Scholarships– A gift of money that does not have to be paid back.
For a list of scholarships to apply for, continue reading the information on this page and you will find it.
Important Search Tips: 1. This process takes time. Begin searching early during your senior year 2. Dedicate a few hours each week for scholarship activities. 3. The internet is the fastest way to search for scholarships, obtain applications, and submit applications.
Scholarship Terminology: Amount - the dollar value being offered to the award winner. Award - another name commonly used for scholarship. Deadline - the date the application is due. Do not miss these dates! Donor - the person or organization offering the scholarship. These are often colleges, companies, or people. Requirements - the specific accomplishments the applicant must satisfy. These include anything the donor feels is reasonable like academic achievements, specific college major, or other creative things like being 6 feet tall.
Types of Scholarships Annual Scholarship - the student receives the same amount of money each year they are in college. Example - a $15,000 annual football scholarship for four years. Automatic Scholarship - given to students admitted to a college that satisfy a specific requirement. Example: All Illinois residents with a 3.5 GPA receive a $5,000 automatic scholarship. Merit Scholarship - given to students for special talents or academic achievements. One Time Scholarship - a student is only eligible to receive this award one time. Private Scholarship - only a specific group of students are eligible to win. Example: Lake High School Athletic Scholarships are awarded to only Lake High School athletes. Renewable Scholarship - the student can receive the same award each year they are in college. Usually requires students to reapply for the scholarship each year and to maintain certain academic standards.
How do I find scholarships?
1. Lists. Click the "2015-16 list of scholarships.xlsx Download File" link below for a list of local and national scholarships. This is only small collection of the thousands of scholarships available. Do not stop your search here, or you will be limiting the amount of financial support you could possibly receive. Check this list often as more scholarships will be added each week. Every effort was made to ensure the information listed is accurate. Applications will be made available to students in the Student Services Office as they arrive. It is your responsibility to verify the scholarship information posted on this webpage with the description found on the application. Information is subject to change. If you have questions, it is recommended to call or e-mail the contact person listed on the application or visit the organization's website. This list was recently updated and all the expired scholarships for this year were removed.
2. College scholarships. All colleges offer private scholarships available only to students attending their school. Visit your college's financial aid webpage for a list of private scholarship you may qualify for. Contact the college's scholarship department or an academic advisor for the major you are interested in pursuing. These people sometimes know about scholarships that other people do not. It is worth making a phone call to ask, "Are there any scholarships for my major that I could apply for?"
3. www.careercruising.com. This website is a fantastic tool for student interested in career, college, and scholarship information. Visit the website and log in: Username: hampshire, Password - careers. Click the Schools tab and then click the Financial Aid option. You can Search for Scholarships by keyword or take the Financial Aid Selector questionnaire for a list of scholarships that match your personal profile. You can also save the scholarships to you portfolio.
4. Websites. There are websites that search the internet for scholarships that match your profile. After setting up an account by answering a few questions, you will have scholarship postings sent directly to your personal e-mail. These websites are free and extremely helpful. Try some of these websites: Scholarship Websites www.fastweb.com - Scholarship search website www.schoolsoup.com - Scholarship search website www.fastaid.com - Scholarship search website www.questbridge.com - Scholarship search website www.cappex.com - Scholarship and college search website www.isac.org - Financial Aid, scholarship, and college information www.findtuition.com - Scholarship search website and financial aid information www.collegeboard.com - College testing, college, and financial aid information www.collegetoolkit.com - College, scholarship, and career information www.fafsa.ed.gov - Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Minority Scholarship Websites Hispanic College Fund www.hispanicfund.org - Scholarships for Hispanic students
Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund www.apiasf.org/scholarships.html - Scholarships for Asian and Pacific Islander student
Specialty Scholarship Websites International Education Fund Aid www.iefa.org – Scholarship information for international students and students studying abroad.
The Automotive Schools Directory www.automotiveschools.com – Automotive school information and scholarship links.
Equine Scholarships Race for Education www.raceforeducation.org – Equine scholarship information
5. Catalogs. Scholarship catalogs are available at bookstores or libraries. These catalogs are as thick as phone books and list thousands of scholarships. You can find a large number of scholarships organized by college major and other easy to search categories. If you are not finding scholarships online, you might want to try these catalogs.
6. Organizations. You or your parents may participate in organizations that offer scholarships to their members. Check for opputunities. Examples: local park districts, Girl Scouts, jobs, clubs, etc. How do I apply for a scholarship? 1. Scholarship applications are often available on the donor's website. Some donors like the application filled out by hand or by computer. If you hand-write your application make sure it is neat and presentable.
2. Certain scholarships require you to be nominated by a teacher, counselor, or other appropriate person. Do not be afraid to ask someone to nominate you. Most people would be more than glad to help.
3. Certain scholarships require you to complete the FAFSA. This is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. All college students must complete this application to become eligible for grants, student loans, and certain scholarships.
4. Make sure to provide all necessary documentation. This may include high school transcripts, ACT scores, essays, or letters of recommendation.
5. Know the application deadline and make sure all your documentation has been submitted on time. Donors may not look at any applications submitted after the deadline.
6. Applications usually contain directions for how to submit your documentation. Follow their instructions.
Letters of Recommendation Letters of recommendation are used by scholarship donors to evaluate your personal character and accomplishments. This is also a good way to show off your unique traits to the people that might give you free money. If you have never asked someone for a letter of recommendation before, here are some suggestions to follow.
1. Ask the right people. If the scholarship application asks for a letter from a specific person, that is the person to ask. These people are often your school counselor, teacher, or someone that knows you well. It is also helpful to match the letter writer to the scholarship requirements. For example, if the scholarship is looking for an athlete with strong leadership qualities, than a coach would be a good person to ask.
2. Give your letter of recommendation writers time to compose a strong letter. Two weeks is a good amount of time.
3. Provide your writers a resume that lists the following: oParticipation in sports, clubs, or community service. Be sure to list the number of years you participated in each activity. Also, list the activities you did even once. For example, Hampshire Thanksgiving Soup Kitchen volunteer in 2010. oLeadership positions you have held. Example: Voted by teammates team captain junior and senior year. oSpecial awards or accomplishments. oPersonal strengths. oChallenges you have overcome. oGoals for the future. oWhat you plan to study in college and why this interests you?
4. Provide your letter writers an envelope. Ask them to put the letter in the envelope, seal it, and sign their name over the flap. This serves two purposes. One, it certifies that the letter not a forgery. Two, some donors like knowing that you did not preview the letter before submitting it. This shows you are confident the letter will speak positively about you.
5. You can send the letters to the donor with your other documentation or have the letter mailed directly to the donor by the writer. If you want the writer to mail the letter, be sure to provide them an envelope with the correct mailing address and a postage stamp.
6. Send your letter writers a thank you letter. They took time out of their lives to help you. The least you can do is take some time to show some appreciation.
Scholarship Scams Unfortunately, there are organizations that make money by taking advantage of those in the most need. You want to avoid putting yourself in a vulnerable situation. Lookout for these scholarship scam warning signs to protect your education and money.
1. Fees. Searching and applying for scholarships should not involve fees. 2. Requests for credit card or bank account information. This information should not be given to anyone. 3. Guaranteed scholarships. No one can guarantee you will win a scholarship. 4. No work involved. There will always be some work involved. Donors do not give away money to just anyone. 5. Award letters stating you will receive scholarships you did not apply for. This may be a way of getting you to pay for a fake service fee. 6. Aggressive advertising. Do not believe statements like, “We award more scholarships than anyone.” 7. No contact information. 8. Representatives that will not give you a direct answer.