Scholarships

SCHOLARSHIPS (Applications available in the guidance office):

Jeffrey S. Parola - Scholarship for students graduating from high school and planning to enter a post secondary school in the area of law enforcement.  Applications available online at www.jeffreysparolafoundation.org.  Deadline:  April 1, 2010.

Innkeepers Association - Scholarship program for students pursuing a career in the hospitality industry including hotel administration or culinary arts.  Deadline:  April 9, 2010.

MES - Multiple scholarships including the Maine Legislative Memorial Scholarship.  Applications available online at www.mesfoundation.com. Deadline:  April 16, 2010.

Eastern Maine Labor Council - Scholarship for dependent of a laid-off member of EMCL union or Food AND Medicine.  Acceptance into a post-secondary school is required.  Deadline:  April 24, 2010.

Maine State Grange Agriculture - Scholarship for students pursuing a career in agriculture or agriculturally related fields.  Deadline:  April 30, 2010

WBRC - This scholarship is available to students selecting architecture or engineering for a future career.  Deadline:  May 1, 2010.

Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship - Renewable, 4-year scholarships to students with financial need who display academic excellence, a demonstrated sense of service to those around them, good character, and a strong work ethic.  Applications available online at www.phillips-scholarship.org.  Deadline:  May 1, 2010.

Katahdin Federal Credit Union - Scholarship for members or dependents of members of KFCU.  Deadline to Mrs. Lowell:  May 14, 2010.

Updated March 29, 2010

Where the Scholarships are:

• Do your homework.  Take advantage of free online scholarship searches, such as FastWeb.com.  Also, research the Web sites of colleges you want to attend because they have information about scholarships.  The reference section in the library provides books and resources of federal, national and state sources of college aid.  The library also has scholarship directories that list awards based on age, state of residence, cultural background or field of study.

• Search in your community.  Scholarships for college can be as close as your neighborhood bank.  Start by asking the organizations and institutions in your community if they offer awards for college.  Don't forget about cultural organizations that grant awards based on ethnic background.

• Talk to your school's counselor.  They know your academic record inside and out.  Ask them about private and corporate scholarships that you qualify for.

• Don't limit yourself.  There are also scholarships for unique talents and abilities.  Don't confine yourself to academic scholarships or big national awards.  Small awards will come in handy too.

• Make a list.  Focus on deadlines.  List scholarships with the earliest deadlines and give them first priority.

• Financial Information.  Most need-based scholarships require family income and tax forms to prove financial need.  Prepare these forms ahead of time to qualify for scholarships.

• Write more than one essay.  You should apply for more than one scholarship to increase your chances of winning, so you should have more than one essay.  Select at least three essays from your schoolwork that demonstrate creative thinking and good communication skills.  Write two or more essays that answer general questions, such as:

  • Of the books you have read in the past year, which was your favorite and why?
  • What is your strongest characteristic and why?  What is your weakest?

  • What person, living or dead, has had the biggest influence on your life?

• Make an outline.  Depending on the essay question, pick one main theme to focus the essay and select three ideas that support your theme.  Your first paragraph should introduce the main idea and provide any relevant background information, but avoid simply summarizing the essay.  The other paragraphs should highlight one idea per paragraph.  Wrap up the essay with a conclusion.  Most essays should be no longer than two pages single spaced.

• Show, don't tell.  It's easy to say, "Martin Luther King was a great person."  But it's better to show the reader why:  "He led non-violent marches through the streets of Montgomery, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia, to protest racial discrimination."  Include scenery so the reader can visualize your essay, rather than just read it.

• Spell check.  Many selection committees will automatically reject applications with misspelled words and grammatical errors.

RESOURCES

1. CHOICES on the Schenck High School network allows you to search for college and scholarship information

2. NEED $$ FOR COLLEGE? - Talk to Mrs. Lowell about options like ROTC, National Guard, and AmeriCorps service programs

3. SCHOLARSHIPS (applications available in guidance)

4. SAT Prep Plan: The SAT Prep Plan site contains SAT practice problems, a customized SAT preparation plan, SAT problem solving videos, SAT vocabulary flash cards and free online SAT test preparation books and materials. Everything on the site is completely free to students and educators. For more information go to http://www.satprepplan.com.

5. Web Sites:

www.collegeboard.com for SAT, AP, college and financial aid information online applications for SAT and colleges

www.collegeboard.com/tqod/bin/question.cgi for one SAT question a day

www.bates.edu Bates College

www.umaine.edu University of Maine

www.uticorp.com NASCAR Technical Institute

www.fafsa.ed.gov FAFSA (free app. for federal student aid)

www.pin.ed.gov for PIN for online FAFSA

www.goarmy.com/rotc/ for Army ROTC information

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 SCHOLARSHIP SCAMS TIPS

10 Scam Warning Signs (Several of these red flags could be an indication that you're dealing with a scholarship scammer):

1. Fees:  Scammers use bogus fees such as "application," "disbursement," "redemption," and "processing fees" as a way to take your money.  Scholarships should not require any fees.

2. Credit card or bank account information needed:  Never give your credit card or bank account info to receive aid.  If you have, call your bank or credit card issuer immediately.

3. Scholarship guarantee:  No one controls judges' decisions.  Be wary of "high success rates," which often refer to award matches, not award winners.

4. No work involved:  Legitimate scholarship applications require time and energy.  No one can complete them for you.

5. No contact information:  Before you apply, confirm the sponsor's contact info.  The sponsor should supply a valid e-mail address, phone number or mailing address (not a PO box) upon request.

6. Unsolicited scholarships:  If you are called to receive an award for which you never applied, be alert.  Ask where the sponsor got your name and number.  Then follow up.

7. Pressure tactics:  Don't allow yourself to be pressured into applying for a scholarship, especially if the sponsor is asking you to pay money up front.

8. Claims of "exclusive" scholarships:  Legitimate sponsors won't restrict knowledge about their award to a single service.

9. An official-sounding name or endorsement doesn't automatically mean legitimacy:  A sponsor may use words like "national," "education" or "federal" or have an official-looking seal, but might still be a scammer.

10. Your questions aren't answered directly:  Can't get a straight answer from a sponsor regarding their application, what will be done with your information (e.g., if it will be sent to a third party) or other questions?  Proceed with caution.

Last Updated August 31, 2010

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