Scholarships

SCHOLARSHIPS (Applications available in the guidance office):

Margaret Chase Smith - Essay contest on the ideals of the 19^th Amendment has been fulfilled.  Deadline:  April 1, 2008.

Mitchell Institute - Scholarship to a graduating senior from every public high school.  The criteria are academic potential, community service, and financial need.  Deadline:  April 1, 2008.

AlphaOne - Scholarship awarded to assist people with disabilities who wish to pursue post secondary education.  Deadline:  April 4, 2008.

Maine Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society - Two scholarships to deserving students who will be starting or continuing their education in the fields of Wildlife Conservation, Conservation Law Enforcement, or Forest Management.  Deadline:  April 9, 2008.

Maine Educational Secretaries Association - Any student who has been accepted to a 2 or 4 year post-secondary educational program and be referred by a MESA member.  Deadline:  April 11, 2008.

Maine Innkeepers Association -Scholarships for students pursuing a career in the hospitality industry including hotel administration and culinary sciences.  Deadline:  April 13, 2008.

Penobscot Retired Teachers Association - Scholarships for Penobscot county seniors who are going to pursue a career in education.  Deadline:  April 14, 2008.

Maine School Food Service Association - Scholarships to deserving students pursuing a degree in food service, nutrition or food service management.  Deadline:  April 15, 2008.

Thomas J. Landers Memorial Scholarship - Scholarships awarded in each of the following categories:  son/daughter of a member of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association and pursuing a career in law enforcement.  Deadline:  April 16, 2008.

Better Business Bureau - Student integrity award to honor exceptional and ethical high school students.  Deadline to Mrs. Lowell:  April 17, 2008.

MES - Various scholarship programs including:  Maine Legislative Memorial Scholarship; Maine State Chamber of Commerce Scholarship; Maine Metal Products Association Scholarship.  ONLINE APPLICATION:  www.mesfoundation.com.  Deadline:  April 18, 2008.

Maine State Employees Association - Scholarship for any student who is a dependent to a dues-paying MSEA member.  Dependents of school teachers are not eligible.  Deadline:  April 18, 2008.

Eastern Maine Chapter #329 of the National Association of Women in Construction – An award to a high school senior, male or female, interested in pursuing a career in the construction industry including:  construction, construction management, architecture, civil, mechanical, structural or electrical engineering.  Deadline:  April 18, 2008.

Verso Paper’s Bucksport Mill – Scholarship open to any active employee’s child(ren) or grandchild(ren) who will graduate from high school in 2008.  Deadline:  April 25, 2008.

Liberty Graphics – Art competition for Maine high school seniors.  Deadline:  April 28, 2008.

Maine State Grange - Scholarship for students pursing a career in agriculture or agriculturally related fields at the college level.  Deadline:  April 30, 2008.

National Association of Women in Construction – Awards to young men and women in Maine who are pursuing a career in construction including:  civil engineering, construction management, architecture, welding, carpentry, and similar courses.  Deadline:  May 1, 2008.

WBRC - Centennial scholarship award is available to students selecting architecture or engineering course of study at the college or university of their choice.  Deadline:  May 1, 2008.

Mary Beal Scholarship - Scholarships available for students entering Beal College in the summer or fall of 2008.  Deadline:  May 1, 2008.

Maine Masonic Scholarship - Scholarship awarded on the basis of leadership, citizenship, financial need and scholastic achievement.  Deadline to Mrs. Lowell:  May 1, 2008.

Katahdin Federal Credit Union - Scholarships for graduating seniors who are or parents are members of KFCU.  Deadline to Mrs. Lowell:  May 15, 2008.

BigSun Scholarship - Scholarships for student athletes.  Visit their website to learn how to apply:  www.bigsunathletics.com  Deadline:  June 20, 2008.

Maine State Nurses Association - Scholarships for Maine residents with a B or better GPA enrolling in an accredited nursing program.  Deadline:  July 1, 2008.

Updated March 28, 2008

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.