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Fast Facts and Hints
Begin your scholarship search in the fall of your senior year.
There is a lot of work involved in making an application that gets results!
Don't put this off until it is too late to do it well.
Get involved! Activities and community service are important.
Sure it helps to be a straight A student, but what scholarship committees
really look for is an involved student who demonstrates leadership and
an interest in helping others.
Keep a notebook with a section for each scholarship.
Assemble activity lists, essays, recommendations and applications. Besure
every application is complete and answers the questions asked. Tailor
your essays for that specific application.
Arrange applications by deadline.
Late applications do not get considered. Know when the deadline is, and
be sure to mail your complete application in plenty of time.
Request recommendations early in the process.
If recommendations are to be mailed separately, provide a stamped, addressed
envelope, with the deadline clearly indicated.
Apply, apply, apply... Persistence will pay off!
Helpful Web Sites
Here's a roundup of Web sites that do a great job of covering the ABCs
of financial aid, and much more. (This is just a listing and not an endorsement
of the sites named.)
When using some of these free sites, you may be asked to give personal
information, such as your name, year in school, and more. Before doing
so, be sure you read and understand the privacy policy posted at each
site.
- College
Scholarships.org
An "open-book" guide or index to scholarships and grants. Students
search beginning with general categories, which guide them to increasingly
more granular awards.
- College
Board Online Scholarship Search
Search this free database of more than 2,000 non-college sources of
funding for undergraduate study.
- EdWise
Calculate how much you can afford to borrow using EdWise, a financial
planning tool. It's easy to use, and it provides a printed financial
planning report.
- FAFSA on the Web
Complete and file the FAFSA online.
- FastWeb
Browse perhaps the largest and best-known free database of pribate sources
of financial aid, with more than 600,000 awards for undergraduate and
graduate study.
- College Answer
This site provides comprehensive resources to assist the college admission
and scholarship search process. It is sponsored by Sallie Mae, the nation's
leading provider of education funding.
- United Methodist
Loan and Scholarship Programs
Don't Get Scammed!
Look for 6 signs a scholarship search may be a scholarship scam.
- "This scholarship is guaranteed or your money back."
No one can guarantee that they'll get you a grant or scholarship. Refund
guarantees often have conditions or strings attached. Get refund policies
in writing - before you pay.
- "You can't get this information anywhere else."
There are many free lists of scholarships available. Check with your
school or library before you decide to pay someone to do the work for
you.
- "May I have your credit card or bank account number to hold this
scholarship?"
Don't give out your credit card or bank account number on the phone
without getting information in writing first. It may be a set-up for
an unauthorized withdrawal from your account.
- "We'll do all the work."
Don't be fooled. There's no way around it. You must apply for scholarships
and grants yourself.
- "The scholarship will cost some money."
Don't pay anyone who claims to be "holding" a scholarship or grant for
you. Free money shouldn't cost a thing.
- "You've been selected by a 'national foundation' to receive a
scholarship," or "You're a finalist in a contest" (that you never entered).
Before you send money to apply for a scholarship, check it out. Make
sure the foundation or program is legitimate.
Check with your school guidance counselor or local librarian for free
information about current scholarships before you pay someone for the
same or similar scholarship lists.
To find out how to spot, stop and report a scholarship scam, contact
the Federal Trade Commission at P.O.
Box 996, Washington, DC 20580, or call the National Fraud Information
Center, 1-800-876-7060.
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