Scholarship Tips

GET PREPARED

  1. Get letters of recommendations from teachers, guidance counselors, leaders in your community.  Some scholarships as for very specific recommendations.
  2. Get a copy of your transcripts.
  3. Get involved in your community and school.
  4. Working to help the family is also an advantage.
  5. Start writing an essay about your goals and what you have done to achieve them.  Think about what makes you unique.
  6. Get a picture of yourself ready.
  7. Buy some clear plastic binders.
  8. Follow all scholarship application directions thoroughly.
  9. Know all scholarship deadlines!

Scholarship Search Sources

  • Every College or University has scholarships on their web pages. Be pro-active. Look at them now.
  • www.idahocis.org has over 2000 scholarships
  • www.studentaid.edgov/scholarship free scholarship search
  • www.americorps.gov work for one year and earn a grant
  • www.ed.gov/programs/iduesbyrd for kids with high GPA's
  • www.rsa.ed.gov interested in careers in rehabilitation
  • www.ed.gov/svr links for students with disabilities looking for scholarships
  • www.hhs.gov/grants/index.shtml#education grants for health care professions
  • ROTC scholarships
  • Parent killed in military, parent killed in line of duty police
  • TEACH Grant www.studentaid.edgov/scholarship
  • https://www.horatioalger.org/scholarships October 25th deadline
  • http://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/applicants/ October 31st deadline
  • Idaho State Board of Education scholarship page
  • http://www.boardofed.idaho.gov/scholarship/scholarship jump.asp
  • www.actstudent.org
  • Scholarships.com find money for college
  • Where do your parents work? Inquire about scholarships there.
  • Who supplies your electricity? Northern Lights and Inland Power & Light
  • What clubs are you and your family involved in? 4-H, Lions, Masons, Rotary, Elks all offer scholarships
  • Churches often offer scholarships
  • Ethnic clubs
  • Disabilities
  • Race based www. board of ed. idaho. gov/scholarship/minority. asp
  • Sports related
  • Industry related: Do you want to be an animator? Google "scholarships for graphic art.''
  • Mrs. Rosen and Mrs. Gardner are here to help you. Please visit our offices.
  • Never pay a search engine to look for scholarships for you. There are tons of reputable free ones out there. If they offer to find you scholarships for a fee be suspicious.
 

Application Tips

  1. Be sure to read and follow any instructions given on an application
  2. Answer all questions thoroughly. Your answers are probably the only way a scholarship committee has of knowing who you are and what you've accomplished. (When writing an essay, make sure you do it well. Don't just write a sentence, if an essay is asked for; write a standard 5 paragraph essay with a strong thesis, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion, unless other instructions are given.)
  3. Arrange to have letters of recommendation written in advance of the scholarship deadline. Make sure that you ask the authors for permission to reuse the letters, not to date the letters, and to make them as generic as possible.
  4. Even if an application does not ask for an activity sheet or letters of recommendation, it is wise to include them anyways. This will increase your chance of receiving the scholarship.
  5. BE AWARE OF SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINES!! Many scholarships have dynamic deadline dates that change from year to year.
  6. Any new scholarship applications will also be announced in the daily bulletin and posted on the bulletin board. It's advisable to check weekly for new scholarships.
  7. If possible, type your scholarship applications. If it's not possible, write in your clearest writing/print. Neatness is a huge factor in this! It can and will make or break a scholarship application.
  8. Before sending in your financial aid form, photo copy it. If this wasn't done, photo copy your student aid report.
  9. Scholarships may require F.A.F.S.A. or S.A.R. copies.
  10. A neat, thorough, and well presented application can help greatly, in addition to a folder or cover for your application.
  11. BE COMPLETE. Give an application everything it asks for. If it says no folder or staples, then leave them out.
  12. Proof read and spell check!
  13. ALWAYS SEND A HAND WRITTEN THANK YOU NOTE FOR EVERY AWARD. NO MATTER HOW LARGE OR SMALL.
 

ESSAYS

As important as being prepared and organized, it is equally important that you have an essay that gets you noticed.

Make sure you proof your essay really well, and have someone else also proof and critique it (teacher, writer, etc).

 

Sample 1

Sample 2

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