Scholarships for College
*Check your Admissions Office and or Financial Aid Office to insure you are considered for any possible scholarship the school has to offer. Check any deadline and application that must be submitted. Many times a school wants the applicant to file for financial aid to be considered for need based awards.* Research and look for outside Scholarships and awards. Avoid outside consultants that promise to find scholarships. These firms often charge a fee and usually provide a list of possible awards a student can find on their own for no fee.
* Check if you or any member of your family is involved in a group that awards a scholaship(s) to students. Often fraternal groups, scouts, clubs, etc have a scholarship they offer to a member or one of their children.
The College Board http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
Scholarships.com http://www.scholarships.com/
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Who wins Scholarships:
*Very few students obtain a completely free education. 0.3% of the students enrolled full-time at a 4-year college get enough grants and scholarships to cover 100% of the full cost of attendance. 3.4% get enough to cover 75% or more of the cost of attendance. 14.3% get enough to cover 50% or more of the cost of attendance. 69.1% received less then $2,500. Students in (STEM) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are more likely to win awards Students with better grades and better test scores are more likely to win awards.--------------------------------------------------------------
Most Common Errors:
* Missing a deadline* Not following directions
* Omitting required information
* Applying for an award you are not qualified for.
* Exaggerations or lies
* Not tailoring an application to the sponsor
*Not proof reading an application for mistakes
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Scholarship Interviews:
* Turn off your Cell phone*Check yourself in a mirror before the interview.
*Conduct a mock interview and practice
*Make eye contact, don’t fidget, and don’t look at your phone or watch during the interview nVideotape the mock interview to see how you look.
*Dress professionally.* Show interest and ask questions
* Research the sponsor and scholarship before hand
* Arrive on time
*Think about the important points you want to make before the interview
