No. You won’t be applying for the scholarships. But you will (and should) be an integral part of the scholarship search and application process. If you want your student to be successful (translation: more money for college), you need to get involved. Be the cheerleader cheering them on to success. Be the taskmaster assuring they stay on task. And be the errand boy (or girl) by helping out when needed.

Here are 10 scholarship tips for parents:

1. Discuss the importance of scholarships—Your college bound teen should know that scholarships will not only help you, but they will help him by not having student loan debt when he graduates. The more money you win, the less you have to worry about college costs.
2. Encourage the extracurriculars—Outside activities are critical when applying for most scholarships. If they aren’t required, it’s an added bonus to the application and paints a positive picture for the scholarship judges.
3. Start early—It’s never too early to begin the search. Keep your eyes and ears open to scholarship opportunities and pass them along to your student. There are indeed scholarships for all ages.
4. Check with your employers—Many companies have employee sponsored scholarship programs for the employees and their dependents.
5. Block off time for the search—Set aside at 30 minutes a day to search for scholarships, and more if it’s possible. Searching for scholarships is just like job hunting: you have to put in the work to reap the rewards.
6. Encourage your child to create accounts on free scholarship search sites—Check out these posts for some sites to bookmark: How to Find Scholarships Online, 7 Great Scholarship Search Sites, 56 College Info Websites, 50 More College Prep Websites.
7. Proofread your child’s scholarship application and essay—Check for errors and omissions. These few things can make the difference between an award and ending up in the reject pile.
8. Pay attention to deadlines—Late applications will not be considered. Find a filing and organizing method that works best for you and your child to stay on top of deadlines.
9. Check with the high school guidance counselor—Encourage your child to meet with his guidance counselor and express interest in scholarships.
10. Encourage persistence—Don’t stop searching. The more your student applies, the more chances he has to win.