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Scholarship StrategiesRevised 8/2013
Agenda
Scholarships: A Piece of the Financial Aid Puzzle
Research
Organize
Apply
Follow-Up
Cash In
Life
of a
Sch
olar
ship
Education Pays
Postsecondary education creates more job stability
High School Diploma Some College Average Unemployment Associate Degree Bachelor's Degree0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 8.3
7.7
6.86.2
4.5
Education Costs
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
Rising Costs of College
4-year public4-year private2-year public
Financial Aid Overview
Paying for College
Family Financing
=
Money: Financial Aid Hierarchy
Low/No Low
HighHigh
Private Loans
PLUS Loans
Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
Subsidized Stafford Loans
Perkins Loans
Self-Help Aid: Work Study
Gift Aid: Scholarships
CO
STAVA
ILAB
ILITY
Gift Aid: Grants
*Need-based
*Available to everyone
*On financial aid award letter
Scholarships For You
FROM
TO
FOR
•School•Company•Organization•Individual YOU
•Academics•Athletics•Leadership•Involvement•Interests•Hobbies•Demographic•Field of Study•Family heritage•Income•School choice•Where you live•Where you’re from
•Contest•Raffle•Essay•Portfolio•Affiliation•Beliefs & passions•Participation•Extra-Curricular•Skill•Birthday
Agenda
Scholarships: A Piece of the Financial Aid Puzzle
Research
Organize
Apply
Follow-Up
Cash In
Life
of a
Sch
olar
ship
Research
People
HS counselor, coaches, teachers
Friends, neighbors
Family
Civic leaders
Places
Public library
College you plan to attend
Community organizations/businesses
Things
Internet
Print Material
Research: People
PeopleHS counselor,
coaches, teachers
Friends, neighbors
Family
Civic leaders
•Be personal•Be specific•Be prepared
Research: Approaching People
1. Your college goals2. Your efforts3. Personal tie-in4. Why them?5. Contact information
Hi Mr. Jones: I wanted to thank you for talking to me last month about your career. It was really interesting to hear about the specific steps you had to take to be trained in your field. Right now I’m in the process of starting my own professional journey with a college education. I’ve been applying to and researching different schools and have been looking for different scholarships that will help me pay for college. Since this is something you’ve been through before, I wanted to know if you might know of any scholarship opportunities I might be qualified for. Please let me know if any information comes your way. You can email me at ___. Thanks for the support. I’ll keep you posted on my progress!
1
3
2
4
5
Research: Places
Places
Public library
College you plan to attend
Community organizations/
businesses
Research: Things
Things
Internet
Print Material
TheWashBoard.org OregonStudentAid.gov Studentaid.ed.gov Finaid.org Scholarships360.org ScholarshipJunkies.com Collegeboard.com Scholarships.com Petersons.com Zinch.com ScholarshipExperts.com Fastweb.com
Research: 1079 Options
LatinoCollegeDollars.org Scholarshipsa-z.org CollegeSuccessFoundation.org Campanaquetzal.org Maldef.org ca-core.org Salef.org scholarshipsforhispanics.org migrant.net/migrant/scholarships.htm TALK TO THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU! CREATE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES!
Look for scholarships that don’t
require a SSN
Research: Beware Of…
Pay sites “We’ll do the work for you!”
“Guaranteed” scholarship funds
Unsolicited mail“You’re a finalist!” (In a contest you never entered)
“You can’t get this information
anywhere else!”
No contact information
No list of previous winners
Asking for sensitive personal
information
Research: Aim High, Accept Low
Research: Scholarships That Fit
Agenda
Scholarships: A Piece of the Financial Aid Puzzle
Research
Organize
Apply
Follow-Up
Cash In
Life
of a
Sch
olar
ship
Information
Contacts:
• Who did I talk to?• When?• Scholarship
opportunities?• Follow-up?
Scholarships:
• What is it?• How much?• Requirements?• Due dates?• Source?• Status?• Follow-up?• Time allotment?
Application Materials:
• Transcripts• Letters of
recommendation• Essays• Work samples• Resume, activities
list• List of awards,
certificates, recognition
• Test scores
Organizing Contacts
Contact Name
Relationship Email/ phone/ addresses
Personal talking points
Affiliations? Date of contact
Follow-up Notes
Mr Jones neighbor Told me about his career
Boeing, Kiwanis
12/5/11 Will follow-up 9/1/12
said he would keep me posted
Aunt May Aunt [email protected]
Last year when we were talking about school
Running club 11/27/11 Easter Told me about running club scholarship, said she would talk to her friends
Organizing Scholarships
Scholarship Name
Amount Source Due date Requirements App Submitted
Status Follow-up Notes
Runners Scholarship
$500 Aunt May 3/15/12 *Essay (start 2/15/12)*Letter of rec (request 2/15/12)
*will hear back in June
*prefer females
Coach Potato scholarship
$1,000 theWashbBoard.org
12/15/11 *application (start 10/10/11)
12/1/11 Offered 2/1/12
*must submit transcript & proof of enrollment by 4/15/12*thank you letter sent 2/14/12
*will need to provide student ID number
Other Things
Copies of submitted applications Award notifications Notices of scholarships that have
already passed Notes on who did win
Application Materials:
• Transcripts• Letters of
recommendation• Essays• Work samples• Resume, activities
list• List of awards,
certificates, recognition
• Test scores
Agenda
Scholarships: A Piece of the Financial Aid Puzzle
Research
Organize
Apply
Follow-Up
Cash In
Life
of a
Sch
olar
ship
Application Formats
* Where did you hear about scholarship?* Who are you and why do you want to apply?* Contact info
* Where did you hear about scholarship?* Who are you and why do you want to apply?* Contact info
Application Tips
1. Read the instructions2. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS3. Allow enough time for each piece4. Copy and paste with care5. Picture the ideal candidate6. Answer the questions directly with specific
personal examples7. Be careful with personal information8. Special circumstances: explain don’t complain
Additional Application Pieces
Letters of Recommendation
• Cover letter• Allow at least 3
weeks• What is the
scholarship for?• Let them know
your intentions• Provide them
with materials• Check in 1 week
before• Thank you note• Follow-up
Profile
• Complete as possible
• Highlight elements of the ideal candidate
• Be real
Essay
• Follow instructions
• Answer the question
• Revise work• Personal and
specific
Transcripts
• Includes test scores, proof of certification, etc
• Allow at least 2 weeks
Agenda
Scholarships: A Piece of the Financial Aid Puzzle
Research
Organize
Apply
Follow-Up
Cash In
Life
of a
Sch
olar
ship
Reasons to Follow Up
You are grateful
You acknowledge their generosity
You are a responsive and responsible person
Makes you visible
ThanksInformation and requirements
Status check
Next StepsHow you’ve put their $ to good use
Networking for future support and opportunities
Keep In Touch
Agenda
Scholarships: A Piece of the Financial Aid Puzzle
Research
Organize
Apply
Follow-Up
Cash In
Life
of a
Sch
olar
ship
Disbursement Instructions
Who needs what?
Where does the money go?
How can the funds be used?
Scho
ol R
ules
Scholarship Rules
Review: College Process Timeline
September OctoberNovembe
rDecember January
February
March April May June
APPLYING FOR
COLLEGE Timeline
Finding the Right
School
Applying for College Finalize housing, deposits, orientation, and classes
Attend College Fairs and college visits to your high
school
*Apply to a variety of colleges*
Review acceptance letters
Say ‘YES’ by May 1st
FINANCIAL AID
Timeline
Research the
Financial Aid Website of Colleges
List the documents required for Financial Aid
Understanding the Financial Aid
ProcessCompleting the FAFSA Compare Financial
Aid Packages
Accept Financial
Aid package
Complete documents (entrance counseling and loan forms)Complete CSS Profile (if applicable)
Verification if chosen for
verification, submit verification form & copies of your tax forms
SCHOLARSHI
P Timeline Finding & Applying for Scholarships
Report all scholarships awarded to your college
Future Scholarship Applicants
• Academics• Involvement
Research
• Due Dates• Sources• Contacts
Organize
ApplyFollow-UpCash In
Life
of a
Sch
olar
ship
A nonprofit corporation, USA Funds® works to enhance
postsecondary education preparedness, access and success
by providing and supporting financial and other valued services.