Question: “When do I find out if I received a scholarship?”
Answer: One of the most difficult parts of submitting scholarship applications is playing the waiting game, especially if you are in a position where you may not be able to pursue your education without further assistance. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule to when or how you find out if you receive a scholarship.
Posted in Scholarships
Tagged Andrea Helaine, Applying for Scholarships, Buena Vista Enterprises, Campus Explorer Exclusive Scholarship, College Planning, Creative Writing, Financial Aid, Gabriela Pollack, High School, Majah Carberry, National University, Nordstrom's, Paying for College, Philosophy, Posse Foundation, Scholarships, Theology, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Question: “How do I find scholarships?”
Answer: Finding scholarships may seem like a daunting task at first, but there are a few crucial steps you can take in order to find scholarships for which you qualify … and that are least likely to be a scam. Continue reading
Question: “How do I stand out in a scholarship application?”
Answer: Don’t let the concern over making your scholarship application stand out make you fearful of turning in your request. Although it is easy to get discouraged, don’t sell yourself short. Keep in mind, not everyone is good at math or science or writing. Scholarship committees are not necessarily looking for the next Twain or Shakespeare, but they do want someone who is committed to their education and who will follow-through.
Question: “Do I need to file my own taxes to qualify for a scholarship?”
Answer: Many families in the United States think that they do not qualify for financial aid from the government or private foundations. They prevent themselves from receiving assistance by not applying for grants and scholarships. Most foundations and the United States government examine the income of the student’s parent/guardian based on the most recent tax year in order to judge financial need for the upcoming year. When they complete this evaluation, they determine how much funding the student will receive for tuition and other student expenses.
Question: “What do I do when I receive a scholarship?”
Answer: If you receive a scholarship outside of your college’s financial aid package, there are two important things that you need to do when you receive funding: report the information to the financial aid office and include the amount as taxable income. Even though scholarships are “free” money – as opposed to a loan – you still need to account for them in your financial documentation.
Question: “How Can I Avoid Scholarship Scams?”
Answer: Each year, thousands of college students and parents are taken advantage of by scholarships scams totaling over than $100 million in losses. Such scams usually say that millions of scholarship funds are not used each year and generally charge money for you to receive information on the scholarships. Scholarships from the government are generally offered through FAFSA (Federal Application for Free Student Aid), while private scholarships will want announce their available scholarship money and guidelines. Foundations are created for the specific purpose of providing scholarships to qualified students.
In the United States, student loans have become the means of attaining a higher education. Today’s graduates from bachelor’s degree programs normally have about $27,000 to $36,000 in student loan debt. Graduates from masters and doctoral programs tend to have student loan debt ranging from $30,000 to $120,000.
Advocates of student loans normally tell students that grants, scholarships and work study programs cannot completely cover the cost of a higher education. Students and parents are told that the student loans are the best option for college students, but do not examine the financial strain of college debt. Student loans can put additional strain on parents, as well as students who should be focusing on attending lectures and assignments. Continue reading
Posted in Financial Aid
Tagged Andrea Helaine, Debt, Financial Aid, Planning for College, Scholarships, Student Loans
Question: “Can I still qualify for scholarships if I don’t have perfect grades?
Answer: Yes. Some foundations restrict their scholarships to those with a specific grade point average (GPA), but this isn’t true across the board. Although grades are considered a reflection of your persistence and commitment, grades don’t reflect everything about you and your abilities. Foundations take more than grades into consideration when reviewing scholarship applications, which is why finding the right scholarship opportunities will prove crucial to your success. Continue reading
Question: “Is there still time to apply for college scholarships if it’s the end of the school year?”
Answer: Yes, there is still time to take control of your college finances. I encourage high school and college students to apply early and plan ahead. However, you should never limit when you search or apply for scholarships.
Start with research. High school counselors and college financial aid offices often provide a list of scholarships to students who are interested in a specific area of study. However, these lists often have very precise deadlines and are limited to those with deadlines during the school year. This can be helpful for some students, especially if they want help writing scholarship applications or if they need letters or recommendation, but it can also limit when you apply for scholarships.
Look at foundations. One of the benefits of applying for scholarships through foundations is that each foundation has its own process, including own application deadline and schedule to review scholarship applications. Many foundations have a few application dates per year and some even have rolling submissions. Foundations understand that students might need financial assistance for the second semester too and often have more flexible deadlines than local foundations, high school programs and college financial aid offices.
Make a schedule. Find your own college scholarships, and then create a scholarship calendar to guide you through your process. Set deadlines for writing your scholarship applications, so you are sure to submit them on time. This also prevents the common problem of having too many applications to submit at once and missing deadlines due to other commitments.
The first key to successful scholarship applications is to not put all of your hope in one application.
Learn more about scholarship basics.
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Andrea Helaine holds an Associate in Arts, a Bachelors of Philosophy in Theology and an MFA in Creative Writing from National University. Helaine has worked as a non-profit consultant since 2003, and has assisted cities, non-profit organizations, businesses and individuals pursue funding from the federal government and private foundations. Helaine offers an ongoing online scholarship course through her Buena Vista Enterprises.
Have a question for the scholarship expert? Email The Explorer.
Posted in Financial Aid
Tagged Andrea Helaine, Buena Vista Enterprises, Campus Explorer, Financial Aid, Scholarships
