SCHOLARSHIPS
&
FINANCIAL AID
Compliments of the
Counseling Department
Madison West High School
SENIOR YEAR TIMELINE AT A GLANCE
Beginning in September
Check scholarship opportunities on the West H.S. website bi-weekly
(www.madison.k12.wi.us/West) – then click on “Departments”,
“Counseling”, then “Scholarships”). Look for other grants and scholarships
– check with your counselor, parents, employer, religious and community
groups, and civic organizations.
Submit applications for those for which you are eligible.
Thursday, September 15
6:45 p.m., Front of Aud
Grade 12 Parent Meeting: One of the workshops at this Parent Meeting will
address the financial aid process and scholarship opportunities. Ms. Kari
Gribble, Director of Financial Aid at Edgewood College, and Sara
Neuenschwander, Counselor, will present.
December
Find out the application procedures for financial aid and scholarships for
each university, college, or school you wish to apply to. These are usually
found in the brochures that schools and colleges provide. Pay attention to
application deadlines! Be sure to apply for financial aid to the school(s) or
college(s) in which you are interested. Usually, aid is not offered until you
are approved for admission. (You don’t need to have decided whether to
attend there.)
Applications for West High School scholarships are mailed home.
Continue to research other scholarship opportunities and apply for those for
which you are eligible.
Monday, December 5
7:00 p.m., Back of Aud.
Scholarship & Financial Aid Meeting for Parents of Seniors (students
welcome also): The Counseling Department sponsors this evening program.
Ms. Kari Gribble, Director of Financial Aid at Edgewood College, will
provide a general overview of the financial aid application process and then
work on the forms. As this process can be somewhat confusing, we urge
families to come to the meeting.
Wednesday, December 7
Periods 2 & 3, LMC
Scholarship & Financial Aid Meeting for Students of Color: Counselors
Marilsa Hansen will provide relevant information.
January 2 – February 15
Complete and submit the FAFSA online (and other need analysis forms that
respective colleges may request). Although some schools will accept
FAFSA’s after February 15, many schools use this date as a priority
deadline. Filing your completed FAFSA automatically puts you in
consideration for grants, loans, work-study assistance, and some college
sponsored scholarships.
January Date – TBA
West High School scholarship applications due in Counseling Office. We
will not accept applications after the deadline.
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SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL AID
Regardless of which college or career school you choose, you’ll probably need help paying for your
tuition, fees, books, and living expenses. This packet was designed to help you navigate the financial aid
and scholarship process.
FINANCIAL AID
What is Financial Aid?
Financial aid is money that is given, paid, or lent to help students pay for their education. Financial aid
often makes it possible for students to attend colleges they would have otherwise thought to be too
expensive. Students and parents therefore should never assume that they cannot afford a particular
college or university. There are basically four types of financial aid:
1. Grants – money that is given to the student, usually because of financial need.
2. Scholarships – money that is awarded because of exceptional academic achievement, an outstanding
talent or skill, and/or financial need.
3. College Work-Study – money the student earns by working at a campus job 10-15 hours a week.
4. Loans – borrowed money that must be repaid, generally after you have graduated or left school.
Grants and scholarships are basically “free money”, while loans and college work-study are considered
“self-help” programs. Generally, all financial aid is awarded in the form of a “package”. Packages,
consisting of grants, scholarships, loans, and/or work-study, are put together by the college’s financial aid
office. Since packages will vary from college to college, you should certainly compare the various
packages offered.
How Do I Apply for Financial Aid?
1. Some colleges have their own financial aid application form that you must complete. This form is
generally included in the application viewbook or packet. As you fill out a college application, be
sure to check any box indicating you want to be considered for financial aid.
2. Complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) during your son/daughter’s senior
year. The FAFSA is a federal form that asks for information on income and assets.
COMPLETING A FAFSA IS VERY IMPORTANT
You must submit a FAFSA in order to be considered for all federal financial aid and for most of the aid
offered by individual states. Regardless of the number of schools your son/daughter applies to, you only
need to fill out one FAFSA. The FAFSA is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. It is necessary for
parents and students to apply for a pin number to be used for corrections. It takes 1-3 days for the pin
number to be sent to you in an e-mail.
Get all of your tax information organized and complete the FAFSA as soon after January 1 as possible.
Double check your responses before you send it in because if there are any errors, your FAFSA will be
returned to you. Aid is generally awarded on a “first come first served” basis, so you do not want to
experience a delay in the processing of your application. Even if you feel you will not qualify for any
need-based aid because of your income, you probably should still complete the FAFSA. Colleges and
organizations often want it verified that students are not eligible for federal or state aid before they award
institutional and/or private funds.
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Some loan programs also require the FAFSA. Remember to download/print a copy of your completed
FAFSA before you submit it. Keep this from year to year, as you must apply for financial aid every year
you are in school. Also, be sure to keep a copy of your tax return forms.
Approximately 3-10 weeks after you have submitted the FAFSA online, you will receive a SAR (Student
Aid Report). A copy of your SAR is also sent to the colleges you designated on your FAFSA. Your SAR
will tell you if you are eligible for a Pell Grant and it will also inform you of your EFC (Estimated Family
Contribution). Your EFC is the amount they have determined you can afford to pay for your
son/daughter’s education the following year. If the cost of the college is more than your EFC, you have a
financial need and should be eligible for financial aid. This aid, however, may come in the form of loans.
March – April – May: You should ultimately receive a document called an “offer of financial
assistance” from each college you have applied to. There will be a very important due date for your
reply. Once you’ve compared colleges, respond to all by the due date.
3. In addition to the FAFSA, some private colleges and scholarship programs also require submission
of the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE. The PROFILE is not an application, but a supplemental need
analysis document that is used to determine eligibility for private funds and institutional aid (aid made
available by the individual colleges). PROFILE forms are available in the Counseling Office.
4. Attend the financial aid meetings offered by the Counseling Department for more detailed
information. A financial aid administrator will “walk us through” the application process at the
December meeting.
5. Students may also want to consider funding part of their education through the military. The U.S.
Military offers the following educational programs to reduce school costs:
 Students have the opportunity to apply for selective admission to one of the military academies.
These are four-year colleges that are tuition free and offer bachelor’s degrees and a required
commission in the military after graduation.
 Students can attend a college or career school and enroll in the Reserve Officer Training Corps
(ROTC) Program, which will pay your tuition, fees, and books and provide you with a monthly
allowance. Service in the military is required upon completion.
 Students who join the military can take advantage of V.A. education programs and the
Montgomery GI Bill, which provides financial support to those who attend school during or after
serving in the military.
 If students enlist in the military, you may be eligible to receive repayment assistance from its
Federal Loan Repayment Program. Up to $45,000 in repayment assistance may be available.
 Reservists and Guards men and women may receive tuition assistance up to $20,000 depending
upon the branch of service.
 Contact your local military recruiter for more information on these programs or search the web at:
www.gibill.va.gov.
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TIPS FOR FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIPS
These 9 tips could give you a better shot at financial aid –
1.
Don’t pass up the chance to apply for aid just because you think your family income may be too high.
Income rules vary from program to program and are subject to change, so it takes an expert to judge your
eligibility.
2.
Parents: Do your taxes early. Almost every financial aid application requires this information.
3.
Apply for aid each school year. Changes in aid regulations or your family’s financial picture could make
you eligible for new sources of assistance.
4.
Apply for as many aid alternatives as possible. You cannot qualify or win if you don’t apply. Visit the
schools you are interested in and talk with their financial aid officers.
5.
Investigate corporate-sponsored tuition plans. Many employers will invest in the education of their
employees.
6.
Use scholarship search engines like www.fastweb.com to help you find the private sector assistance you
need.
7.
DEADLINES ARE IMPORTANT. Apply in time to meet financial aid deadlines. Sounds basic, we know.
But timing can be crucial in being considered for awards – and prompt submissions may give you quicker
answers.
8.
Keep a copy of every form you fill out. The information may be useful on other applications. And
although things seldom get lost in the mail, what if it happened to your only copy of a painstakingly
prepared aid request to your favorite college?
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The financial aids office at the college/university/vocational school you plan to attend.
The West H.S. Counseling Office: Brochures, catalogs, and books to help our students/families learn
more about financial aid and scholarships. We recommend the booklet Funding Your Education by the
U.S. Dept. of Education.
http://westweb.madison.k12.wi.us: Go to the Counseling page for “Scholarship Scoops”. Scoops are
issued several times throughout the school year and list scholarships offered by local/state/ national
organizations. Scoops are also posted and on file in the Counseling Office. Check on a regular basis for the
most recent “Scoops”.
1-800-801-0576 : General information re: FAFSA and technical assistance.
1-800-891-4599 : College Answer Service – for tips and information on the FAFSA.
Where Can I Get More Information?
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Helpful Internet Links:
www.fafsa.ed.gov
www.fastweb.com
www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/
www.scholarshiphelp.org
www.finaid.org
www.collegeboard.com
www.collegenet.com
www.XAP.com
www.SALLIEMAE
www.military.com
“Free Application for Federal Student Aid”
Free scholarship and financial aid search.
Excellent resource to assist seniors and parents.
Help with getting organized in the scholarship hunt.
Huge selection of links and references to financial aid
information – concise and very thorough.
Very comprehensive site for all financial aid issues.
Financial aid and scholarship search.
Comprehensive scholarship search site, including an
“expected contribution” estimator.
College planning and financial aid site.
Discover ways to further your education through the
military
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SCHOLARSHIPS
Applying for Scholarships
Thousands of students seek scholarships every year. The fact is, there are lots of scholarships for students
going on to school; however, most of these scholarships have very specific eligibility criteria (i.e.,
academic performance, athletic achievement, financial need, minority status, gender, career choice,
community service, leadership, test scores, etc.)
When it comes to academic scholarships, students generally must have an outstanding GPA, high test
scores, excellent recommendations, and be involved in extracurricular and/or community activities. To
receive an athletic or talent scholarship, a student must truly be outstanding. Even though it is not easy to
obtain academic or talent scholarships, students and parents who are willing to invest the time and energy
may find that their efforts pay off handsomely. When looking for scholarships, keep the following in
mind:
1. Start early. Begin looking into possibilities during your son or daughter’s junior year. Be ready to locate and
complete applications early in the senior year.
2. Finding and applying for scholarships takes time, energy, and persistence.
3. The larger scholarships are usually awarded by the college the student plans to attend. Contact the college’s
financial aid office to learn about any scholarships they may offer.
4. Private colleges are often more generous in awarding scholarships, thus making private schools competitive in
price with public schools. Do not rule out a private school until you have received their financial aid package.
5. Apply! Apply! Apply! The more scholarships a student applies for, the greater the chance of receiving any.
6. Follow directions. Make sure you don’t disqualify yourself by filling the forms out incorrectly, missing the
deadline, or failing to supply important information. Type your applications if possible and have someone
proofread them . Applications should look neat and carefully thought out. Students that get scholarships take
the time to submit a neat and thorough application.
7. Be aware of DEADLINES. Scholarship applications become available throughout a student’s senior year and
are sometimes due only weeks after being publicized.
8. Network. Check for scholarship opportunities with your school web site, your employer, your parents’
employers, your church, your college admissions office, organizations to which you belong, etc.
9. The Internet has a great deal of information on scholarship opportunities. You can also find books such as
Peterson’s Scholarships, Grants & Prizes and other resource guides and computer programs in the Counseling
Office and at local libraries.
10. Remember that students who are not able to get scholarships often are able to get need-based financial aid.
11. Community service has become much more important in the process. It is a good idea to create a resume of
activities, community service, etc., to go with your transcript. Many scholarship donors look for students that
have academic promise and are involved in the school and community.
12. Resumes are a great way to put all of your activities into an organized form. Reference writers and counselors
love to have a resume to check over before writing a recommendation. The more information the student can
give people, the better prepared the writer will be. Do not assume everyone remembers everything about you.
13. Be wary of scholarship searches that charge a fee.
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What Types of Scholarships are Available?
1. College/Vocational School Scholarships: Usually, when a student submits a college application, the college
puts the student on their mailing list so that the student receives mailings about that school during the year,
including scholarship information. All colleges have a financial aid office. Applicants can contact these offices
directly for information regarding the various kinds of aid that are available and additional forms to be completed.
2. Outside Scholarships: Every year the Counseling Office receives information on over 100 local, state, and
national scholarship opportunities for seniors. We publicize these scholarships in “Scholarship Scoops”
throughout the year. The bulletins are posted in the Counseling Office and on the West High homepage -
(http://westweb.madison.k12.wi.us – then click on “Counseling”, then “Financial Aid and Scholarships”).
Students are encouraged to check these “Scoops” frequently for the most recent scholarship opportunities.
Applications or instructions for applying for these scholarships are available in the Counseling Office. It is a
student’s responsibility to complete the applications and observe deadlines.
Scholarship Application Process for #’s 1 & 2 Above:
Upon obtaining a scholarship application, complete it following all directions carefully. If a counselor
recommendation or transcript is needed, bring completed scholarship application along with a STAMPED,
ADDRESSED envelope to your counselor for processing. The counselor will attach a recommendation and/or
fill out the necessary form, then pass your application on to the Registrar who attaches a transcript, logs the mailing
date on the computer, and mails the completed scholarship form. Note: Allow one week for this process.
If your scholarship application includes teacher recommendations, put these teacher recommendation forms in
stamped envelopes (addressed to the scholarship provider) and give them to the teachers you are asking to provide
recommendations.
3. The Academic Excellence Scholarship: Given by the State of Wisconsin Higher Education Aids Board. This is
a four-year award worth $2,250 per year, awarded to the top five seniors, and payable only if the student attends
college in the state of Wisconsin. HEAB directs each high school to award this to seniors ranked number one in the
senior class, as measured by cumulative grade point average through semester one of senior year.
4. The Wisconsin All-State Scholars Scholarship: Given by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the
Wisconsin Education Association Council, the Wisconsin Foundation for Educational Administration, and the
Wisconsin State Journal. This is a four-year award worth $1,500 per year, awarded to the top three seniors in each
graduating class. The students may use this scholarship at any post secondary educational institution in the U.S.
MMSD Tie Breaking Procedure for the Academic Excellence Scholarship and the Wisconsin All State
Scholars Scholarship: Often, West will have as many as 20 to 30 seniors with cumulative GPAs of 4.0. In
previous years top rank has been determined by using the highest composite ACT score or highest converted SAT
score from a 4.0 student’s best single ACT or SAT exam (exams taken no later than December of senior year).
Beginning with the 2010/11 school year, MMSD will use the more accurate ACT “sum of scores” from a student’s
best single ACT exam to determine this rank. The SAT score will no longer be used in such ranking. The ACT
“sum of scores” adds together the English, Math, Reading and Science ACT subscores. If after using this method, a
tie still exists (eg., six students all share an ACT “sum of scores” of 120), the MMSD will declare that a deadlock
exists at that particular “sum of scores”. The district position is that there is no other method to fairly and
objectively separate one outstanding candidate from another. The names of the students tied at each “sum of
scores” level will be entered in a random lottery to yield a final rank ordering. The lottery will be supervised by
an assistant principal.
5. West High Scholarships: West High School is fortunate that each year about 40 local organizations and
private donors generously contribute scholarship monies to award to our graduating seniors. The scholarship donors
establish the criteria for their scholarships. The criteria vary, but may include one or more of the following:
academic achievement, leadership, school/community service, financial need, athletic participation, special
interests/talents, and intended area of study. Recipients are selected by the West High Scholarship Committee,
which begins meeting in early spring.
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In order to be eligible for a West High Scholarship, students must have attended high school in the Madison
Metropolitan School District for a minimum of three full semesters, one of which must be the 8th, or final,
semester, and they must submit a West High Scholarship Application by the deadline (TBA). The application is
completed online. Further information on the application procedure/deadline will be disseminated in November.
GPA for scholarships and eligibility for honors are calculated using the 7th semester grade point average. Every
year, we have many more deserving students than we have scholarships. In recent years, West has had
approximately 60 scholarships to award. Given the large number of worthy and talented students and the relatively
limited number of scholarships, it is the intent of the West High School Scholarship Committee to honor as many
students as possible. Therefore, the Scholarship Committee will attempt to award scholarships to students who
have not received other local and state scholarships.
WE WILL NOT ACCEPT APPLICATIONS AFTER THE DEADLINE. Each year, there are students that
would have qualified for a scholarship, but failed to submit an application by the deadline. Submitting a completed
application by the deadline is the responsibility of the student.
Following is a SAMPLE listing of West High scholarships which have been awarded in the past. The scholarships
and dollar amounts vary from year to year. Scholarship criteria is determined by the donor.
Allen J. Shafer, Jr.
10 at $700
Peter Iannone West H.S. Class of ’89 Schol.
$1,900
Madison West Athletic Booster Assoc. Schol.
Katharine Schantz Music Scholarship
James Brett Lawrence Music Scholarship
Kristin J. Marx Memorial & Marketing
Scholarships
Christian J. Sanborn Memorial Award
4 at $500
$1,000
$500
2 or 3 at $500
ESL Achievement Award
$1,700 or 2 at $850
Student Council Leadership Scholarship
Harold Wetzel/Lion’s Club Award for
Outstanding Citizenship and Leadership
Harlan P. Hanson Book Award
Devine Family Foundation Scholarship
2 at $250
3 at $500
$1,500
Ethel Mabie Falk Scholarship
$500
$1,000, renewable for up
to 5 years
2 - $1,750
Class of ’52 Arts & Humanities Scholarship
$1,250
UW Credit Union Scholarship
2 at $500
McKinley Lukes Young Writers Scholarship
$1,000
Unseen Star Award
SLC/PTSO Scholarship
Hazel B. Paschall Scholarship
$300
$500
$1,200
Murphy Family Scholarship
2 at $500
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Leadership in athletics, scholarship,
citizenship, character
Varsity letter in football, 3.0,
leadership, extracurriculars
Athletes
Major in music at UW-Madison
Attend MATC, participate in music
DECA/marketing students, majoring
in business
Hockey player, 2.0+ GPA,
exemplary teammate.
Immigrant students exhibiting
exceptional progress, planning to
continue education.
For seniors in Student Council.
Scholarship, leadership, character,
citizenship, activities
Academically strong, financial need
2.25-3.5 GPA, com. service,
financial need.
Attend UW System,, scholarship,
school & community service,
children of MMSD staff.
Distinguished in the arts, school and
community service.
Attend certain UW campus,
financial need, school & community
service.
Passion for written/spoken/
performed word. Liberal arts major.
Student working behind the scenes.
Leadership in SLD development.
Financial need, attend college or
technical school in Madison.
Financial need, scholarship.
UW Health West Towne Research Park &
Wingra Health Care Career Scholarship
$500
Paula McCormick Scholarship
$500
Tyler J. Berg Memorial Scholarship
$527
Optimist Club of West Madison Burt Hable
Scholarship
2 at $1,000
Don Loker Scholarship
$1,000
Ingrid Buslee Memorial Scholarship
$300
Pursue health care career, financial
need, scholarship, leadership, school
& community service.
Planning to study natural resources
or wildlife management in college.
Pursue teaching career, leadership in
student government, athletics.
Scholarship, financial need, strong
community service.
Financial need, attending college or
tech school in Madison.
Deserving student involved in
English program.
Served as a peer tutor at West.
Sarah Waggoner Sisson Memorial Scholarship 2 at $500
SAMPLE LISTING OF OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS
SUBMITTED TO WEST HIGH SCHOOL FOR POSTING
IN OUR “SCHOLARSHIP SCOOPS”
Seniors seeking scholarships should get in the habit of checking out the scholarship bulletin board or web
site periodically.
Name of Scholarship/Sponsor
Elks National Foundation
Prudential Spirit of Community Award
Amount
22 - $1,000$60,000
$6,000
Description/Criteria
Scholarship, leadership, need.
Coca Cola Scholars Foundation
Scholarship Program
$3 million total
to 250 students
nationwide
VFW Voice of Democracy Scholarships
1st place-$30,000
Kohl Scholarship
100 - $1,000
Toyota Community Scholars Program
100 renewable
scholarships $10,000 $20,000 over
four years.
1,000 recipients
– cost of
attendance,
renewable each
year
2 - $2,500
($1,250/sem)
Gates Millenium Scholars Program
St. Mary’s Hospital Health Care
Scholarship Program
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Distinguished record of volunteer work. Finalists
may win state and national awards.
Students who demonstrate leadership, commitment
to community, academic achievement.
Wisconsin resident, going on to college/tech
school. Leadership, citizenship, school/community
involvement, academic achievement.
GPA of 3.0 or better; actively involved in a service
organization or project that has a positive impact
on the school and/or community; pursuing
undergraduate degree at an accredited four-year
college or university in the U.S.
Student of color; U.S. citizen or legal permanent
resident; enrolling in college; 2.3 or higher GPA;
demonstrated leadership in community service or
extracurricular activities; financial need.
Minority students pursuing a health care profession
through enrollment at UW-Madison, Edgewood, or
MATC. 2.0 GPA or higher. US citizen.
Rotary Foundation
$3,500 $20,000 over
four years.
Kiwanis Club Giant Steps
Wisconsin Grocers Association
Rotary Club
USA Today’s All-USA High School
Academic Team
$1,000
$500-$3,000
$250-$4,000
$2,500 each
Betty Franklin Hammonds Scholarships
1 - $1,250
American Cancer Society
Italian Workmen’s Club
$1,000
2 - $1,000
Betty Von Rutenberg
Asthma Athlete Scholarship Program
$2,500
10 - $1,000$10,000
$1,000-$3,000
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
McKelvey Foundation Entrepreneurial
Scholarship
50 scholarships
for $40,000
($10,000 each
year for 4 years)
Commitment to Agriculture Scholarship
100 - $1,500
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Financial need, attending 2 or 4-year school; going
to a two or four-year college. 3.0 GPA OR have
been accepted to a college at the time of this
application; active in school groups and recognized
for leadership; performs community service
through school activities or other groups.
For high school age parent, need.
3.0, grocery industry work experience, leadership.
Academic achievement, community service.
Searching for 20 of the best and brightest high
school students in the nation. The criteria are
designed to find students who excel not only in
scholarship (3.98 GPA or better) but in leadership
roles within and outside of school.
African-American, low to moderate income
household, minimum GPA of 3.0 for three
consecutive semesters prior to applying, and
accepted into a degree program at an accredited
college, university or technical school.
Cancer survivor.
Italian descent, associated with Club, scholastics,
financial need.
Female, community service, leadership.
Senior with asthma, excellence in academics and
athletics.
Anyone with multiple sclerosis or the child of
someone with multiple sclerosis, planning to attend
a post secondary school.
Graduating seniors who have demonstrated
entrepreneurial spirit by owning and operating their
own businesses (with at least one employee) while
in high school, planning to attend a 4 year college
or university in the U.S.
Graduating senior planning to pursue a career in an
agriculture-related field.