agriculture students scholarship workshop
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Agriculture Students Scholarship Workshop. Rachael D. Ashley, University of Idaho Joseph Maxwell, College of Southern Idaho. Workshop Objectives. Identify different sources of financial aid Learn how to successfully search for scholarships Develop strong communication with professionals - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Agriculture Students Scholarship Workshop
Rachael D. Ashley, University of IdahoJoseph Maxwell, College of Southern Idaho
Workshop ObjectivesIdentify different sources of financial aidLearn how to successfully search for
scholarshipsDevelop strong communication with
professionalsOrganize the things you need to know before
you begin the application processHow to make your application a WINNER!How to develop a game plan using “Rachael’s
10 Easy Rules for Getting Free Money!”
Different Sources of Money• Pay back: NO• Universities, Private organizations
(clubs, community groups), school and academic
Scholarships
•Pay Back: NO•Government programsGrants •Pay back: YES•Private and Federal loan programs
Student and Federal Loans
•Pay back: NO•http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA)
What the FAFSA?!Free Application for Federal
Student Aid
Fill-out with your tax, income, and home information
Determines a “need value”, which equals FREE MONEY from the government!
Many scholarships require your FAFSA information, so it’s a MUST to fill out
Sources for Scholarship SearchesWhere to search:Scholarship Search
Engineswww.fastweb.com
Government and Statewww.stateboardofed.edu
Your parent’s company/employer
UniversitiesFinancial Aid officeCollege of interest (ie:
CALS)Organizations
National FFA Organization
4-HFarm BureauGrange Idaho Agriculture
GroupsHigh School CounselorsWARNING: You should NEVER be charged for scholarship
searches!
Communicating with ProfessionalsMaking it a Success: Do Before-Hand:Personal is better!
Phone vs. e-mail conversationsFollow-up
Communicate if you have more questions
Find out what happened to your application
Use the contact person to learn more about the program Helps when you’re answering
the essay questions… hint, hint***Universities***
Set up a new e-mail address [email protected] Blue_eyed_chicken_luvn_gurrrrl
[email protected] a professional photo that
you can include in an application
Request your transcripts and ACT score reports early Don’t be stuck waiting on
someone else when you’re in a pinch for time
***Letters of Recommendation**
Using the Universities
ADVICE: Apply to more than one college! They will “compete” for you by awarding more scholarships
They have recommendations for programs with scholarships
Some University scholarships require an additional applicationAsk the college about this
Advice to make the process go smoothlyWorkshops and visitation
events on campus
Letters of RecommendationChoose a variety of people
that “make sense” to scholarship boards
What your references say reflects on YOU!
Give references SPECIFICS, such as: Type of scholarship What the program is looking
for Your leadership and relevant
experiences Professional vs. Personal
What to Know Before You Even TOUCH An Application!Leadership involvement
Clubs, organizations, sports, offices heldCommunity Service
Number of hours workedCareer objectives
The more specific, the more impressiveAwards and HonorsYour individual strengths and weaknesses
This helps when highlighting your best qualities and becoming aware of your challenging ones
Making Your Achievements Stand Out!Say What Matters:
Find what is important to the scholarship program (ie: community service and leadership), and focus your writing on those areas (ie: organizing your chapter’s PALS program)
NEVER repeat yourself! Use each essay section as a new opportunity to show yourself off!
Spice-it-Up“I did a service project for the Grange” OR “I
initiated a service opportunity for my chapter to show our appreciation for our local Grange”
POWER Words:InitiateFacilitate; leadFulfill a needInspire; compel; motivateI learned (this) from (that) experienceFocused; goal-oriented
If you’re going to remember anything about scholarships,
It’s the FACT that deadlines COUNT!
Watch for the difference between “postmarked” and “received by” dates
If you have to pull an all-nighter to get your application in on time, then do it. It might just be a $1,500 night!
Rachael’s 10 Easy Rules for Getting Free Money!
1. If an organization has a website, they probably have a scholarship
2. Prioritize your time: do easy applications FIRST
3. Apply to more than one school4. Recycle your essays (ie: describe your career
objectives…)5. Watch deadlines!
Postmarking counts…
6. Use descriptive words to spice-up your sentences
7. Read what they want you to talk about
8. Have lots of letters of recommendation, transcripts, and ACT reports on hand
9. Save your old applications and look back on them
10. There’s money out there- just apply!