Scholarship FAQ

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I am a junior in high school. I’m I starting to early to look for scholarships?
You can never start too early. Be thankful that you had the sense to start sooner, thus being able to do some in-depth research! Start looking and find out where the best money is. If you are not sure of what your major in college will be, find out what field can give the most help. If that course of study isn't your first choice, double major, so you can qualify!

My college major is not being offered at any state institution where I live. Does this mean I have to go to a higher cost college?
You best bet in this situation is to contact your state scholarship board and find out if they participate in a program that lets students study at out-of-state institutions for in-state tuition. Although these programs are not scholarships, they can save a student thousands of dollars every year!

WICHE (Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education) includes the state of AK, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, ND, OR, SD, UT and WY. WICHE is located in Colorado at P.O. Box 9752, Boulder, CO 80301-9752 or call: 303/541-0210.
States participating in the Academic Common Market are: AL, DE, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, SC and VA. You may request information at: Southern Regional Educational Board, 592 10th Street, Atlanta, GA 30218.

Are private scholarships for college freshmen only?
No. Every level of college through postgraduate studies offers scholarships, fellowships, work study programs, low cost educational loans. Just like Federal financial aid, a student should go through this process for every year of college. But there are some programs that are automatically renewable. Do your research!

Why bother doing all this research? Even if I get a scholarship, it won't pay for my college education.
No, you are right. Most likely, you will not get 100% free money. Your financial aid will come from all the self-help and gift aid programs. A private sector scholarship may bring you that $500 or $2,500 that you need. Help your financial aid award package grow!

What should I be doing to get ready to research and pursue financial aid for college?
When thinking about what you like to do, it can never be too early to start. How you can apply your interests when looking at colleges, major fields of study and scholarship programs is also very important. Many scholarship programs ask you to write about your goals and your major field of study. While this may be tough for a teenager, but if you think about the characteristics of what you like, you may find you know more about what you’d like your college major to be or at least in the general field of a college major than you thought previously.

• A young man has just started college, majoring in engineering – he thought he would like it but was not really sure. After a while, he discovered that while he enjoyed the technical part of engineering, he also wanted to work with people. He liked classes related to computers, to construction, to technology, etc. After a year he decided to major in Technology Education - which has all the elements he likes! He will be able to teach technology in high school or indusry. The point of this is that you don’t necessarily need to know exactly what you want to major in. One of the largest purposes for college is to find out what you want to do for, possibly, the rest of your life.  By experiencing fields that interest you at college, you can then narrow your major down to something you know you will want to seek a career in. Find people in the fields that may interest you - ask if you could "shadow" them for a day. This preplanning may save you one, two or three semesters in college. Not everyone can decide on a set major before college, but it is worth a try!
• Many scholarship programs are looking for students who have set goals and take college seriously. They want to know their funds are being well used.
• There is a great concern regarding the amount of student loan debt our new graduates are carrying today. Knowing this, a high school student should research the student loan forgiveness programs (loan assistance repayment programs) that are available for his major. Some colleges and state agencies offer programs. Corporations are beginning to consider student loan repayment as an employee benefit. It helps with your repayment planning to know that this assistance is available in your career.

What key points should I keep in mind when I apply for private sector funds?
Start early. Once you have found sources to pursue, be organized. Make sure that you do qualify for the initial criteria. Don’t waste your time applying for a scholarship you know you don’t qualify for.

• Ask counselors, friends and previous bosses to write letters of reference for you.
• Write a resume. Make sure you include all aspects of your life - school, work, community service, sports, clubs, etc. Be sure to include anything that may be exceptional about yourself and your accomplishments. Your parents may belong to a certain organization that offers scholarships. If there are special family circumstances, write an explanation. Some students have to work a lot to help with family finances. Take time to be neat, accurate and creative.
• Once you have mailed the application packet to the sponsoring agency, follow up with a phone call or note verifying its arrival. Don't assume anything.
• Use a tracking chart to make sure that you have submitted all applications (signed and dated!) as well as all additional required documents.