Scholarships

1. Scholarships Where to start & what’s out there…

2. Basic Facts • In general, scholarships are based off of need, athletics, merit, or ethnicity, but there are many unique scholarships that go unclaimed! • In 2002-2003, $105 billion was distributed for financial aid. • The following year the amount grew to $118 billion. • Total scholarship aid per full-time student averages about $10,000. • Institutional aid accounts for 20% of student aid or makes up about 62% of what students receive at private schools or over 25% for students at public schools.

3. How to Identify Scams • Scams state you have won an award which you didn’t apply for. • Scams do not supply valid contact information. • Scams guarantee you will win an award. • Scams require personal financial information like credit card numbers, or checking account numbers to “hold” or “verify” a scholarship.

4. What to do if you are scammed • Save all of the forms you receive about the company. • Keep copies of written details about the offer and any correspondence, emails, or other paperwork. • Make sure all materials are dated. • Take notes during any seminars or phone conversations. Record the date, time, phone number, and the person’s name with whom you spoke. • Include a detailed account of your conversation. • Take a copy of all literature and correspondence concerning the scholarship to your guidance counselor or Mrs. Pak. They can verify that the foundation is legitimate. • Report suspected scammers to: National Fraud Information Center (NFIC) at 800-876-7060 or www.fraud.org

5. How to Recognize a real scholarship • A legitimate scholarship sends information about awards when you request it. • A legitimate scholarship makes contact information available upon request. • A legitimate scholarship does not guarantee that you will win an award. • A legitimate scholarship should not direct you to a fee-based provider because they know that financial aid information is readily available for free.

6. Steps to Applying • First comes the scholarship search, use www.careercruising.com, www.scholarships.com, www.finaid.org, or www.fastweb.com (Mrs. Pak also posts scholarships outside the Career Center!) • Next research the scholarship, make sure it is legitimate, check on what the award amount is, when the application is due, and look at the application requirements. • Begin applying for the scholarship, make sure to save your work if done online. • Bring any required essays and/or applications to Mrs. Pak, a guidance counselor, or a teacher for editing or suggestions before submitting it. • Submit your application. • Make a copy of the application and the essays for your records. • Make a list of all the scholarships you have applied for, if you have or have not won, and the amount won.

7. Scholarship Tips • Aim to apply for one scholarship per week. • Send any mailed applications via priority mail and make sure to get a receipt from the post office for your records. • Have all applications and essay drafts looked over by your parents, teachers, counselors, and/or career centers for editing. • Have all final applications and essays looked over a final time before sending. • Keep a draft of your essays on your computer. Many times one essay can be used for multiple scholarships with a bit of tweaking. • Remember to sell yourself in your essays. What makes you stand out above the crowd? • Apply for all scholarships regardless of the award amount. It is much easier to nickel and dime your way to a full ride than to get a full ride from one scholarship. • Don’t be afraid to ask questions, ask for help, or apply for the “unusual” scholarships, money is money.