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Tips
on Applying for Scholarships |
Every Ventures Scholar should apply for scholarships!
Here are some helpful web sites that provide you with
important information:
ARTICLES ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarship
Basics
Scholarships, as their name implies, reward students
who have distinguished themselves academically by paying
for some or all of their college costs. Scholarships
are also one way colleges attract the most desirable
students.
Using
Scholarship Money: What's Allowed?
Almost all college scholarships are intended to pay
for at least part of your tuition and other college
expenses, at least for your freshman year. If they're
renewable, scholarships can pay for up to four years
of these costs. Many scholarships award money for college-related
expenses other than tuition, such as books, computers,
supplies, and study-abroad stipends.
Unusual
Scholarships
You may have heard that there's a scholarship for everybody
and everything. That's not entirely true, but almost.
There are hundreds of different scholarship criteria
for the scholarships in our Scholarship Finder, and
all of them ask that you have at least one of those
criteria to be considered for the award.
Scholarships
with Strings Attached
Most scholarships are awarded based on past criteria:
your grades in high school, your standardized test scores,
your accomplishments. Renewable scholarships require
you to "keep up the good work" by continuing
to do well academically in college. But some scholarships
have future requirements: your agreement to perform
some service, work, project or other obligation after
graduation from college. If you don't fulfill your end
of the bargain you will be required to return the scholarship
money. Probably the most well known of these types of
scholarships are the Reserve Officers' Training Corps
(ROTC) awards, which require military service for several
years after graduation.
Your
Major Matters
Many scholarships specify a major as one requirement.
For example, there are scholarships for such majors
as "computer science," "art therapy,"
"marketing," "petroleum engineering,"
"journalism," "music education,"
"oceanography" and "acting."
Get
the Score on Athletic Scholarships
Colleges on the whole seek out and reward academic achievement
in admissions as well as for scholarships. Some colleges
also reward athletic ability as much as, if not more
than, academic accomplishment. Part of the reason, of
course, is the acclaim and resulting financial support
a winning team can bring to a college. But ideally,
part of the reason is also to show that jocks deserve
a good education, just like everybody else.
Renewable
vs. Nonrenewable: An Important Distinction
About one quarter of the scholarships in the
Collegedata Scholarship Database are renewable, meaning
students are eligible to receive the scholarship for
more than one year only if they continue to make satisfactory
academic progress or meet other requirements and reapply.
Conversely, close to three quarters of the scholarships
are not renewable. They are available fewer
than four years of college, whether it be for Freshman
year alone — which is most common — or for one or more
of the later years.
The
Bottom Line: How Much Can You Get?
Many students extend the idea of shopping around
for the lowest price on something to shopping around
for the biggest scholarship or the most scholarships
they can get. This is certainly understandable, because
the more and bigger scholarships you win, the less you
may have to borrow or pay out of pocket. Although you
cannot receive aid in excess of the cost of attendance,
even if you qualify for additional scholarship money,
it makes sense to research as many scholarships as you
can ahead of time, to see if you'd be eligible and how
and when to apply when the time comes.
TIPS ON APPLYING
FOR SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarshiphelp
We know that the path to success in earning scholarships
has approximately three parts.
What
Do Selection Committees Look For?
Most scholarship selection committees look to reward
well-rounded, active, and accomplished students.
Applying
for Scholarships
When applying for a scholarship you will often need
to write a letter directly to the administrator to request
more information, an application form, or simply tell
them a bit about yourself. This is a great opportunity
to show the administrator why you are the best candidate
for their scholarship. Take some time to make this letter
as clear, concise and informative as possible.
List
of Documents
Applying for scholarships can be a real hassle if you
are not prepared. This is a list of documents that you
may need in addition to the scholarship applications.
Some applications may require only part of the list,
but if you fill out applications for all of the local
scholarships, you will need all of the listed items
Scholarship
Tips
You will find some useful scholarship application tips
in this article.
How to Apply for a Scholarship - The Money Is There,
But You Have to Ask for It
The scholarship application process is very similar
to the college application process. First, you filter
a large list of possible choices into a focused list
that matches you. Then you create compelling applications
that are supported by your achievements, essays, recommendations,
and interviews. Here are some tips to help you create
strong scholarship applications.
How
To Apply for Scholarships
Welcome to HSF.net Scholarship Application Tips, where
we highlight five areas you should focus on when applying
for HSF scholarships or other scholarship programs.
Sample
Scholarship Inquiry Letter
This letter provides a sample format for inquiring about
private student aid funds.
The
Merit of National Merit Scholarships
There is only one way to start the process
of applying for a National Merit Scholarship. That's
to take the Preliminary SAT, or PSAT, in October of
your junior year of high school. Over a million other
juniors will be taking this three-part test around the
same time. About 50,000 of the highest-scoring test
takers will go on to the next step.
How
to Apply for a Scholarship-The Money Is There, But You
Have to Ask for It
The scholarship application process is very similar
to the college application process. First, you filter
a large list of possible choices into a focused list
that matches you. Then you create compelling applications
that are supported by your achievements, essays, recommendations,
and interviews. Here are some tips to help you create
strong scholarship applications.
Let Others Pay the Way: Apply for Scholarships
If you're truly needy, truly exceptional, or perhaps
just truly lucky, your financial aid package may include
federal and school-based grants or scholarships. Federal
financial aid is limited, so college-bound students
are wise to apply for as many forms of private funding
as possible. The more outside scholarship applications
you submit, the better your chances are of receiving
some additional funding to help supplement your family's
resources.
WRITING THE
SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY
Writing
Your Scholarship Application Essays
Take the outline and begin with the first sentence (which
is the most difficult) and then just write to include
everything you think is important. Don't worry about
the length of the essay at this point. Use your outline
as a guide.
Scholarship
Essay Samples
The Admissions Essay Prep Leader shares essay writing
strategies and samples that will help you gain entrance
to your first choice business school. For more free
essay writing advice and for help with your admissions
essay, visit EssayEdge.com
.
Writing
the Scholarship Essay
The personal essay. It's the hardest part of your scholarship
application. But it's also the part of the application
where the 'real you' can shine through.
GETTING RECOMMENDATION LETTERS
Letters
of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation show that people in your life
respect your skills and accomplishments and are willing
to say so in writing and sign their names. That's actually
quite wonderful. This page talks about how to obtain the
best letters of recommendation you can in as painless
a way as possible.
What
Others Say About You Does Matter
College students spend a lot of time getting to know themselves.
Many like to think of themselves as true "individuals"
doing their own thing. Whether they dye their hair purple,
or wear the same pair of shorts three years in a row,
students like to be themselves (I've even had the same
grungy hat on for the last four years).
BEWARE OF
SCHOLARSHIP SCAMS
Scholarship
Scams
Every year, several hundred thousand students and parents
are defrauded by scholarship scams. The victims of these
scams lose more than $100 million annually. Scam operations
often imitate legitimate government agencies, grant-giving
foundations, education lenders and scholarship matching
services, using official-sounding names containing words
like "National," "Federal," "Foundation,"
or "Administration."
Scholarship
Scams
Need Money for College? Doesn't everybody? Unfortunately,
in their efforts to pay the bills, many students and
their families are falling prey to scholarship scams.
What
is a Scholarship Scam?
How can you tell a scholarship scam?
Scholarship
Scams
Scholarship search services and financial aid
advice services are common these days. Unfortunately,
too many of these for-profit companies charge high rates
to provide information that can be found elsewhere for
free.
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