1. cholarships

2. Where to find them
Naviance under the Colleges tab has a national scholarship search engine through Sally Mae (so it is safe).
Ohio Means Jobs, School Soup, CollegeNET, College Board, Fastweb are all safe sites.
Your’s or a parent’s/guardian’s employer sometimes offer them—especially if they are in unions.
Religious groups, clubs or other organizations in which you or a family member are involved.
Our Scholarship Bulletin on the BMHS Counselors website.

3. Scams
Never pay to enter a scholarship competition without checking with your counselor or Ms. Costello from College Now.
Never give your birthday, social security number, credit card or bank account information.
It may be a scam if it: guarantees money, says you can’t find the scholarship anywhere else, says they will do all the work for you, or says they are a governmental office and you haven’t reached out to one.

4. How to improve your chances of winning one
Meet deadlines.
Read eligibility requirements carefully.
Gather information you are likely to need: transcript, letter(s) of recommendation, and an essay or two.
Follow instructions exactly.
Have your application proofread for spelling, grammar, all blanks completed legibly, signatures, dates, and to be sure the correct names are on all documents.

5. Where does the money come from?
Postsecondary students received a total of $123.8 billion in scholarships and grants in About 37% of this free money comes from the federal government and, to qualify, you need to fill out the FAFSA. Here's a breakdown of where grant money comes from:
37% Federal
41% College
14% Private
8% State
Source is College Board
So complete your FAFSA and meet the college/university priority deadline for financial aid.

6. Merit-based
Merit-based scholarships can be earned based on your talents or performance in a variety of areas:
Academic
Athletic
Extracurricular involvement
Leadership
Volunteer work
Art, theater, music

7. Need-based
College Now has several scholarships awarded to students with financial need.
Applications are due February 2 to Ms. Costello.
Charles and Margaret Jones: 2.5 and 18 ACT.
Phi Beta Kappa: essay on why you are getting a liberal arts degree.
William M Weiss: 2.5 and 18 ACT with essay on importance of character.
Bobby R Larkin: 2.5 and 18 ACT with essay on a life goal.
Augie Schroeder: 2.5 and 18 ACT with essay on commitment to the community and obstacles to getting an education.
David S Ingles: 2.5 and 20 ACT with essay on what colleges should look for other than grades.

8. Essays Know your audience. Maybe research the group a little.
Answer the prompt completely.
Make it personal and passionate.
Show, don’t tell. If you love children, show them that with examples of the work you have done with kids.
Edit, edit, edit.
Have someone check it over for you before submitting it.
Save it so you can possibly use it for another scholarship with a little editing.

9. Advice from Mrs. Scriven
Education Foundation Scholarship overview.
27 Scholarships; 31 awards
Scholarship value
Process - online submission, GPA and rank added, sent to readers with names and addresses removed
Read the criteria.
Choose with criteria in mind - many scholarships are named for former educators therefore are looking for future teachers
Write to the criteria/subject: sports, art, science, teaching, community service
Evaluation - What are the readers looking for?
Point system
Grades, activities, community involvement, work experience, awards, financial need
Essay - Answer the prompt, “heart”, grammar/conventions

10. Timeline
The Foundation application is now on the School Counselor website and is listed in Naviance.
The other local scholarships will be announced after February 10, so watch for s.
All are due March 22 at 2:30 to Mrs. Lippy.

11. Local and Foundation Scholarships
Due at 2:30 on March 22.
If the locals need resumes, letters of rec or other materials, please submit copies for the number you need so Mrs. Lippy doesn’t have to copy anything but the application itself.
All materials to Mrs. Lippy.