Category Archives: scholarships

scholarships

Freedom Alliance Scholarship

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Fireworks. Picnics. Family celebrations. It’s that time of year when we think about our freedom and the people who are responsible for protecting those freedoms–servicemen and their families.

This scholarship honors their sacrifice:

The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund was the vision of Freedom Alliance founders LtCol Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) and the late LtGen Edward Bronars, USMC. The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund honors Americans in our Armed Forces who have sacrificed life or limb defending our country by providing educational scholarships for their children.

The mission of the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund is two-fold. First, it helps offset the high cost of a college education for the sons and daughters of American heroes. Second, it is a reminder to the recipient that their parents’ sacrifice will never be forgotten by a grateful nation.

The dependent children of U.S. military personnel who have been killed or permanently disabled in an operational mission or training accident are eligible to apply. Also eligible are students who have a parent classified as a Prisoner of War or Missing in Action.
The generosity of patriotic Americans has made it possible for the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund to award more than $7 million in college scholarships to the sons and daughters of American heroes.

Students wishing to apply for a Freedom Alliance Scholarship should first review the qualification and eligibility requirements to verify that they do indeed qualify for the Freedom Alliance scholarship. The first step for those who believe they qualify for a scholarship is to complete the online scholarship application by clicking here to apply.

THE APPLICATION MUST CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

  • Copy of your government issued photo identification (Drivers License, Military ID Card)
  • Proof of dependency: birth certificate, tax form which lists dependents, or military child ID card
  • Certificate of death (DD 1300) or rating letter from the Veterans Administration disability stating that the eligible Servicemember parent has been rated as 100% Totally and Permanently disabled
  • DD Form 214 if applicable – for disabled veterans’ dependent children
  • Applicant must upload a 500 Word Essay or Personal Statement: What does your parent’s service mean to you?
  • Official high school or college transcripts
  • Please submit a high resolution (at least 500KB) portrait-style JPEG photo of yourself which is appropriate for publication of scholarship award announcements. Make sure that it is taken in an appropriate setting and there are no other people, distractions, or watermarks visible.
  • Photo of qualifying parent

If you are found to be eligible by the reviewing committee, there will be a few additional steps that will be included in your notification letter/email which will include a form to be completed by your school’s financial aid office. Once these steps are completed, the reviewing committee will do a final review of applications and, if the student has a need, a scholarship check will be mailed directly to his/her school.

Please note that checks will only be endorsed to your school and will be mailed directly to your school’s Financial Aid or Bursar’s Office.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, college prep, essays, financial aid, scholarships, test prep

Everything You Need to Know About College from 5 of the Best Experts

college

It’s a jungle out there–cluttered with all kinds of college advice. How does a parent hack through the massive amounts of advice and find what they need with confidence? It’s not easy. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of college help websites, Facebook groups, YouTube channels and more offering paid and unpaid advice about college.

There are five experts I turn to when I need added advice about all things college:

Debbie Schwartz-admissions/financial aid

Debbie Schwartz founded Road2College in 2016 to educate families about college admissions and empower smarter college financial decisions. Her facebook group has a huge following with parents and experts sharing advice about paying for college and finding colleges with the best merit aid.

Website: https://www.road2college.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/payingforcollege/

Monica Matthews-scholarships

With all the scholarship search sites and information out there, you need someone to help your student WIN the scholarships they are eligible for. Monica fits that bill. She successfully helped her son graduate debt-free with $100,000 worth of scholarships by using her unique method of packaging the scholarship application. She knows her stuff and she knows what you need to know to make the scholarship application process successful.

Website: https://how2winscholarships.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/How.To.Win.College.Scholarships/

Jodi Okun-financial aid

Perhaps the most complicated aspect of the college application process is financial aid. Jodi has experience in this area from working in a college’s financial aid department. She has advice related to the FAFSA, student loans, financing college and helping your student budget for college. If you have a financial aid question, Jodi knows the answer.

Website: http://collegefinancialaidadvisors.com/

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/374562589403896/

Ethan Sawyer-college essays

I love Ethan’s information because he knows what he is talking about and much of it is free to anyone who takes the time to browse his website. He offers samples of essays, tips for writing them, brainstorming ideas and more. He also provides personalized help with the essay and web training for students as well. You can’t go wrong by using Ethan’s expertise and he even has a “pay what you can afford” option for his seminars. What could be better?

Website: www.collegeessayguy.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeEssayGuy/

Jenn Cohen-test prep

If you have a learning disabled student or simply a student who can’t seem to focus on preparing for standardized tests, Jenn is the expert. Her unique method of coaching not only helps prepare your student for the test, but she helps them learn study habits to help with more than test prep. Jenn has the training and the experience to help your student do their best on any of the standardized tests. Plus, she’s a Duke alumini and proud of it!

Website: http://www.launchpadeducation.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LaunchPadEducation/

Disclaimer: I don’t receive any fee or commission for recommending these experts. These are simply my own “go to” experts when I have a question or need to collaborate in any of these areas of college prep. I trust them implicitly and you can too!

college guidance, college planning, college prep, extracurricular activities, financial aid, financial planning, organization, scholarships

Getting In to Your First Choice College

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first choiceWhile many students are busy packing their bags and getting ready to leave for their first year at college, still others are working on their applications for the next round of admissions. Of course, if your child fits the latter category, it’s likely that they already have a college in mind that they wish to attend. Happily, by reading the post below you can find out about the tactics that will help them get into their first choice. Keep reading to discover more.

Address any study or subject issues

Number one of the list tactics is dealing with grades, as this is the base level that a college application will address. Happily, this is something that you can definitely help your child with, without micromanaging them as well. Firstly, it’s vital that you take a keen interest in their progress with their studies, without being overbearing and demanding.

Then, if they or their teachers flag up an issue on a particular topic, it will be much easier to address this constructively. It may be that your child is struggling with a specific subject, or that something is going on in their life that creating a distraction for them. However, as long as you are able to have an honest two-way conversation, you will ultimately be able to get them the support or help they need to ensure that their grades remain on target to get into the college of their choice.

Help your child to present a rounded application

Please do remember though that while grades are essential for college, they are not the only thing that the application board with be looking at. In fact, lately, there has been a definite move towards reviewing the whole person and looking at their extracurricular activities as well as their academic ones.

What this means is that you can quickly help your child by encouraging them to engage in activities outside of the home. These may include sports such as basketball, football, and athletics, as well as getting them involved in community projects like food banks, reading programs, and soup kitchens. Even having a part-time job, or getting some work experience in a firm that is related to their studies can go a long way to helping them stand out amounts all the other candidates. Something that can help them secure that much-needed place in their first choice school.

Seek additional help

It’s also wise to remember as a parent that there is plenty of help out there both for you and your child when it comes to making a successful college application. First off there is lots of advice online that can take you through the process step by step, and also help you hone your child’s particular application documents.

Although, if your child is aiming at one of the top schools in the country it can be helpful to approach specialists like Ivy Select admission consulting for some additional help. After all, as they have been through the process of being accepted to an ivy league college, they are the best people to know all the little tips and tweaks to make to your child’s application for the best chance of them getting into their first choice.

Explore financial aid and scholarship options

Lastly, it is important to remember that it may be finance and scholarship issues that are standing in the way of your child getting into their first choice college. In fact, as university fees have risen so sharply in recent times, it is widespread for students to pick the more economically viable options, rather than where they genuinely want to go.

Luckily you can assist your child in dealing with this, by going through the costs of their course with them, and showing them what sort of budget they will be working on. You can even help them by demonstrating how this will affect their income when they are qualified and have to pay any loans back.

It’s obviously also important to openly discuss how much, if any financial help you will be providing to them, and not leave them guessing. After all, this may have a significant impact on whether they end up applying for the genuine first choice or not.

Lastly, it’s crucial that you also go over the options for scholarships with your child as well, and make sure that they understand these entirely before they make their applications. After all, the can be complicated and confusing and they may even need to start working on things like their grades or other requirements before it gets to application time. Something that you can support them with and that can ultimately help them get into their first choice college.

scholarships

Get $2500 for College from College Raptor

 

College Raptor

The $2,500 College Raptor Scholarship is open only to those legal residents of the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory who are 16 years of age or older at the time of application and who are currently enrolled (or enroll no later than the fall of 2019) in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher learning (college, university or trade school).

HOW TO ENTER:

To enter, submit a complete scholarship Application online at the Sponsor’s Website (www.collegeraptor.com/2500scholarship). To be considered an applicant, a person must register with www.CollegeRaptor.com, use the College Search tool and submit a short original, previously unpublished response to one of the scholarship topics. Your written response must be written in English, with correct spelling and grammar. No substitutions of new drafts or corrected pages will be accepted once you have submitted your original Application. Written responses that are obscene, pornographic, libelous or otherwise objectionable will be disqualified. All Applications become the property of the Sponsor and will not be returned. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for lost, late, misdirected, or unintelligible Applications. By submitting an Application, you fully and unconditionally accept and agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding.

APPLICATION DEADLIINE:

June 1, 2018 at 11:59 pm Central Time

SELECTION OF POTENTIAL WINNERS:

Sponsor is looking for eligible Applicants who follow directions and submit Applications that are well-written and clearly and creatively address the topic described above. By no later than August 1, 2018, a qualified panel of judges will select one (1) potential winner based on the criteria of GPA (25%), college entrance exam score (either ACT or SAT) (25%) and essay (50%). Sponsor will select at least one (1) of the submitted Applications as the potential Prize Winning Application. In the event of a tie, the potential winner will be the Applicant with the higher score for overall excellence.

AWARD AMOUNT:

One (1) winner will receive a Scholarship Prize in the amount of two thousand five hundred dollars and zero cents ($2,500.00). The Scholarship Prize will be in the form of a check made payable directly to the accredited post-secondary institution of higher education attended by the Scholarship Prize Recipient (once the Scholarship Prize Recipient has enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher education and submitted proof of enrollment to Sponsor). Scholarship Prize Recipient must submit proof of enrollment on or before 12/31/2019. Scholarship Prize may not be assigned, transferred, or changed, except at the sole discretion of Sponsor.

scholarships

These Mistakes Could Cost You That College Scholarship

scholarship

Applying for scholarships requires a commitment of time and a dedication to persevere. It is a job in the truest sense of the word. You will most likely spend hours upon hours applying for scholarships hoping the time will be rewarded with money to pay for college. But the payoff won’t come unless you take the time to apply for scholarships or if you make these five scholarship application mistakes.

1. Not following directions.

Scholarship judges look for students who know how to follow directions. If the student can’t follow the directions, the application will be immediately placed in the reject pile. If the directions ask for only three recommendations, and no more, don’t send five. If it requires students provide a transcript, don’t forget to include it. If the essay word count is specific, (i.e. no more than 500 words) stick to the word count guidelines.

Along with following the directions, always check spelling and grammar on the application itself and any essay submissions. Since many scholarships have thousands of qualified applicants, this one simple mistake can cause you to lose the scholarship.

2. Applying to the wrong scholarships.

Read the scholarship qualifications carefully. If you don’t qualify, don’t apply. Guidelines such as GPAs, specific areas of interest, specific heritage and gender require applicants who meet the criteria. Applying for these scholarships when you don’t match the qualifications is a waste of time.

3. Not personalizing your application.

Just about every scholarship asks for details related to academics, activities and future plans. But personalizing the application will make you stand out. Also, find some time to learn about the organization presenting the scholarship and find a way to include this knowledge in the application or the essay and why it might relate to you.

Research previous winners and find out what the scholarship judges found valuable in these winners. Make sure the application explains why you are the perfect applicant for this award. Be careful when copying and pasting information from previous applications. Make sure the information you provide is unique to each scholarship.

Read the original article at TeenLife Magazine: 5 Mistakes That Could Cost You That Scholarship

scholarships

4 Scholarships for Thanksgiving Break

 

scholarshipsIt’s that time of year when we gather around the table and give thanks. What could make you more thankful than your student winning a scholarship for college?

Here are four scholarships your student can devote some time to over Thanksgiving break. You might not find them on a scholarship search engine which means . . . drum roll . . . fewer applicants!

Student Side Hustlers Scholarship Program from Study Soup

StudySoup just launched a Student Side Hustlers Scholarship program. This is a $1,000 scholarship to be awarded to one student entrepreneur who has demonstrated initiative, perseverance, and a little creativity to set up a side business as a way of bringing in extra income while still in school. It doesn’t matter if they’ve made $100 or $10,000…if they’re an up and coming entrepreneur, we want to hear from them!

Who is eligible:
Any individual at least sixteen (16) years old who meets one of the following criteria:

  • Currently attending high school
  • Currently attending an accredited university or college (undergraduate and graduate students are both eligible)

How to apply:
Follow this link to the scholarship application: https://studysoup.com/scholarships/student-side-hustler

Full information on eligibility as well as terms and conditions can also be found here.

Deadline:
February 1, 2018

2018 Believe and Achieve Scholarship Program from Cumberland Farms

Cumberland Farms today announced that applications are now being accepted for the 2018 Believe and Achieve Scholarship Program. The Believe and Achieve Scholarship program, created specifically to support the development of young people, awards $1,000 scholarships to 130 eligible graduating high school seniors each year, based on a student’s academic performance, as well as financial need. Winners will be notified in the spring of 2018.

Who is eligible:

The program is open to students entering a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited college, university or vocational-technical school in the fall of 2018 who live within 30 miles of any Cumberland Farms location.

How to apply:

For more information and to apply for 2018 scholarships, visit the Program Information Page. Information about the Believe and Achieve Scholarship Program, including entry criteria, is available online at https://scholarsapply.org/cumberlandfarms.

Deadlline:

The application period runs from now until December 4th, 2017.

College Raptor $2500 Scholarship

To help students take a thoughtful approach to the college decision process and pay for college, College Raptor is awarding a $2,500 scholarship.

Who is eligible:

•Be legal residents of the United States, District of Columbia, or a U.S. Territory.

•Be age 16 or older.

•Be enrolled (or enroll no later than the fall of 2019) in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher learning (college, university or trade school).

How to apply:

1. Register with College Raptor.

2. Use our College Search tool to find the best colleges for you.

Deadline:

Submit your Essay by January 31, 2018.

Frame My Future Scholarship from Diplomaframe

Unlike most of the traditional scholarships, there are no essays to write, no grade or academic requirements—it is all about creativity. Students are challenged to create a visual entry, whether it is a photograph, collage, painting, illustration, poem, short story—any single piece that demonstrates what he/she would like to do in their personal and professional life after college. Entrants are asked to follow the theme: This is how I Frame my Future.

Award Information
One $5,000 Grand Prize scholarship award

One $1,000 first runner-up scholarship award

One $500 second runner-up scholarship award

Eligibility Criteria
The 2018 scholarship contest is open to students who are:

•Attending a U.S. college or university full-time for the 2018-2019 academic year

•(including community college, undergraduate, or graduate school)

•A legal U.S. residen

How to Apply
www.framemyfuture.com

Selection Criteria
Church Hill Classics will select 24 Finalists based on the creativity of the full entry, including the entry image and accompanying description (maximum of 500 characters). The full entry must:

•Be your own work and relate to the theme – This is how I Frame My Future

•Contain correct grammar and spelling

The 24 Finalists advance to a one-month public voting phase. The entry with the most votes will receive the $5,000 grand prize scholarship award. The entry with the second most votes will receive a $1,000 scholarship award. The entry with the 3rd most votes will receive a $500 scholarship award. Each winner will also receive a custom diploma frame.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

9-11 Scholarships

 

9-11 scholarshipsToday marks the 22nd anniversary of  September 11th. Twenty two years ago today our country was attacked by terrorists. The attacks resulted in the deaths of 2,977 victims. The victims included 246 on the four planes (from which there were no survivors), 2,606 in New York City in the towers and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon. All of these victims left behind families. In these families, there were children who would eventually be pursuing higher education.

Seeing the need to help these families of the victims, scholarships rose up across the country to help their dependents fund higher education. The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund was established. According to the fund’s declaration, their purpose is:

“… to provide education assistance for postsecondary study to financially needy dependents of those people killed or permanently disabled as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and during the rescue activities relating to those attacks.”

Scholarship America played a major role in the creation of the September 11 Scholarship Alliance, formed by leading scholarship providers and associated organizations to coordinate the various scholarship funds for postsecondary education created in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. Although the Scholarship Alliance officially concluded its activities, there are still a number of scholarship funds in addition to the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund that provide assistance for postsecondary education for 9/11 families. Start your search here, in any of the following categories:

Memorial Funds and Other Funds
Scholarship America manages and administers Memorial and Other Funds. These Funds are managed and administered separately from the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund and have separate eligibility criteria. Generally speaking, Memorial Funds are provided for a group of families associated with a specific funder, while Other Funds are open to all 9/11 families.

College Funds
There are scholarship funds managed by individual colleges and universities, for use on their campuses only. Many of the colleges and universities provide matching scholarships to students who receive Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund education assistance.

Outside Organization Funds
Citizens throughout America stepped forward and donated funds to many relief efforts in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America. The establishment of scholarship funds was one means of providing such relief and assistance.

The fund this year will recognize an exciting milestone – this summer they awarded over $100 million to financially needy families since the inception of the Fund in 2001. The great news is that the Fund has been invested well and there remains over $96.5 million for the thousands of students who are yet to apply for awards.

Huntley Wealth Care Scholarship

This scholarship is for students who have lost one or both parents who either had no life insurance or were underinsured. Students can either submit an essay or a video essay

scholarships

Need Help With Your Scholarship Search? Jump on Twitter!

 

scholarship search

Need help with your scholarship search?

I’m a Twitter fanatic. I hopped on the bandwagon early and I’ve been using it ever since. If you aren’t on there, you should be. If you want your student to find and apply for scholarships, you most definitely should be. Scholarship sites tweet daily about current and upcoming scholarships. If you (and your student) follow them, you can easily find scholarships daily to apply to.

@Scholarships360

@Scholarshipscom

@PayingforCollege

@AidScholarship

@ScholarshipOwl

@Chegg

@CheapScholar

@SallieMae

@Unigo

@PrepforCollege

and don’t forget to follow me @SuzanneShaffer because I follow these and RT any additional scholarships I become aware of.

In addition to following these accounts, use the Twitter search engine by typing in “scholarship” and “scholarships”. Then check under each category: Top, Latest, People and Broadcasts to add an additional level to your search.

Create a list in your Twitter account and add these accounts and others you find to it. Then, each morning you can check their feeds for the latest scholarships posted. Dig a little deeper and visit their websites to find additional postings.

There’s no lack of scholarship information on Twitter. All you have to do is know where to look.

Once you find the scholarships you want to win them.  For the best chance to win, check out Monica’s ebook: How to WIN College Scholarships. She will help you package the scholarship to stand out among all the other applicants. It’s a small investment with a “HUGE” payoff!

essays, Guest Posts, scholarships

6 Tips for Writing a Winning Scholarship Essay

scholarship essay

Essays are the mainstay of scholarship applications, and being able to write essays that stand out and woo the reader are key to winning scholarships. Scholarship essays aren’t the typical English class essay, though. You don’t get a grade based on your work, there are no good efforts in scholarship writing; you either get the scholarship or you don’t. So, to help you be more knowledgeable and more prepared for writing scholarship essays, we’ve composed some tips that you should know before writing your scholarship essays.

Use the Correct Format

Using the correct format for your essay is crucial to having a chance at getting accepted. If your format isn’t correct, your essay may simply be rejected without being read, so it is very important that you both know what format to use and that you follow it. By default, you should follow MLA format – that is, use 12 point font, double spaced, one inch margins, Times New Roman, etc. Only if a different format is required should you not follow MLA standards.   

Know Your Audience

Research the sponsor for every scholarship essay you are writing. If you know about the sponsor, you can tailor your essay, that way you look like a better candidate for their scholarship and are more likely to be accepted. Knowing nothing about the organization leads to a genericsounding essay, which will make the reader feel less connected to you and more like you don’t care that much. Research the sponsor, use that information when planning your essay, and make them feel like you’re the perfect candidate for their scholarship.   

Outline Your Essay

Outline your essay before you start writing! This is very important for writing a well-planned, concise essay, which is exactly what you want. What you don’t want is for the reader to think that your writing is all-over-the-place and unorganized. That doesn’t make for a good impression or a winning essay, so you need to plan out your essay beforehand. This includes writing a thesis – which is the topic sentence for your entire essay – and detailing each of the main points that you will be developing to support your thesis. Not only will this help you to organize your essay, but it will make writing the essay seem less daunting. Coming up with a thesis and supporting points is the hardest part about writing any essay, so get it done and the rest will come. 

Proofread Your Essay 

This one should be obvious, but is necessary to include nonetheless. It is absolutely necessary that you have no spelling mistakes whatsoever in your essay. It needs to sound fluent and be without grammatical errors as well. This will help demonstrate to the reader that you are a skilled writer and have some merit in your writing abilities. Luckily, there are software programs, like Write!, that help you not only write the essay but also count the words and spell check them in any chosen language. 

Make Your Writing Authentic

If you really want to connect with the reader – and you do – you need to make your writing sound authentic. The feeling of authenticity is created when you write your essay using real life experiences and by using emotional diction, that way you sound like a real person telling a story, not an emotionless robot. You should write a new essay for every scholarship application; do not write a single, generic essay and then turn that in to multiple organizations. This is a perfect way to sound unauthentic, which makes the reader feel like you don’t care. It also means that your writing won’t be tailored to the organization. 

Read Example Essays

This tip may seem less obvious, and like something you’re more likely to blow off, but you really should read other scholarship essays. This is like studying for a test, or watching plays in sports to try for yourself. Finding and reading good scholarship essays will show you what you need to do to impress the reader, and sound like you really know your stuff and are deserving. Just make sure that the essays you’re studying from are good essays – you wouldn’t want to study from losing essays.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

4 Excuses to Not Apply for Scholarships

 

scholarshipsIf you haven’t heard them, you have made them. These four excuses will keep you from getting a piece of the free money that’s out there and ripe for the picking. Make these excuses and you will be throwing away money that could be used to pay for scholarships.

It’s a waste of time.

If you think winning thousands of dollars of scholarship money isn’t worth your time you’re wrong. It’s worth every cent of your time and more. A few hours can net you thousands of dollars.

I hate writing essays.

There are plenty of “no essay” scholarships available. If essays scare you, look for the scholarships that don’t require them.

I never win anything.

You can’t win if you don’t apply. It’s a guarantee you won’t win if you don’t make the effort and apply.

Only smart kids win them.

Not all scholarships are academic scholarships. Many do not have a GPA requirement. This excuse doesn’t hold water. Many average students win scholarships.

If you want to know why scholarships are worth the effort, read this article I wrote for TeenLife.com: Are Scholarship Applications Worth the Hassle? You Bet!