FAIR LAWN HIGH SCHOOL
Scholarships & Financial Aid
Bulletin #1
To: Seniors/Parents/Guardians
From: Ms. Dena DeSantis, Counselor
Date: October 2014
This is the first of several bulletins pertaining to scholarships and financial aid that will be
distributed to seniors during the school year. Read the information in the bulletins carefully and
TAKE THEM HOME because what you learn from these pages could mean $$$ for your
education. The bulletin is also available at the Fair Lawn High School website: www.flhs.org
under Student Services. In each issue, there will be general information which will help your
search for financial aid as well as a list of specific scholarships to apply for.
NOTE: Not all scholarships are awarded for top academic achievement. You will
discover in these bulletins that there are scholarships for students who participate in
community service, who demonstrate leadership abilities, who have certain career
plans or who belong to certain ethnic or national groups. Best advice? Apply for all
scholarships that apply to you! For many of the scholarships that appear in these
bulletins, the applications can be printed from the internet. For others, you may need
to see Ms. DeSantis to nominate yourself. All of the scholarship opportunities have
deadlines, so pay attention to those dates. Don’t miss out on $$$ by skipping a
deadline!
FINANCIAL AID vs. SCHOLARSHIPS
Many people use the terms financial aid and scholarships interchangeably, but they are actually
very different! Let’s define the terms:
Scholarships (or Merit Awards) are a gift of money for students with a particular talent. The
money does not have to be paid back. The talent may be academic, athletic, musical, artistic,
leadership, or service-oriented. Most of the money that funds these merit awards comes from the
individual colleges or private organizations.
Financial Aid is assistance based on a family’s ability to pay the cost of education at a particular
college. It is a combination of loans (which have to be paid back), grants (gifts of money), and
work/study on campus. Most of the funds for financial aid come from the government or college
endowments.
Think of it this way: Bill Gates’ children would NOT be eligible for any financial aid because
Mr. Gates earns too much money to be eligible. However, if the Gates children had a talent of
any kind or were academic high achievers, they COULD receive scholarships or merit awards at
an individual college. Therefore, be sure to follow the instructions in upcoming bulletins for
applying for financial aid and apply for all scholarships that pertain to you.
HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANCES FOR RECEIVING MERIT AWARDS:
In order to entice top applicants to enroll, many colleges offer “merit awards” ranging from
$1,000 to over $10,000 off the tuition price. To be eligible, students need to meet certain GPA
and SAT criteria set by each college.
The single most important step in determining the size of your financial aid package, including
merit awards, is in selecting which colleges to apply for admission. You are doing this now. In
order to maximize your chance to receive merit money, you should pick colleges at which you
are in the top 25% of the applicant pool academically. (Your counselor can help you with this.)
If you have a special talent (athletic, musical, artistic, or leadership), consider schools that award
merit money to students with these abilities. How do you find out this information? When you
meet with a college representative, either here at Fair Lawn High School when they come to
visit, at a college fair or when you visit the campus, ask the questions: What merit awards do
you offer? What are the qualifications for these awards? Most schools have handouts
describing these awards; many have the information available on their website.
WHAT FORMS WILL I NEED IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID?
 In order to be eligible for financial aid at any college or university, everyone will need to fill
out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) www.fafsa.ed.gov in order to qualify
for federal and state aid and most institutional aid (including loans). This form will be available
in December. NOTE: You may NOT file the FAFSA before January 1, 2015.
 Students applying to some private colleges and universities will need to file and additional
form called the CSS Profile in order to receive financial aid from those colleges. A list of the
schools requiring this form is included in this Bulletin as well as online at
www.collegeboard.com (a secure website). There is a $25.00 general registration fee plus an
additional $16.00 fee for each participating college, which covers the cost of processing and
reporting your information. NOTE: you may (and should) file the CSS Profile now.
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SOURCES OF SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
There are many reliable sources of information for seekers of financial aid and scholarships.
Unfortunately, there are also plenty of people looking to make money from your search for
aid. Do your research and beware of fraudulent scholarship programs. A rule of thumb:
NEVER PAY MONEY TO FIND SCHOLARSHIP MONEY. There are many resources
(including this bulletin) that will provide the same information for free. For reliable sources
of scholarship offers, parents should first check their place of employment for any financial
aid or tuition reimbursement for employees’ children. Also, if the student has done volunteer
work, check to see what scholarships these organizations have. Clubs or organizations to
which parents belong are excellent sources of scholarship funds (e.g. Elks, PTA, etc…).
Finally, for those with internet access (which is everyone as we have internet connections
available for students on site at FLHS) there are over 140,000 scholarship awards posted on
the internet today. To best navigate the web and find these offers, the following sites are
recommended as exceptionally reliable:
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www.collegeboard.org – the first place to look for information on financial aid offers
a financial aid calculator. Also offers a scholarship search. Information contained in
articles under “Paying for College.”
www.fastweb.com – complete a personal profile and Fastweb matches you with
scholarships from its’ database, updated daily.
www.scholarships.com – free scholarship search
Each of these websites is accurate and reliable. In addition, there is an excellent book which
gives sound advice on the college financial aid process, including innovative ideas for paying
for college, called:
Don’t Miss Out by Ann & Robert Leider. Published by Octameron Press
(You can check with the large chain bookstores or order online at www.octameron.com)
It’s the best $14.00 you will spend relative to paying for college.
Mark Your Calendar NOW
FINANCIAL AID NITE
December 2
7:00 PM
At this meeting, a collegiate level financial aid director
will address maximizing financial aid & the FAFSA.
WHAT’S IT GOING TO COST ME?
Costs of college will vary depending on whether your school is public or private and whether
you will live on campus or commute. Bills at most colleges and universities, at least if you
live on campus, will include tuition, room, meals, and fees for everything from athletics to
computer technology. The following chart will give you information that helps compare
prices at various institutions. For out of state public colleges, there is usually a mark up of
about $10,000 because your family does not pay state taxes in that state. Private independent
colleges in other states are comparable to New Jersey independent colleges.
(Reprinted from New Jersey Careers)
NOTE: Do not automatically dismiss the higher priced independent colleges as they are
often the schools who are most generous with financial aid and merit awards.
Independent Four Year Colleges
New Jersey Colleges & Universities
Seton Hall University
$36,926 (tuition & fees)
$50,618 (all costs)
William Paterson University
$12,244 (tuition & fees)
$27,766 (all costs)
Rider University (NJ)
$36,830(tuition & fees)
$54,645 (all costs)
Rowan University
$12,616 (tuition & fees)
$27,422 (all costs)
Princeton University
$41,820 (tuition & fees)
$59,685 (all costs)
Montclair State University
$11,540 (tuition & fees)
$29,656 (all costs)
Syracuse University
$41,886 (tuition & fees)
$59,318 (all costs)
New Jersey Research Universities
Muhlenberg College (PA)
$44,145 (tuition & fees)
$57, 671 (all costs)
Out of State Public Colleges
University of Massachusetts
$42,630 (all costs)
East Stroudsburg University
$33,118 (all costs)
(as reported by Collegeboard.org)
Rutgers University
$13,813 (tuition & fees)
$29,875 (all costs)
NJIT
$15,648 (tuition & fees)
$33,962 (all costs)
COMMON STUDENT AID MYTHS
(Reprinted from the Counselor Corner Newsletter)
1. College is too expensive for our family.
Despite rising college costs, a college education is within the reach of most families.
The average tuition and fees of a four year public college in 2014-2015 is $13,000.
2. There’s less student aid available than there used to be.
Student aid rose to a record level over the last 3 years. According to The College
Board, more than 60% of full-time students at public colleges receive some form of
student aid. More than 75% of students at private colleges received aid.
3. My income is too high to qualify for student aid.
Student aid is intended to make a college education available to students of families
in many financial situations. College financial aid administrators often take factors
other than income into consideration such as the number of other family members in
college, home mortgage costs, medical expenses not covered by insurance, etc…
4. We’ve saved for college, so we won’t qualify for student aid.
It’s always a good idea to save for college. Most student aid comes in the form of
low-interest loans so saving for college could mean having fewer loans to repay.
5. Only students with straight “A’s” get aid.
It’s true that many scholarships have academic requirements, but federal student aid
is based on financial need and does not take grades into consideration.
6. Working will hurt my child’s academic success.
It is difficult to juggle full-time employment with a full-time course load, but recent
studies indicate that students who work 14 hours per week (or less) actually do better
academically than students who do not work at all.
7. Millions of dollars in scholarships go unused every year.
This is partly true; most of the money referred to in this statement is offered by
employers, labor unions and other organizations for children of employees/members.
8. We’ll have to sell our house to pay for college.
Home value is not considered in calculations for federal student aid. Some colleges
take home equity into account when calculating your child’s eligibility for
institutional and nonfederal aid. No college would expect you to sell your home to
finance your child’s college education.
GENERAL SCHOLARSHIPS
These awards may be used at any college.
Apply online at the website listed.
See Ms. DeSantis AFTER SCHOOL if indicated.
The Elks National Foundation announces the 2014 Most Valuable Student Scholarship Application.
All high school seniors are eligible for this award.
Applications are available online at
www.elks.org/enf/scholars. Applications must be returned to Ms. DeSantis in guidance or the local
chapter of the BPOE Elks no later than December 5, 2014.
Gates Millennium Scholars Program makes available 1,000 scholarships to minority students with
significant financial need who have a GPA of 3.3 and have demonstrated leadership abilities. Eligible
students will be enrolling as a first time student at an accredited post secondary institution for the Fall
2014 semester. Interested students may obtain information and apply on-line at www.gmsp.org. The
deadline for applications is January 14, 2015.
The Horatio Alger Association awards scholarships to graduating seniors who are US citizens and will
enter a US college in the fall of 2014. Eligible students will also possess financial need, a minimum
GPA of 2.0, and have been involved with community service or co-curricular activities. Interested
students must apply online by the October 25, 2014 deadline at www.horatioalger.org/scholarships.
Ron Brown Scholar Program recognizes academically talented African American seniors by offering a
$10,000 scholarship. Suitable applicants must demonstrate academic achievement, leadership, and
community service. Apply on line at www.ronbrown.org prior to the November 1, 2014 early postmark
deadline.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation announces the availability of over 250 scholarships ranging in
award from $10,000 to $20,000. These scholarships are awarded to students who have demonstrated
investment to their community through leadership, community service, academic achievement, and parttime employment. Eligible students will be attending two or four year institutions. Students must apply
for this scholarship on line at www.coca-colascholars.org before the deadline date of October 31, 2014.
Northern NJ Mensa announces the availability of scholarships ranging in amount from $300 to $1,000
through the Mensa Educational and Research Foundation Essay Contest. Eligible students will show
proof of enrollment at an accredited post secondary institution for the Fall 2012 Semester. The essay
will be no more than 550 words and describe the applicant’s career, vocational, or academic goals.
Interested students can download an application at www.mensafoundation.org/scholarships. The
deadline for submission is January 15, 2015.
The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants will award scholarships for graduating
seniors ranging from $6,500 to $8,500. This scholarship competition is open to students planning to
pursue a career in accounting. Awarding of scholarships will be based on academic standing,
standardized test scores, an essay, and a personal interview. Applications must be submitted on line by
December 12, 2014 at www.njscpa.org/scholarships.
Daughters of the American Revolution “Good Citizens Program” recognizes a student who best represents the
qualities of service, commitment, responsibility, and patriotism. Monetary awards may range from $250 - $3,000.
One student from FLHS may be nominated. If you would like to be considered for nomination, please submit
your name to Ms. DeSantis by the end of the school day on Thursday, October 9, 2014.
Financial Aid Planner
(reprinted from www.collegeboard.org)
October
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If you're not sure if your family will qualify for financial aid you
can use the EFC calculator (found on collegeboard.com) to help
you determine your eligibility for both federal and non-federal
financial aid programs.

Early decision or early action applicants who are applying for
financial aid usually have to fill out a supplemental aid
application using estimated income figures.

Some colleges require early submission of "regular decision"
applications for priority consideration for merit- or need-based
scholarships. This means that your admission and financial aid
applications might be due in the winter in order to qualify for
some types of scholarships. Find out if your colleges have
institutional scholarship deadlines by visiting their websites or
reviewing their literature.

Ask your counselor for information on state and local
scholarships. Many of these programs require the FAFSA, the
PROFILE, or both. Make sure these forms are submitted to all
scholarship programs that require them.

CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE Online is available beginning October
1 for early decision and early action applicants who are applying
for financial aid. You can search the PROFILE website to see
which institutions require the PROFILE and to research their
priority filing dates.

Male students who will be 18 at the time they complete the
FAFSA are required to register with Selective Service to be
eligible for federal and state aid. Students can register for
Selective Service at the post office or through the FAFSA form.
Call Selective Service toll-free at 1-888-655-1825 for more
information.