Apply for FAFSA FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is highly recommended that anyone applying to their first year of college apply for this application. There is no harm in applying, and you never know if you will qualify for any grants, aids, work-study, or other forms of free money to help fund your college experience! The application opens in the beginning of October, so be sure to complete it before the priority deadline usually around March!
Look into Scholarships/Grants A lot of students do not realize that there are hundreds of opportunities to receive free money, most of which exist in the form of scholarships and grants. There could be dozens that you could be eligible for because there are scholarships for almost everything! Your favorite hobby, ethnic background, or even favorite music taste can all be factors that help you qualify for these scholarships. The best/easiest way to look for them is a mere google search away! Use keywords or descriptors that might apply to you and then type “scholarship” immediately after, guaranteed there are at least 10 links that you may find helpful.
Consider Loans Another very common method of funding college is taking out loans. Although it is best recommended to prioritize the FAFSA application as well as look for scholarships and grants, sometimes the pursuit of higher education comes at a hefty price. Taking out loans is a very normal practice found among most college students, the most important thing is you understand how these loans work and what you are getting yourself into. For instance, private loans have higher interest rates than federal government ones, which may result in more money being owed than originally borrowed. There also exists subsidized and unsubsidized loans, which vary in the times in which interest begins to accrue. Although this all may seem confusing and overwhelming, luckily there are a ton of websites with resources and information that can help you understand and figure out your situation, such as StudentAid.gov.
General Overview of Scholarships By Shannon
There are countless different types of scholarships, offered by schools, nonprofits, employers, social organizations, and many more. A common misconception with scholarships is that they are only awarded to high school students or students not enrolled in college, but this is not the case! There are numerous opportunities for college students to apply for scholarships!
Considerations: There are some key points to consider when applying for scholarships as a college student. Foremost, scholarship money could affect your student aid. However, in most cases, scholarships will not affect the financial aid offered by the college. In fact, it helps to cover the costs that are not paid for by the granted financial aid. Secondly, the amount of student aid given can not surpass the cost of attendance at your college.
Types of scholarships: There are scholarships for nearly everything, from scholarships granted for academic achievements to scholarships granted to students with unique talents or hobbies! These are the most common scholarships categories to consider:
Academic/merit scholarships
Academic/merit are awarded on the basis of excelled academic performance but can also be granted to students with athletic success
Examples: Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship Program, Dental Student Scholarship, Maxine Williams Scholarship
Community service scholarships
Community service scholarships are awarded to students who devote time to participating in community service activities and extracurricular work
Examples: BBB Foundation Students of Ethics Scholarship Award, Community Foundation of Shelby County Scholarships
Writing Scholarships
Writing scholarships may include other requirements, such as financial need or minimum GPA, or can be granted solely on the basis of the submitted writing. However, this does not mean you have to be a skilled writer or an English major to be considered; you simply have to be passionate about the subject matter!
Examples: “You Will Be Found’ College Essay Writing Challenge, PixelPlex Bi-Annual STEM Scholarship, ABA Diversity Scholarship
Ultimately, there are thousands of scholarships that you can apply for! I had always believed that the majority of scholarships were specific to high school seniors; however, there are many scholarships that are designated for college students! Scholarships help to decrease the impact of rising tuition costs, lessens the number/amount of loans students need to complete higher education, and encourage philanthropy. Applying for scholarships may seem daunting and impossible, but if you apply frequently, it will increase your chances! Last, be sure to focus on your academic studies or find your passion in extracurricular activities to qualify for merit-based and community-service based scholarships!
Tips for merit scholarships By Stephanie
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Looking and applying to scholarships By Ada
Scholarships are a way to ease your load when thinking about how to pay the college tuition and fees, books and supplies, and living expenditure. It is very important to apply to as many as you can and that is something I wished I did before starting college. There are many different types of scholarships such as merit based, sports based, and for first generation college students. These are just some examples as there are scholarships available in pretty much every category. I am going to provide a few tips for applying to scholarships and hope this helps make the entire process seem less intimidating.
1. Finding Scholarships
When I was applying to scholarships, I asked my upperclassmen friends about which ones they applied to. Not only that, if you are involved with any organization or groups, look into if they offer any scholarships.
There are also databases that compile scholarships and make it easy for you to search through them.
When looking for scholarships, it is very important that you are eligible to apply and receive it.
Although the amount awarded is important, you should not disregard the scholarships that do not provide as much.
2. Application Process
Most applications for scholarships require you to write one or more short essays. My tip for this is to reuse your personal statements and then edit them to fit the new prompt. The essays are usually fairly similar in topic to personal statements, so save yourself some time.
Make sure to know the due date and turn in your application with all the necessary information.
Most deadlines for scholarships fall between October and March. It is important to stay on top of deadlines, so you are given ample time to make sure your application is ready for submission with all of the required materials. Many of the scholarships have their own website, and have different requirements.
For applications you have to mail in, make sure to differentiate between having a postmark date on the due date or the application being received by the due date.
3. Interviews
Not all scholarships require an interview, but there are ones that do.
During scholarship interviews, the interviewers are just trying to get to know you. Like all other interviews, be truthful and express yourself.
Be sure to bring all the necessary materials that are needed to the interview. In addition, it is good to have a copy of your transcript and resume to show the interviewers if they ask you questions about your school work or extracurriculars.
Looking for scholarships, applying, and maybe interviewing is a lot of work, but don’t give up and push it off too much. Scholarships are not only monetary support, but can also open you up to other opportunities and is a talking point for the future. Wish you all good luck with the applications!!
Scholarships for High School Seniors By Andy
Two Key Tips: ● As a second-semester senior, during the final stretch of high school, it may be tempting to neglect your studies and focus more on enjoying your final moments as a high school student. Although it is important to make lasting memories with your high school friends, I would argue that it is equally as important to work hard in school, all the way up until graduation. Your academic performance during your second semester could affect your eligibility for scholarships. ● Similarly, even as a second-semester senior, I suggest staying involved in extracurricular activities, either as a member or a leader.
Common Scholarships/Scholarship Programs to Keep in Mind: ● Coca-Cola Scholars Program ● Eligibility: U.S. High School Seniors ● Deadline: Likely October 2020 ● Burger King Scholars Program ● Eligibility: U.S. High School Seniors ● Deadline: Likely mid-December 2020 ● Ronald McDonald House Charities Scholarships ● Eligibility: U.S. High School Seniors ● Deadline: Usually January ● California Scholarship Federation ● See if your school has a chapter! ●National Honors Society ● See if your school has a chapter! Here are some more scholarships to check out for high school seniors: https://www.testive.com/scholarships-for-high-school-seniors/
My Experience: The scholarships and scholarship programs that I listed above were those that were advertised to me, when I was a senior in high school. Retrospectively, I wish I had applied to scholarships during my senior year in high school. In addition, I was a member of the California Scholarship Federation and National Honors Society, but I didn’t utilize the resources provided by those two programs well.
Going back to the two key tips that I suggested, I didn’t apply to any scholarships, but UCLA offered me 10,000 for each of my four years as an undergraduate student. I later discovered that I received this scholarship, titled the UCLA Achievement Scholarship, based mostly on my strong academic performance and merit (and in part, my FAFSA). I continued to work hard until I graduated from high school and my counselor informed me that this scholarship was the product of the effort and dedication I put into my studies.
Overall, there are many scholarship opportunities available! It’s just a matter of seeking them and taking the initiative to apply. Lastly, continue to work hard in your studies until you graduate, to increase your chances of getting merit-based scholarships!
Scholarships for College Students by Fayez
Scholarships are another way of obtaining financial assistance for college. They differ from student loans in that they do not need to be paid back, meaning you’re getting granted this money.
There are 2 main types of scholarships: ● Full-tuition scholarships are those that cover your tuition costs for attending college. However, they do NOT cover room and board, food, textbooks, and other expenses. ● Full-ride scholarships are those that cover all costs (other than personal costs like shopping or eating out), which include tuition and room and board. Food and insurance may also be covered.
Keep in mind, applying to scholarships is in addition to applying for federal financial aid through FAFSA, which opens up in the fall. Also note that different scholarships have different deadlines and requirements.
A guide to FAFSA By Haraj
The idea of paying for school can be overwhelming as you begin your collegiate journey. Fortunately, there is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is single handedly the most important thing you can do to become eligible for financial aid. Essentially, this form is used by schools to create an aid package that can include grants, student loans, work-study, and school financial aid. However, if you don’t have a SSN, you can still remain eligible by completing the Dream Act Application! I will now discuss the FAFSA process step by step!
1. Before you begin, you need to gather documents. These include your Social Security number, Driver’s License, your and/or your parents previous year’s federal income tax returns, W-2 forms, bank statements, and information about family investments. With these in hand, you are ready to begin! 2. Once you head over to https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa, you’ll need to create a FSA ID for both yourself and your parent. In order to do this, click on Create Account and then Get Started. You will then provide identifying information along with your Social Security number. Once you have fulfilled this, the information will be verified within one to three days.
It is recommended that you register for your FSA IDs before hand to prevent any delays.
Make sure to write down your ID and keep it in a safe place because both will be needed every time to log in and renew your FAFSA
If you have older siblings that have filled out FAFSA in the past, your parent would already have a FSA ID so you would use that same ID!
3. After you receive both FSA IDs, go to https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa and click Start Here. This should lead you to a new tab where you can log in with your own FSA ID or your parents FSA ID. Once you log in, you will click on Start New FAFSA if this is your first time or FAFSA renewal if you’re renewing. After this, you’ll be required to make a 4 digit Save Key, which will be used every time to access your FAFSA form for that specific year.
4. You will now be shown a tab labeled Student Demographics. Here, you fill will out basic identifying information
5. The next tab is School Selection. This tab will ask about your high school information along with what Colleges you want to sent your FAFSA application to. This will be done by either searching up the school name on their database or typing in the respective college’s Federal School Code. The associated schools will also ask about your housing plans which are On Campus, Off Campus, or With Parent.
You are able to add 10 schools at a time. If you wish to send your application to additional schools, wait for the FAFSA submission confirmation after you submit it and replace the 10 schools and submit the application again!
6. The Dependency Status tab will ask questions that will determine if you are considered an independent or dependent student for FAFSA.
7. If you are deemed to be a dependent student, you’ll have to fill out the Parent Demographics tab as well! For this, your Parents or Legal Guardian must fill it out! Afterwards, their personal and financial details will be required including tax information in the Parent Financials tab. In order to speed up the process, you can use IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which will retrieve and upload your parents tax records for you!
8. The Students Financials tab will ask about your own personal finances and taxes. If you did taxes the year prior, then you could use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool as well.
9. You are now at the Sign & Submit Tab where you can review your information and electronically sign it using your Parent’s FSA ID. Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation on screen along with an email!
10. Within 3 days, you’ll be sent a Student Aid Report (SAR) that will have all of your FAFSA information along with your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The SAR is used for scholarships and to review for any mistakes, which can be corrected by going back to the FAFSA form and making corrections! The EFC will also provide an estimate to schools on the amount of money your family can contribute towards college for that upcoming year. It will also provide a general idea of what your aid will look like! Lastly, I will leave you with some important notes!
FAFSA opens every year on October 1st and Priority Deadlines tend to be March 2nd but depends on the state! FAFSA fully closes on June 30th but it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to complete FAFSA ASAP due to its First-Come, First-Serve basis!
ALWAYS APPLY even if you believe your family income is too high to qualify for aid or if you are attending college part-time! Often times, you will still receive some sort of aid and some scholarships will ask for the Student Aid Report! Also, filling out the form is FREE so there is no harm in doing it!
Fill out FAFSA EVERY YEAR! Schools require a FAFSA form every year so they can create an aid package and the process gets EASIER because most of the information will be saved from the previous year!