Looking for scholarships?

Students and families are always looking for scholarships, and who can blame them.  College is expensive, and any financial help you receive will be much appreciated by your parents.  But where do you start?

First, start with the college's website.  Don't just skim; carefully read the scholarship/financial aid pages, from the general scholarships, which may include merit, leadership, or service based awards to the departmental opportunities.  Some scholarships require separate applications, and some have different deadlines than your application for admission, so be sure you are aware of the requirements. If you need recommendations, we have those on file, so there is no need to ask a new teacher to write for you.  Talk to your counselor about what is needed.

Then there are the outside or independent scholarships.  These may include local possibilities like Blood Assurance or the Better Business Bureau scholarships, or they may be state or national awards.  We post all of these on this college blog, so it's a good idea to check back here from time to time.  If you see something you're interested in, it is your responsibility to follow through with the application, but we are always happy to provide recommendations and transcripts if necessary.  A parent's place of employment, your church, and civic organizations (Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, etc.) are also resources. 

Finally, there are several websites you might want to consider.  These will provide you with hundreds of opportunities, but it will require a great deal of research on your part.  One word of caution: do not ever pay anyone to search for scholarships for you.  The following sites are free, but you will have to register in order to begin.

        www.fastweb.com
        www.studentscholarships.org

For information on the Tennessee lottery and other state scholarships, visit http://www.tn.gov/collegepays/.  There is no separate application for the Tennessee lottery scholarship, however, parents must complete the FAFSA regardless of financial need.

Georgia residents can find lottery scholarship information at http://bit.ly/1bLELL4.  Students who live in Georgia but attend GPS will qualify for the Georgia Hope Scholarship as long as they meet the academic criteria.  There is no application, but GPS does have to send your final transcript to the Georgia Finance Commission office, and we will do that following graduation.

One final note.  To qualify for need-based aid, your parents will have to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal student Aid).  This cannot be submitted until January, 2014, but if you want to bookmark the site now, go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.  Some colleges also require the CSS Profile (http://bit.ly/1af7AJa) for need-based aid, and every college will have it's own deadline for submission.  Make sure you check with each school you are applying to for their specific requirements.

As nice as it would be if scholarships would just fall into your lap, the bottom line is finding scholarships takes time and effort. I often say it's like one giant research project, and perhaps this is one place where your parents can help.  While you're busy putting the finishing touches on your admissions application, let them do some of this research for you.  Then you can sit down together and formulate a plan of attack.