THE SCHOLARSHIP CHASE

Presented by:Terri Bryson, Scholarship AdministratorCalhoun Community College

Today we’ll discuss

IdeasTips

InstructionsResources

for landing scholarship money

Meet with your High School Counselor

Include your parentsGo prepared

Have your resume mapped out

Outline your resource list

Test, Test and Retest

Take the PSAT your Junior yearTake an ACT prep CourseTake the ACT early – at the beginning of your senior yearTake the ACT againTake the ACT again

The average student can raise their ACT score by 4 pointsRaise your GPA

Most scholarship awardees are selected based on:

1. ACT Score2. Graduating GPA

(not your GPA at the time of application)

3. Area of Major4. Essay5. Demonstrated history of measureable

success6. Unique qualifiers

Leverage your:

Leverage your Organizational Skills:

• Apply on Time• Some deadlines come as early as October of your senior

year. If you are a senior now, you have roughly 3 weeks left in this year’s scholarship season.

• Follow directions to-the-letter• Missing the deadlines and not following directions is the

#1 reason good students don’t get picked.• Write the Essay

• Most students pass on writing assignments with scholarships

• PROOF READ your application• Take the ACT on time

Leverage your Organizational Skills:

• Complete your FAFSA by March 1 (use estimated data if necessary)

• Keep copies of all your applications• Follow-up to make sure they arrived• Follow-up with a letter whenever you can• Solicit reference and recommendation letters – get them

in on time• Keep a Scholarship Application Folio and

Calendar• Keep all return correspondence• Schedule key dates, deadlines, to do lists• Review with your parents, counselors, teachers – this will

motivate them

Make your application standout

• Focus on leadership not membership• Better to be President of the Spanish Club than a

member of SGA• Doing one thing phenomenally is better

than a laundry list of clubs with no results.• Demonstrate outcomes not hours spent

• Planned and implemented new XYZ program resulting in a savings of $11,000

• Reduced time to complete ramp construction by 30%• Increase in number of calls completed by 300 over the

previous year• 42 new blood donors

• Include Advanced Placement (AP) coursework

Understand the difference between

• Inside Scholarships• Institutional vs. Foundation

• Outside Scholarships

• Grant-based Scholarships

• Federal Financial Aid

Understand the difference between

• Merit-based Scholarships

• Need-based Scholarships

• Combination Scholarships

Merit vs. Need

• Potential increases if you have both

• Everyone needs to fill out the FAFSA(even if you don’t qualify for Pell Grants, you may have unmet need)

• Selection Committees use this information either way

Never Give Up

• 2nd, 3rd and 4th year awards abound• Get involved at your college• Become the Teacher’s Pet• Improve upon something important to the college, division, program or research• Pick a high demand field• Become a results-driven member of the organizations that make awards

Never Give Up

• Meet with your college advisor every semester:• Graduation requirements change• New awards become available• Proactive students get the

referrals, recommendations

Pick a High Demand Field

• This will increase your award potential• STEM: Science, Technology,

Engineering, Math• Alternative Energy Studies• Going Green

Or Be the Best at a Low Demand Field

• Costume Design

• Weird Science

• Solve a Problem

Search for the Scholarship You Want

Costume Design and Duck Calling

To Welding and Fly Fishing Awards

Do Your Homework

Where to Start

• At the colleges you want to attend• Associations that represent the field you

want to study• The affiliations your family holds• Your own reference points:

where you work, awards you won (i.e. HOBY)

• Check out local organizations• Feed off of your Guidance Counselor• Talk to your High School’s Career Coach• Internet Searches

How to Conduct an Internet Search

Check out sites such as:fastweb.commeritaid.comcollegeboard.com

Studentscholarshipssearch.combrokescholar.comftc.gov/scholarshipscams

Also Search for National• Association of ______• Institution for _____• Affiliation of _______• Scholarship for _______• Grants for ________• Tuition Support for ________

and fill in your key words…..female, costume designer,

cancer survivor, asthma patient, cross country runner, etc.

Then Think Creatively

• The child of a one parent household• Hold a Discover Card• Bank at Redstone Federal

Credit Union• Shop at Publix• Own a Ford Vehicle

Once You Land a Scholarship

Make certain you understand:

• Requirements for keeping it

• Grade obligations• Never get a “C”• Probationary Periods

• Is the award renewable?• What do you have to do to

renew it?

Weigh the True Value of an Award

$2,500 at a Community Collegegoes farther than $20,000 at a University

Plus, you will qualify for transfer scholarships if success at a Community College.

So ask….Is my university award

one year or four years?

What will it pay for?How much does it cost to

go there?What do I have to do to

keep it?

Will award more than300 Scholarships this year

Deadline: March 1www.calhoun.edu

Calhoun Community College

Terri Bryson,Scholarships Administrator

tbb@calhoun.edu