Well it is that time again and the topic of choice for this month is… SCHOLARSHIPS! Let me introduce myself before I get too carried away. My name is Lauren Johnson. I grew up in the small town of Kemmerer, WY. For those of you that have heard of Kemmerer, I’m sure you are thinking “Oh, Kemmer-er-er-er”. Trust me, it is not the first I have heard that little joke. After I graduated from Kemmerer High School, I packed up my things and zoomed off to the University of Wyoming. During my college career, I participated in a variety of activities. I loved competing on intramural sports teams, was elected as a student body senator, traveled to Jamaica on an alternative break, and joined several different student organizations. I had no idea what I wanted to do or be when I grew up. I was undeclared for two years until I finally declared a major in Political Science. I finally enjoyed going to class and loved learning about my major. Somehow I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science in two years. Eventually I would like to attend law school. Until then I needed a job. Luckily enough, I received a college advisor position in Evanston.
But enough about me… let’s talk SCHOLARSHIPS.
Scholarships are the easiest way to earn money for your college fund. Just think of it as FREE MONEY! Scholarships come in many shapes and sizes. Some scholarships require essays, letters of recommendations, or transcripts. Others may only want your name and what you are interested in. Some scholarships are awarded once. Others can be renewed every year. Scholarships can also range in value. One scholarship could award you $50 and another may away you funds for tuition and fees. They also differ from where they come from. Here are some examples of where scholarships come from…
· School scholarships- most colleges will have scholarships for in-state and out-of-state students. Many schools will use your GPA and ACT/SAT scores to determine how much scholarship money you will receive. Wyoming awards the Hathaway Scholarship to resident students. Utah State University has the Presidential Scholarship which funds four years of tuition and fees to out-of-state students. To find these scholarships look on the college website.
· Department scholarships- many departments within colleges award scholarships. Usually a student needs to be declared in that major and fill out a separate application. Again, look on the college’s website to find these scholarships.
· Local scholarships- these usually come out in early spring.
· Companies
· Religious
· Disabilities
· Ethnicity
But how do you find all these scholarships? Good question. An excellent place to find scholarships is your guidance counselors and college advisors. Another good place to find scholarships is the internet. Great tools to use are scholarship search sites. You can enter in your information (name, grade, interests, background, etc.) and the site searches for scholarships for you. How easy is that?!?! Some good scholarship searches to use are…
Even though the internet is a great place to find scholarships, you need to be cautious of scholarship scam sites. Here are some helpful hints for scams…
· Fees- application fee, loan fee, or info fee. Don’t ever pay for a scholarship or for a site to search scholarships for you.
· Guaranteed winnings- no one can guarantee you a scholarship
· Unusual requests for personal information- do not give away bank account numbers, cred card numbers, or social security numbers
· No contact information- if a scholarship does not have any contact information, take caution.
· If you are suspicious of an offer, it is usually with good reason.
To check legitimacy of scholarship search services or individuals, for information about financial aid scams, and tips to avoid being scammed visit…
My last tip for scholarships is START NOW!!! Scholarships are available now. You will have a better chance to receive scholarship money if you start now. Over the past couple years, deadlines for scholarships are earlier and earlier. It is your responsibility to fill them out NOW.
Seniors are busy. We understand there are a lot of activities going on. Scholarship committees will not accept late submittals though. They do not care that you went to a basketball game or you had a big assignment due. Take a couple hours each week and apply for those scholarships. It may be worth it in the end.
REMEMBER: You will not get every scholarship you apply for but you will not get any you do not apply for!!!
Until next time,
Lauren Johnson, awesome college advisor
P.S. Have a great Turkey Day!
