Welcome To:
Beaverton School District
Scholarship Information Night
Hosted by Aloha High School
October 23, 2012
Understanding
“The Basics”
What is a scholarship?
A scholarship is an offering of FREE MONEY
based on a set of student skills or
qualifications.
Where do scholarships come from?
$The academic institution (college/university)
$Community organizations/businesses
$Private sponsors/donors
MORE BASICS
What types of scholarships are out there?
$ Career and College
Major
$ Institutional (from
college)
$
$
$
$
High School Specific
Clubs & Associations
Merit
Businesses
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Ethnicity, Race, & Gender
Military
Community Organizations
Employers
Credit Unions & Banks
Personal & Family Status
Competitions & Essays
GETTING STARTED
Where should I look for scholarships?
$
The College & Career Center at your high school
$
Your High School Website and other school websites!
$
Financial aid offices at your school of choice (or their websites)
$
Scholarship resource books at libraries or HS College & Career
Center
$
Community Service & civic organizations (Rotary, Elks Club, etc.)
$
Area employers and retailers
$
Free Websites (Fast Web, FinAid, etc)
$
Career Information System of Oregon…CIS
$
OSAC- Oregon Student Assistance Commission
$
Facebook!
$
Google, Google, Google!!!
Oregon University System
Scholarships for the Oregon University System
can be found on their websites. Look on their
scholarship page and/or their financial aid
page.
AND
On their foundation websites!!!
GETTING ORGANIZED
Starting a “Scholarship File”
What goes in a “Scholarship File?”
$ Activities and Awards Sheet (OSAC activities sheet)
$ Essays Written
$ Official and Unofficial Transcripts
$ SAT/ACT Scores
$ Letters of Recommendation
$ Any other document highlighting something about you,
such as published works.
SCHOLARSHIP TIPS
Top 10 things scholarship committees look at:
$An application submitted on time
$General qualification, criteria, and completeness
$Community volunteer involvement
$Leadership & Personal Development
$Extracurricular Activities
$Applicant’s personal situation
$The Essay
$References & Recommendations
$Grade Point Average (GPA)
$SAT & ACT Scores
MORE SCHOLARSHIP
TIPS
$ Always make a copy of your application
$ Be honest about your grades, test scores,
experiences, memberships, qualifications, etc.
$ Follow instructions CAREFULLY, including word limits
on essays.
$ Strictly observe deadlines, and send in applications
early if possible.
$ Proofread, and let at least one other person read your
application (including essays).
$ Be creative about presenting yourself. Your essay and
application represents you and should set you apart.
$ Follow up to ensure your application was received.
$ Send thank you n0tes to everyone who helped you.
Scholarship Websites
Collegeboard.com
Fastweb.com
Collegenet.com
Scholarships.com
Scholarshipmonkey.co
m
Oregonstudentaid.gov
A Word About SCAMS….
PHRASES WE WOULD CONSIDER “RED FLAGS”
$
“The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back.”
$
“You can’t get this information anywhere else.”
$
“I just need your credit card or bank account number to
hold this scholarship”
$
“We’ll do all the work.”
$
“The scholarship will cost money.”
$
“You’ve been selected” by a “National foundation” to
receive a scholarship.
$
“You’re a finalist!” or “You’ve won!” (before you’ve
applied)
$
“First come, first served.”
$
“Millions of dollars go unclaimed.”
FINAL WORDS
To Students: Winning Scholarships is not
easy! You are asking someone to give
you a lot of money! Give it your best
effort! Do your best work! Set a goal of
how many scholarships you will apply for.
Get organized and pace yourselves.
Parents: Remember--the students who
are the most qualified to win scholarships
are also the busiest! You can help out by
searching, organizing, and gently
reminding your students about due dates.
REMEMBER…
YOU CAN’T
WIN IF YOU
DON’T
APPLY!
DON’T MISS IT!!!!!!!
Beaverton School District
College Financial Planning
Night
November 13th,
7:00pm @ Westview
And
FAFSA/Financial Aid Night
December 4th,
7:00pm @ Sunset