<p>So we're currently in scholarship app filling out mode...I'm being realistic and hoping that maybe one or two come through - but as we know, whether local or larger, big pots of students are all vying for the same $$ here.</p>
<p>Those with kids in college now - brag about your luck with outside scholarships - give me some hope...!!!</p>
<p>Check for those little ones - they all add up. The credit Union gave D a one-time 1K, the Houston Endowment gave her 4K per yr. The Elks gave her 1K per year. She also won some $ winning academic competitions, and bowling scholarships when she won a tournament. That 5K a year helps with her share of payment under FA. Allows her to attend without loans. Every little bit helps and it all adds up. So many kids go for broke with the huge ones, so that they wind up with nothing. Fewer apply to the smaller ones and they really halp a lot.</p>
<p>I'm with you on the small ones. We've applied for the Elks and have 2 credit union ones sitting in our pile to complete for March. Even our PTO gives out several $200 scholarships at the end of the year. Hey, that at least a couple of books...none are too small as far as I'm concerned...</p>
<p>I've been saving any scholarship info I've found since D has been a freshman - just clipped/printed out anything I saw and put it in a folder . Now, we're putting it all into action!</p>
<p>Our (okay, two parents looking at next year's freshman tuition like deer staring at an oncoming semi) family's goal is one scholarship application sent per week.</p>
<p>S was more than a little surprised to discover that he wasn't done writing essays once his admission apps were complete.</p>
<p>Also try Target, Best Buy, etc. Don't forget to check to see if your company offers scholarships for kids of employees. These can be good ones and less competition.</p>
<p>It is better to spend time with the smaller ones and a few HR big ones. The thing is with alot of the HR big ones, the kid has to have overcome death sometimes as most of the winners have had miserable lives so far. The big tend to find the most "marketable" kids. It's advertising.</p>
<p>Smaller scholarships from local service organizations can be a great source. These organizations mission statement is to provide things like college scholarships to worthy kids. While they get recognition for their very generous gifts, they aren't doing it to sell more toasters. </p>
<p>The thing to remember about scholarship hunting is this. It takes alot of time. When you start to feel it isn't worth it, remember this.... You apply for ten scholarships and it takes 40 hrs to complete all the requirements. You "only" win one $1000 scholarship. That one scholarship paid you $25 BUCKS an hour for your efforts. Where are you as a HS student going to make that kind of money for school. At $8 an hour (quasi minimum wage) you've got to work 125 hours to do the same. One week vs. three plus. </p>
<p>Think of it as a job, treat it like a job and you'll find some success.</p>
<p>It does take time to complete scholarship applications. Since most are due after the college application deadline, your student may be suffering from application burnout. It was very difficult to get my daughter to complete them, but she did do a few. She received a local $1000 scholarship from a women's group for community service, and (surprise) the Byrd scholarship. The Byrd application was her favorite because it didn't require any essays - the hardest part was finding out what congressional district we live in. (Note - Byrd scholarship requirements vary by state).</p>
<p>We spent hours on Fastweb - one of our kids won one national one that we found ... prestigious but not a lot of money. (Then again, it paid for a semester's books for that child, which was certainly appreciated!)</p>
<p>Personally, I wouldn't ask my kids to spend time on those large ones again. However, both kids won several local scholarships and had fun attending scholarship luncheons and dinners in the spring to accept their awards. There was a lot of essay writing going on in this house until the bitter end.</p>
<p>essay burnout here...and my d also thought she was done with that after admissions apps were in!</p>
<p>Remember too, if you receive any need based aid, you will not usually benefit from outside scholarships until you have completely replaced that need based aid. The exception is schools where scholarships replace loans before they replace need based aid.</p>
<p>Take a look at the Robert C. Byrd scholarship. It's federally sponsored, but administered through each state. <a href="http://www.ed.gov/programs/iduesbyrd/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.ed.gov/programs/iduesbyrd/index.html</a><br>
In my state, the application comes through the hs guidance office, and, of course, no one ever seems to know anything!</p>
<p>Thanks for the link, LBP. Very generous of you to share.</p>
<p>I don't think you apply for the Bryd, it comes to you via your education system. At least in WA, the office of public school instruction handles it. It's a great scholarship $1500 a year for four years. I heard it was on the chopping block, but maybe that's changed with the changeover in the house and senate.</p>
<p>Check carefully with the Us your kids apply to. Sometimes there are separate scholarship apps for individual schools/departments within the school. Also, somtimes alumni associations for the U give local scholarships. Our S applied for a few local scholarships but only got money from & thru his U (fortunately they gave generous merit aid). He missed the deadline this year to apply for the alumni association scholarship, but will be applying to renew his scholarship at the U.</p>
<p>This is another one administered by state departments of education. There are two students selected per state, DC, and overseas DoD dependents schools. It's too late for this year, but it is really a great program to keep in mind if you have current sophomores or juniors--delegates have an expense-paid week in DC, meet senators and other dignitaries and receive a $5000 one-year scholarship, all funded by the Hearst Foundation. </p>
<p>Students must be in grades 11-12 and elected class or student body officers to apply, then there is a written test on government/politics, and a tape-recorded interview with more questions about government/politics. Class rank, GPA, rec letters, and ECs are also considered, but I really think the test and interview are the main criteria. The deadline is very early in the school year, so interested students should check into the application process at the same time they sign up to run for a student government position. </p>
<p>This is especially good for students in low population states--still two slots available, but less competition. The application and test process is daunting enough that, in my area, not that many kids even apply for it, but it doesn't seem to be impossibly difficult for a kid who has an interest in current events and some knowledge of government and the constitution.</p>
<p>Perhaps slightly OT, but has anyone's kid won an outside scholarship after being interviewed by a stern-faced panel? My S was interviewed a couple of weekends back and fears the worst because the panel never smiled or nodded in acknowledgement.</p>