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TOP SCHOLARSHIP SOURCES COLLEGE UNMAZED, WWW.UNMAZE.ME CHAPTER 3: APPLYING TO COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES While there are thousands of scholarships available to students, not all parents and students know where to start the process National National scholarships are from large corporations like Coca-Cola, American Council of the Blind, Siemens Corporation, Don't Text and Drive, and more These usually have larger monetary value, but more people apply Usually an essay, reference, or something else needs to be done to be considered Local Local scholarships come from the community where students live While these scholarships are smaller in value than larger national scholarships, less people are applying for them making them very accessible to students Institutional State Institutional scholarships come from the university to bring down the price of tuition, room, and board Sometimes, because of test scores, grades, and your student demographics, you just receive them - other times you have to apply! Be sure to ask the college's financial aid office for help Florida offers multiple state scholarships, the most known is the Florida Bright Futures Scholarships to qualifying students Scholarships range from $1,000 to full college tuition Micro-Scholarships Federal Raise.Me has been a game changer for how universities give money Instead of the old thought of apply, then decide, microscholarships are scholarships your student can earn in small increments throughout their school career While not necessarily a scholarship, filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), can provide grants, loans, and access to scholarships that otherwise could not have been received DOCUMENTS NEEDED Completing the FAFSA is required for many scholarships, whether your family is eligible or not FAFSA Most scholarships require a transcript of your grades While many are not grade focused, it shows what courses you took, how you did, and some of your academic interests RESUME ESSAY GRADES Merit based scholarships, or those focused on academic standings, ask for your ACT/SAT scores Have these listed on your resume for easy reference Your resume helps guide your scholarship application By having a wellwritten resume, it will greatly reduce errors and stress ACT/SAT LETTERS Your essay for your college applications is often similar to scholarship essays, but be sure you are answering the required prompt and not just making it fit Recommendation letters are a big part of many scholarships Typically you should ask a teacher and someone who knows your school/ community involvement.  DEVELOP SCHOLARSHIP GAME PLAN To mount an effective scholarship campaign, the first thing you need is a winning game plan Start by implementing the following four key action strategies Plan to apply for as many scholarships as possible Some students make the mistake of thinking that they maximize their chances of winning by pouring all of their energy into one or two scholarships But applying for scholarships is partially a numbers game A variety of factors outside of your control affect the outcome of any given award Even if the award is a few hundred dollars, the extra cash can help offset some costs for special programs, books, travel, etc Develop a portfolio of generic reusable materials This guidebook has purposefully required you to create generic materials that will help apply to a large number of scholarships Once you have your resume, college essay, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and ACT/SAT scores, then you can focus on fine-tuning each one for what the scholarships are specifically asking for Do not copy and paste an essay that you talk about traveling abroad when the scholarship is about local community involvement As well, when asking for letters of recommendations, ask your recommenders for both a "college admission" and "scholarship" recommendations letters to save for later When reading the scholarship prompts, highlight key words (leadership, community, extra-curricular, athletics, major of choice, etc) and categorize each of the scholarships you are applying to with the same key words This will allow you to maximize your time and submit similar documents to several scholarships When rewriting your materials, try to continually rethink, improve, and hone in on what worked or did not work Leverage schoolwork and class time Junior and senior year are always the busiest and the more you can adapt and reuse, so For example, several of your school essays could be used used for scholarship essays Finding topics on a variety of scholarship topics will help you maximize your time by just submitting one essay For example, scholarship essay topics could be on selfreflective issues, books essays, historical events and people, community service, etc so if you can use an essay both for scholarships and your school work, it will help minimize your time spent on writing and more time spent on searching for money! Learn from past scholarship winners Learning from other scholarship winners can make a big difference when preparing your documents Ask your school counselor what scholarships other students at your high school have won and what insight they may have about the process As well, talk with past recipients on how they structured their documents or what they learned Many of the scholarship websites have past winners listed with some of their accomplishments, and maybe even the chosen essay Use other's knowledge created your own roadmap to success!   NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS National scholarships are what families know and hear about through multiple websites There are many websites out there that help you search for these large scholarships from organizations and businesses around the country and world Searching for these types of scholarships can often be daunting and confusing However, if received, these scholarships make a huge difference in the cost of college, as typically national scholarships can be used at any institution the student is attending, unlike institutional scholarships that are only good at the one particular school TWO TYPES OF NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS Competitive - students are required to fill out an application, which could include recommendation letters or an essay Sometimes students need to attend an interview or event to participate There is a committee that determines who should receive the scholarship Lottery - students simply fill out some information, and the search committee “pulls a name out of the hat” so to speak Just chance- no skill GREAT WEBSITES Fastweb CollegeBoard Niche.com Scholarships.com Peterson's SallieMae U.S Labor Department's Free Search Tool Cappex BEST SOURCE Scholly For any student on the scholarship search, Scholly by far should be one of the first resources you use After growing up poor in Alabama, founder Christopher Gray managed to earn over $1.3 million in scholarships His app has helped students win more than $50 million through the college scholarship search For a few dollars, the app will NOT sell your information and provides a safe and secure, non-intrusive way to look for and win national scholarship money Most of these websites “sell” your information, so you may begin getting bombarded with other offers I suggest to create a separate collegebound email for this process that sounds professional and keeps things more organized Parents and students should have access to this account INSTITUTIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS Institutional scholarships are probably the most widely known scholarships today, but typically families only hear of the “full-ride." Many families not know that universities give millions of dollars away every year to all types of students of varying award amounts This money comes directly from the university or college to bring down the price of tuition/ room & board How students earn these scholarships? 1.    Students first need to apply to the university/ college in question 2.    During the admission review process, they are looking if the student may be eligible for different scholarships   depending on multiple factors, what I call “Academic Factors” and “You Factors”, such as;               a.    Grade point average (weighted, recalculated) b.    Standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) c.    Special talents & abilities- sports, dance, music, etc d.    Major of choice e.    Passions/ interests f.     Ethnicity g.    First-generation students 3.    If students meet one or more of the criteria, two things may occur:   a.    Students are automatically awarded the scholarship   b.    Students are asked to apply to the scholarship                      i.    This process could involve coming to campus, interviewing, writing an essay, submitting                 recommendations, or filling  out an application If asked to apply, it is extremely important to follow all     requirements and deadlines Follow through on all scholarship opportunities when given 4.    If a student is to receive scholarships, the university may;   a.    Inform the student personally   b.    Notify students in their Awards Letter 5.    When a student accepts the Award Letter, the scholarships will be directly applied to the tuition and/ or room   and board (depending on the scholarship type) Some scholarships are "stackable," meaning you can use     multiple together, while others are not Be sure to ask the Financial Aid Office With any institution, families should scour the website to see what scholarships are available It is also extremely important to build a relationship with the admission counselor and financial aid office Many times, just by asking provides important The key is - you have to apply! Research the institutions who give the most aid and their criteria for awards Prepare your college application as if you are also applying for a scholarship Check your application portal and email frequently so nothing is missed Look for outside scholarships for your admitted college MICRO-SCHOLARSHIPS Micro-Scholarships are relatively unknown scholarship resource In all essence they are institutional scholarships but packaged very differently Instead of giving scholarships out after a student applies, micro-scholarship are earned before a student applies and accrues over time into very large sums of money The website for micro-scholarships is: www.raise.me Starting in 9th grade, students can enter a wide range of high school activities, such as: Grades (AP, IB, Dual-enrollment, honors, regular, core, electives, etc) Standardized test scores (ACT/ SAT) Extra-curricular activities Volunteering Community Service Sports Each institution then determines how much they want to give for each of the things listed below: Have an A in a dual-enrollment course? Here is $500 Are you in the school play? Here is $1,000 Do you regularly to community service? Here is $500 The amounts vary, but what happens are these small or micro activities, when added up, mean big scholarships So the student above is already looking at $2,000 in institutional scholarships!! What I love about this is that it motivates students very early on to be active and involved, and students can immediately see how this pays off in free college money Every student in the entire country should be on www.raise.me This is how it works: Students enter in their information throughout their high school years Senior year, students will apply to the universities Students must finalize the information by specific deadlines (around application time) through the website If accepted, the micro-scholarships will automatically be applied to the Award Letter It is that simple!! STUDENT PROFILE John has completed his core courses (science, mathematics, social studies, English, and foreign language), completed a PSAT, taken honors courses, been in Yearbook, had a part-time job, performed some community service, ran cross country, and visited some of his favorite colleges on his list College Award Amounts: Florida Gulf Coast- $3,250 Stetson- $3,250 Florida International University- $648 Jacksonsville University- $5,230 Rollins College- $5,815 Tulane University- $3,215 Whittier College- $4,066 These are preliminary numbers, but as he continues to grow as a student, his microscholarships will rise With entering in his information every year, he will see if he is on track to earning scholarships or not Leadership College Visits Grades Club or Sports Volunteer Raise.Me Earn scholarships as you go Work Experience Summer Programs Test Scores College courses Raise.Me has 250 partner colleges and universities throughout the United States LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS LESS COMPETITION While are thousands of scholarships available to Unlike there national scholarships, local scholarships may haveand students know where to start students, not all parents just a handful of students the process applying, increasing the change of earning one COMMUNITY FOCUSED If you are active in your school or local community, you have a better chance at winning DONOR BASED The reasons donors start scholarships is to support student's aspirations to reach their career goals FUNDING While local scholarships tend to be smaller in amount, they can range from $100 to full-ride scholarships Every bit helps pay for college expenses NON-PROFITS FOUNDATIONS Many non-profit organizations provide money, such as Rotary Club, 4H, and Boys & Girls Scouts Foundations are community-based programs that provide grants and scholarships Most school districts have donation money to provide for programs and student scholarships Local and state programs such as Take Stock in Children and ACE Mentor Program VARIETY Local scholarships supports all types of students, high achieving, low-income, athletes, specific schools and majors, unique family and personal situations.  SCHOOL DISTRICTS PROGRAMS DOCUMENTS NEEDED: Completion of the FAFSA Application Essay Transcript Standardized test scores Recommendation letters APPLICATION ORGANIZER Keeping track of your college and scholarship applications (Chapter 4) will help make sure everything is submitted correctly and on time Use this chart, or create one similar in an Excel or Google Forms file, to help keep track of all your applications Share with parents and/or your school counselor so they can help manage your progress #1 Name Eligibility Requirements Documents Required: Application Transcript Essay Test Scores -Recommendations Resume SSAR Deadlines for Submission Point of Contact Descriptors of Program Outcome Follow Up NOTES: #2 #3 #4 FINANCIAL AID (FAFSA) While Federal Financial Aid or FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is not a scholarship, per se, it is a path to FREE money! In Florida alone, the federal and state government awarded $2.3 billion awarded to students attending 286 colleges and universities in Florida (FCAN, 2013) Unfortunately, many students, almost 45% of Florida students, simply don’t apply - leaving over $100 million on the table ever year There are many reasons for this 1.    Parents think they make too much or will not qualify 2.    Parents make mistakes on the form 3.    Parents not know if the student is going to college or not, so they not apply by the deadline 4.    Parents think it is too complicated of a process and not worth the hassle 5.    Parents think it will somehow hurt their business or child’s chances of getting into a college Just imagine $100 million sitting on a table and saying, “Nope, I don’t want any part of that for a ten-minute application!” There is no reason not to your FAFSA If applying for college, you should just it Also, by not doing it, you could be excluded from other scholarship opportunities! FAFSA is not based on grades, extra-curriculars, or anything other than your finances This truly provides access to higher education that some students never thought they had KEY FAFSA TERMS Award Letter: A document provided from a post-secondary institution where you have been admitted that breaks down your scholarships and types of financial aid CSS Profile: The CSS Profile is only used by certain colleges and universities, which requires additional family information to award financial aid eligibility Expected Family Contribution: This is the number determines how much a student's family will be expected to contribute towards college costs The number results from the financial information you provide in your FAFSA form Your EFC is reported to you on your Student Aid Report (SAR) CollegeBoard.org provides a great tool on estimating your EFC Grants: Free month that does not need to be repaid Grants are great! Loans: Money you have to pay back If you can avoid loans, so There are two types of loans:    Subsidized: A loan that is to be paid back after the student graduates from college   Unsubsidized: A loan that is a pay-as-you-go starting and cannot be deferred until after graduation These   should be avoided if possible Work Study: Working on campus provides the student spending money but also some goes towards their tuition bill There are some great work study opportunities for students, and the college works around student’s schedules Plus they not have leave campus FINANCIAL AID (FAFSA) PRIOR-PRIOR YEAR - The taxes used for FAFSA is two years before you start college Example- Start date of Fall 2020, would be your 2018 tax return OCTOBER - FAFSA opens to be submitted for the next school year To receive the highest amount of aid, you should submit as close to the Oct.1 as possible The Florida deadline is May 15th COMPLETE FAFSA ONLINE - Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov Check your school/ community for free support workshops to aid in the process COLLEGES - From your list of colleges you put into your FAFSA application, colleges will receive your financial aid materials and determine what financial aid you can receive in form of grants, work-study, or loans The FAFSA review is done after the college has accepted you AWARD LETTER - Each institution you are accepted to will provide you an award letter that breaks down your FAFSA award You not have to accept all aid, particularly loans, if you not want or need them Always take the grants (free money!) TALKING ABOUT PAYING FOR COLLEGE While it is tough to talk finances as a family, this is the time to sit down and find out what everyone's expectations are for your college future, especially your finances It is estimated that student loan debt in the United States exceeds over $1.2 trillion with over million debtors in default On average, the Class of 2016 had over $37,172 in student loan debt So even with scholarships and financial aid, there may be some gaps of funding that has to come from somewhere Questions to discuss: If we need additional  money, how will that happen?   Who will be in charge of repaying any loans?    What are the family's expectations on the student contributing through working in college?  Are there other alternatives to bring down the cost, like living off-campus, not having a car, meal plan options? What are you each comfortable with forgoing or doing?  What about incidental expenses? Besides school supplies (BOOKS!), what about gas, pizza on the weekends, trip to Publix for snacks and drinks, "having fun" money, etc.  What you expect your monthly expenses are? As a student, I have all the tools to be financially smart and make good financial decisions? Once you know the net price you will need to pay, build a budget now before you select your school (specific cities are more expensive - how does this affect your budget?) and have this discussion As a young adult, you have to stick to this plan as it means racking up debt later on Also, finding money needs to be a priority After you have submitted your applications this should be considered a part-time job With enough focus and dedication, more opportunities will come your way DISCUSSION POINTERS Paying for college is a team effort, and everyone has to be on the same page A few ways to get there include: Set clear expectations Determine what you will be able to contribute and how much your child should pay, is essential Discuss the pros and cons of borrowing Student loans are often difficult to understand Using a monthly calculator so they understand exactly how much their monthly payments would be on the debt if they borrowed money Encourage using senior year to earn scholarships Senior is a busy time, but even earning a few scholarships can make a large impact reducing college expenses You can help in locating scholarships and keeping track of deadlines Discuss a cheaper start in a state/ community college With the 2+2 Path and easy transferability, half the cost of public schools, and a fraction of private schools, starting at a state college can save time and money Recommend financial planning budget courses As students transition into college, they need to understand financial responsibility This includes setting up a bank account, budgeting and savings Many community banks have programs set up that can help students stay on track financially AWARD LETTERS College #1 Tuition & Fees Standard Room & Board Total Tuition, Room & Board Other Expenses Security Escort Fee Orientation Fee Parking Fee Textbooks Personal Expenses Transportation Total Estimated Fees: Total Cost to Attend (COA): Scholarships & Grants Subsidized Direct Loan Unsubsidized Direct Loan Pre-Paid/ 529 Other- Local Grants/ Outside Scholarships Federal Work Study Total Estimated Financial Aid: Total Net Cost of Attendance College #2 College #3