Counseling » Scholarships

-Contact-

All information and/or applications are available from Mrs. Davis in the

Counseling Office. We will receive “2010-2011” information during the year;
dates may change, some scholarships may be canceled, and new ones may be
added. Look for scholarship updates in the PTA’s Table Talk that is mailed home
monthly, the Timpview website, the counseling bulletin board (outside the
Counseling Office) and on school announcements made over the school’s
intercom system. Please note that most of the following deadlines are based on
the previous year’s information.

-Scholarships-

Scholarships are the most publicized and talked about forms of financial
aid. When looking for scholarships, students and parents need to keep the
following in mind:
1) Most scholarships are provided by the colleges themselves. If you are
applying for a scholarship from a particular school, you must first make
application for admission to that school. If you need a letter of
recommendation for a scholarship application, allow at least two weeks
for the teacher, counselor, or ecclesiastical leader to complete it.
2) A one-year scholarship is only for one year; a renewable scholarship can
become a four-year scholarship.
3) When students and parents hear the words “financial aid”, they think of
scholarships. It is important to remember that most financial aid is not
awarded in the form of scholarships.
4) Smaller, local scholarships are often much easier to get than those
sponsored by large organizations or businesses. Coca Cola, for example,
receives over 120,000 applications for their 250 scholarships. A local
Rotary Club may receive only 10 applications for their scholarship.
5) While it is not easy to obtain scholarships, students and parents who are
willing to invest the time and energy may find that their efforts pay off
handsomely. There are thousands of private scholarships offered every
year. Most scholarships fall into one of the following categories:
a. ACADEMIC - The majority of academic scholarships are given out
by colleges themselves. The higher a student’s GPA, class rank, and
ACT/SAT scores, the greater the scholarship opportunities.
b. MINORITY - In order to have a more diverse student body, many
colleges are eager to attract minority students to their campuses. A
number of these colleges offer sizeable scholarships to qualified
minority applicants. Minority students should contact the financial
aid office of any college they are considering and ask if minority
scholarships are available.
c. ATHLETIC - Outstanding athletes are often offered large
scholarships. To insure that all athletes are prepared for college
level work, the NCAA has strict eligibility requirements that athletes
must meet before they can receive a scholarship or even play a
sport in college. These requirements can be very confusing.
Athletes need to meet with their counselors or Mr. Warner, as early
as possible to discuss requirements and to make sure they are
taking the right courses. For more information, visit the NCAA web
site at www.ncaa.org .
d. TALENT - In order to win a talent scholarship, a student must truly
be outstanding. They must also understand that there is usually a
great deal of competition for these scholarships. While most talent
scholarships are awarded to music, art, theater, and dance, talent
scholarships are awarded in a variety of other areas (e.g. leadership,
public speaking, film making, etc.). While clubs, organizations, and
corporations all offer talent scholarships, most of these scholarships
are awarded by the college the student plans to attend.
e. LOCAL - Local organizations provide numerous scholarships to
students in their own communities. These scholarships are
generally in smaller amounts, but they are easier to obtain because
the competition isn’t as great. Students should also look for
scholarship opportunities in their local newspapers.

-Grants-

A grant is money that is given to a student to help him/her pay for college,
usually because of financial need. This money does NOT have to be repaid. The
federal government offers the Pell Grant to families with need. It is a federally
funded grant that provides billions of dollars each year to lower-income families.
As the largest need-based student aid program, the Pell Grant is the foundation
for most financial aid packages. The maximum Pell Grant award (2009-2010)
was $5,350. When a family fills out the FAFSA, they automatically apply for a Pell
Grant. This should be done as soon after January 1st as possible. If parents do
not have tax information completed, they can use estimated figures. FAFSA
forms can be picked up in the Counseling Office usually the second week in
January or can be filled out electronically at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.