Applying for Scholarships
With the cost of colleges increasing at a higher rate than the increase in financial aid, outside scholarships from churches, schools, service organizations, and scholarship foundations can help bridge the gap that is created if the financial aid funding is not enough to completely pay for direct costs.
Key Sources of Information Regarding Outside Scholarships
Most local organizations will turn to the area high schools in order to disseminate information about their scholarship(s). Check with your high school counselor regarding scholarship opportunities and apply according to the criteria listed in the scholarship application. Be sure to make your application neat and appealing to the eye. Sloppy handwriting and crinkled pages could be factors that would eliminate your application from the selection process.
If you are homeschooled, check with your homeschool group to see if they keep a compilation of scholarships. Midwest Parent Educators (mainly Kansas City Metro) members may check the scholarship file at the MPE office.
Check with any companies that have a large presence in your area. A simple letter may give you a chance at a possible scholarship.
Many employers offer scholarships to employees’ children but are not good at getting the word out. Have your parent(s) check at their work to see if any scholarships are offered.
Also, many places that typically employ high school students offer scholarships. Wal-mart and McDonald’s are examples of highly visible companies that offer scholarships. Check with your employer to see if they offer any possibilities.
Scholarship Scams
Each year the Department of Education (ED) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) receive numerous complaints from students and parents who did not receive the information they expected from a financial aid advice service. In fact, the problem became so widespread that, in 2000, Congress passed the College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act. For links to the text of that ACT, the FTC’s and ED’s annual report to Congress and other related information, visit the counselor’s page of Looking for Student Aid.
