Scholarships 101

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Scholarships 101
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What We Will Discuss Today

• Overview of scholarship searching process
• Organizing your search
• Searching for scholarships
• Writing applications/essays and getting references

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Introduction
Searching
Organize

• Getting scholarships takes hard work
• Here are the pieces to the scholarship puzzle

Planning
Writing
References
Sources
Help!
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What You Need to Know

• How to organize your search
• How to find scholarships
• What are the keys to success when you apply

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Vocabulary

• Scholarship/Grant money you receive for school
  that you do not need to pay back

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Four Sources for Free Money

• Federal Financial Aid
• Oregon Student Assistance Commission
• Institutional scholarships
• Private Scholarships

Sources
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Federal Financial Aid
Sources

• Number one source for free money
• Apply by filling out Free Application for Federal
  Student Aid (FAFSA) on paper or online at
  http//www.fafsa.ed.gov
• Grants are awarded based on need
• Filling out FAFSA also qualifies you for state
  grants

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Oregon Student Assistance Commission
Sources

• Manages hundreds of scholarships awarded to
  students from Oregon
• Application packets available in Financial Aid
  and TRIO/CAMP building in January
• Single application form allows you to apply for
  multiple scholarships
• Deadline March 1
• Online application www.osac.state.or.us

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Institutional Scholarships
Sources

• Each institution has a system for awarding
  scholarships to students planning to attend their
  institution
• Check with the financial aid office at the
  institution(s) you are planning to attend
• Some scholarships are awarded through individual
  departments/colleges within a university so check
  with them also

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Private Scholarships
Sources

• Many organizations and individuals set up
  scholarships
• Requirements for getting these scholarships vary
• Think of organizations you or your parents might
  be involved with and ask about scholarships (ex.
  Lions Club, Churches, Unions, Rotary, etc.)

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Two Methods for Scholarship Searching

• Internet searching
• Network searching

Searching
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Tools You can Use

• Scholarship search materials in TRIO/CAMP
  resource center
• Mikes Website tools

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Help!

• Writing Center
• TRIO Advisor

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Scholarship Scams

• This scholarship is guaranteed or your money
  back
• The scholarship service will do all the work
• The scholarship will cost some money

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Scholarship Scams (continued)

• You cant get this information anywhere else
• Youre the finalistin a contest you never
  entered or You have been selected by a
  national foundation to receive a scholarship
• The scholarship service needs your credit card
  or checking at number in advance

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Scholarships 101

• Organizing your search

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What is your goal?

• From budget sheet on page 9 Scholarship Writing
• Subtract total resources from total expenses

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What Is Your Timeline?

• Getting scholarships takes time
• Many scholarships are due by March 1
• Plan time for
• Searching
• Writing essays
• Requesting references
• Gathering materials and organizing (transcripts,
  etc.)

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Planning Your Search
Planning

• Which sources will you use
• Keeping track of the information you gather
• Managing your time
• How much time are you willing to devote to your
  search
• How much money do you need to get

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Organizing Your Search
Organize

• Use Scholarship Writing to
• Track scholarship applications and deadlines
• Request recommendations

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Scholarships 101

• Finding scholarships

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Two Methods for Finding Scholarships

• Networking
• Internet searching

Searching
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Networking

• Finding scholarships through talking to people
  with whom you have some connection (ex
  employers, unions, churches, military, local
  businesses, clubs, etc.)
• Advantages
• Personal connection
• Less competition
• Disadvantages
• More work finding them

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Internet Searching

• Using internet databases to match information
  about yourself with possible scholarships
• Advantages
• Many scholarships (500,000 on one site!)
• Can search any time of day or night
• Disadvantages
• Highly competitive (lots of applicants)
• Impersonal

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Websites for Scholarship Searching

• See Scholarship Search Websites file on website
• Oregon Student Assistance Commission
  http//www.osac.state.or.us
• CIS Online http//oregoncis.uoregon.edu/gocis.html
  
• Private Scholarships
• http//www.fastweb.com
• http//www.finaid.org

Searching
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Scholarships 101

• Writing and References

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Writing Applications and Essays
Writing

• Research the organization giving the scholarship
• What are they looking for?
• Give them a reason to like you
• Have at least one person edit your essay for you

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Writing Applications and Essays Continued
Writing

• Answer the question!
• Find something unique to tell about yourself (ex.
  experience you had that helped you decide to go
  into your field of study)
• Action verbs

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Reference Letters

• Request references from people who can give you a
  good one
• Prepare a reference letter data sheet (Page 8)
• Use the request for reference letter form (Page
  7)
• Give two weeks for the person to prepare the
  letter
• Make that date at least one week before you
  intend to mail your application

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Reference Letters (continued)

• Always ask for one more than you need
• Send a thank you letter immediately and update
  them when you receive notice

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Show me the money!

• Use the resource center and TRIO staff throughout
  the process
• Let us know when you get an award