Scholarships are the most publicized and talked about forms of financial aid. When looking for scholarships, students and parents need to keep the following in mind:

1) Most scholarships are provided by the colleges themselves. If you are applying for a scholarship from a particular school, you must first make application for admission to that school. If you need a letter of recommendation for a scholarship application, allow at least two weeks for the teacher, counselor, or ecclesiastical leader to complete it.

2) A one-year scholarship is only for one year; a renewable scholarship can become a four-year scholarship.

3) When students and parents hear the words “financial aid” they think of scholarships. It is important to remember that most financial aid is not awarded in the form of scholarships.

4) Smaller, local scholarships are often much easier to get than those sponsored by large organizations or businesses. Coca Cola, for example, receives over 120,000 applications for their 250 scholarships. A local Rotary Club may receive only 10 applications for their scholarship.

5) While it is not easy to obtain scholarships, students and parents who are willing to invest the time and energy may find that their efforts pay off handsomely. There are thousands of private scholarships offered every year. Most scholarships fall into one of the following categories:

a. ACADEMIC - The majority of academic scholarships are given out by colleges themselves. The higher a student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores, the greater the scholarship opportunities.

b. MINORITY - In order to have a more diverse student body, many colleges are eager to attract minority students to their campuses.
A number of these colleges offer sizeable scholarships to qualified minority applicants. Minority students should contact the financial aid office of any college they are considering and ask if minority scholarships are available.

c. ATHLETIC - Outstanding athletes are often offered large scholarships. To insure that all athletes are prepared for college level work, the NCAA has strict eligibility requirements that athletes must meet before they can receive a scholarship or even play a sport in college. These requirements can be very confusing. Athletes need to meet with their counselors or Mr. Warner, as early as possible to discuss requirements and to make sure they are taking the right courses. For more information, visit the NCAA web site at www.ncaa.org.

d. TALENT - In order to win a talent scholarship, a student must truly be outstanding. They must also understand that there is usually a great deal of competition for these scholarships. While most talent scholarships are awarded to music, art, theater, and dance, talent scholarships are awarded in a variety of other areas (e.g. leadership, public speaking, film making, etc.). While clubs, organizations, and corporations all offer talent scholarships, most of these scholarships are awarded by the college the student plans to attend.

e. LOCAL - Local organizations provide numerous scholarships to students in their own communities. These scholarships are generally in smaller amounts, but they are easier to obtain because the competition is not as great. Students should also look for scholarship opportunities in their local newspapers.

Grants

A grant is money that is given to a student to help him/her pay for college, usually because of financial need. This money does NOT have to be repaid. The federal government offers the Pell Grant to families with need. It is a federally funded grant that provides billions of dollars each year to lower-income families. As the largest need-based student aid program, the Pell Grant is the foundation for most financial aid packages. The maximum Pell Grant award (2007-08) is $4,050. When a family fills out the FAFSA, they automatically apply for a Pell Grant. This should be done as soon after January 1st as possible. If parents do not have tax information completed, they can use estimated figures. FAFSA forms can be picked up in the Counseling Office usually the second week in January or can be filled out electronically at www.fafsa.ed.gov.