for 75 scholarships and got 18 of them," he says. "They were enough to cover my tuition all four years at the University of Washington."

He and several of his friends, who also got full rides, now share their wisdom through a website called ScholarshipJunkies.com.

"Yes, you want to have good grades and good test scores, but scholarships are really about what you're doing with your time, in and out of school," he says.

Lim says it's also critical that you share your personal stories when you're writing essays for your applications. Go beyond the lists of your activities and accomplishments.

"Every time you write something, see if you can take it deeper. If you say your brother motivated you to play football, explain why," he suggests.

Most importantly, he says, the best way to increase your chances of getting free money is to apply for scholarships and don't talk yourself out of trying.

"The only way you're guaranteed to get a no is if you don't apply."

Ursula Reutin, 97.3 KIRO FM Reporter

You might also be interested in:

• www.thewashboard.org
• scholarshipjunkies.com
• www.fastweb.com
• www.scholarships.com
• College Planning Network on Facebook
• College Planning Network