There are number of local scholarships programs that your student's guidance counselor would know about there are many community ,religious or retail scholarships that go unnoticed each year.
start visiting college campuses during the student's sophomore and junior years. These visits will help you both get a cleare picture of the campus as will aslso give your student a boost of encouragement as to the college life which is right around the corner.
Submitting college .... usually stsrts early in the student's senior year. Be advised that some colleges have very early due dates; as early as October. Find out what your child's prospective college application deadlines are.