Many students neglect applying for scholarships with small awards. However, every small award your student receives means more free money to pay for college.
The RevenueZen Social Selling Scholarship is an award for any current or soon-to-be undergrad who is looking to innovate the hiring process. In an ideal world, what would hiring and applying for a job look like? How will you stand out? The RevenueZen Scholarship has a brief submission process, and applicants will be judged on their ability to convey their idea for an innovative social selling process focused on getting hired at a specific company.
Most parents want their student to win scholarships. Even if you can afford to pay for college, free money is always welcome. But talk with parents and parent groups and you can hear the frustration:
My student isn’t motivated to search for scholarships.
My student has applied for so many scholarships and hasn’t won a dime.
Where do we search? Should we sign up on all the scholarship search engines?
But the number one questions parents ask is:
How can I help my student search and apply for scholarships?
Your student will need an organized system to help with the scholarship search and application process. You can help! Encourage your student to set up Google docs for scholarships with the name of the scholarship, requirements, due dates, and information needed for each.
As you find scholarships, you can add to the list that will be easily accessible to you and your student. This will also help you stay on top of deadlines so you can quickly text a reminder to your student.
Help with searching
You can help your student search for scholarships. While you are waiting in just about any line, you can use your smartphone to search. You can use Google or there are apps available to help you search.
Watch the news, look at community bulletin boards, talk to family and friends and search local organizations for scholarship opportunities. You can keep a notebook with you, or just open the Google doc and add the scholarships you find.
Help with proofreading
You can’t write their essays or fill out their applications, but you can proofread and double check the requirements before your student applies.
Help with reminders
Email or text your student when deadlines are approaching to remind them to submit the application on time. With so many things to do, it’s hard for students to stay on top of deadlines.
Over a lifetime there’s a huge financial payoff for going to college, but how can students avoid taking out outsized student loans for their education in the short term? The key is to make your ‘out-of-pocket’ expenses as low as possible. You can do this by putting strong merit aid colleges on your list. Applying to colleges that are likely to give you merit aid is one of the best ways to make ‘financial fit’ choices and save thousands of dollars a year.
The largest pool of non-loan money available directly from colleges is merit aid scholarships. Colleges award over $8 billion dollars in merit scholarships annually. Understanding how colleges award these scholarships requires a thoughtful strategy that can result in significant savings. Merit aid awards are mostly given to applicants who show academic excellence and are in the top 25% of a college’s most recently admitted freshman class. Since many colleges offer merit scholarships, you don’t need to have straight A’s or a 1600 SAT score to be awarded merit aid. Each school has its own top quartile stats.
Merit aid grants are unlike other forms of aid in several ways. Federal government grants like Pell are primarily targeted at low-income families and are limited in size. Private scholarships are generally not renewable and require a separate application. And loans, of course, have to be repaid with interest. Merit aid, on the other hand, is not income dependent, doesn’t require a separate application, doesn’t have to be paid back and it’s renewable.
Finding merit aid can be tricky and time-consuming. Using a college’s Common Data information will provide some information. You can find lists of colleges that give merit aid awards online, but those lists won’t show you if a particular college is likely to give you aid based on your profile. A new tool called MeritMore uses your stats to match you with colleges most likely to give you aid and shows you how generous those colleges have been to students with similar profiles. You can check to see if your top schools are likely to offer you merit aid and then compare aid offers against each other. MeritMore also finds colleges generous with merit aid that match your criteria, but may not have been on your radar. This is a great strategy for finding financial fit gems.
The best way for families who don’t qualify for need-based aid to avoid paying sticker price is through merit aid. Awards can be in the thousands and tens of thousands of dollars per year. These scholarships help make college more financially accessible and help families avoid getting caught in the student loan trap.
Do you have an average student? Do you think your student won’t qualify for any scholarships? Think again. There are no GPA requirement scholarships and average GPA requirement scholarships. If your student can fill out a form, write an essay or simply register on a website, they could win money for college.
Some of these deadlines are close, but if your student doesn’t apply this year, he or she can always bookmark the scholarship or add it to a spreadsheet for next year.
No essay, no GPA minimums, just money to cover tuition, housing, books or any education-related expenses.
Offered by Niche, a website that analyzes public data to review schools and colleges, the $2,000 scholarship is open to all high school, college and graduate students and those planning to enroll within 12 months.
All you have to do is register on their website for free and
enter. A new winner is chosen every month randomly, and you’re allowed to enter
once per month.
Deadline: The last day of every month. Available to: Students must currently attend — or within the next
12 months plan to enroll in — a high school or college, graduate school (listed
on Niche’s website) or be the parent of a student who falls into one of those
categories. The site states that one entry per person is allowed each month, so
you or your parent could apply.
As the title of the scholarship states, you don’t need to
write an essay and no GPA is specified. You must simply enter through their website.
Winners are selected via a random drawing about two weeks
after the last day of the month and will be notified by mail, telephone or
email; the winners will also be announced via Niche’s e-newsletter.
In addition, Niche provides more than 30 scholarships from
other sources on its website besides the $2,000 “No Essay” one.
The only thing required to win this $1,000 scholarship —
named after Gen and Kelly Tanabe, the award-winning authors of 14 books on
admission and scholarships — is a 250-word or less personal essay based on
questions provided on the website.
Your GPA will not be considered. You must be in high school,
or a student in college or graduate school and a legal U.S. resident.
According to the website, “the goal is to create a level field where students have complete control over their applications and are not given an advantage or disadvantage based on financial or academic circumstances.”
Deadline: There are both fall and spring
scholarships offered. Check the website for details. Available to: Ninth- to 12th-grade, college or graduate students
including adult students.
Simply fill out the answer to one of three essay questions —
why do you deserve to win this scholarship, describe your academic or career
goals or any topic of your choice — and a committee will choose the best
answers. The first place award is $1,000; you use the money for any education
expenses, including tuition, room and board and more.
Winners will be notified approximately four weeks after the
deadline.
If you wear glasses, you may be familiar with the Marvel
Optics company, but what you might not know is that its founders hold a $1,500
essay contest for full-time college students.
Applicants must submit a video or short essay on their
social media or blog page tagging or linking to Marvel Optics that answers the
following: “Helen Keller said, ‘The only thing worse than being blind is having
sight but no vision.’ What does that mean to you?”
Two scholarships are offered (fall and spring semester) and the money is sent right to the winner’s school financial aid office.
Deadline: August for the fall semester and January
for the spring semester. Available to: Any student attending a two- or four-year college.
Follow the rules on the rules on Marvel Optics scholarship
program website.
What do Arkansas, California, Texas, Missouri, Mississippi
and Louisiana have in common? They are all rice-growing states. And if you are
a graduating high school student living in one of these places, you can apply
to win up to a $4,000 scholarship, sponsored by Corteva AgriScience, from the
USA Rice Federation.
Applicants must simply make an original video (3 minutes or
less) promoting your state’s product to the sustainability of rice crops.
Upload your video to Vimeo and YouTube and then submit your entry with an online form.
Deadline: All entries must be in by the end of
October. Available to: High school seniors living in one of the following
rice-producing states: Mississippi, California, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri and
Louisiana.
Make a short video about any aspect of the rice, or promote
your state’s rice production, upload it to Vimeo or YouTube and fill out
the online scholarship entry form. The USA Rice Federation will
contact you if you win one of the three scholarships: a grand prize ($4,000),
second place ($3,000) and third-place scholarship ($1,500).
Who knew your fire sprinkler could help you go to college or
a certified trade school? Yes, the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) —
a nonprofit representing fire sprinkler contractors dedicated to the
educational advancement of its members — started a scholarship program offering
10 winners $2,000 in tuition assistance.
Their mission is to also “educate the public at-large about
the life-saving properties of automatic fire sprinklers” and therefore part of
the application is to take a short quiz after reading an article about the
industry of fire sprinklers.
The selection does not take financial need, GPA or
demographics into consideration. The only requirements are that you must enroll
for classes beginning no later than the fall semester of the year you apply,
and take a short quiz.
Deadline: Spring Available to: High school seniors enrolled for a fall semester.
All you need to do to enter is go to the site and
fill in your education and contact information, and take a short quiz. A random
computer-generated drawing selects the winners.
AFSA will contact each winner by email and phone within 14 business days of contest end-date. The prize will then be sent directly to the college or university where you’ll be attending.
Are you the student who always gets told to quiet down in
class? Well, there’s a scholarship just for you. Unigo, a college and
scholarship search website, started their own scholarship where they encourage
you to speak out.
Applicants have up to 250 words to say whatever they want
creatively and memorably. The “loudest” person will win $1,500 for college
expenses.
Deadline: End of September each year. Available to: Students must be 13 years or older and currently enrolled (or enroll no later than the fall of 2026) in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher education
To enter, you must answer the following question in 250
words or less: If you could say one thing to the entire world at once, what
would it be and why? A qualified panel of judges will select one potential
winner based on the criteria of writing ability (25%), creativity (25%),
originality (25%) and overall excellence (25%).
The winner will be notified by email or phone toward the end
of December.
High school, college and graduate school students who are
interested in environmental issues, might check out Digital Responsibility’s
$1,000 scholarships. The grassroots company whose mission is to help create
safe internet awareness offers this scholarship each year. There are two steps
in the process.
First, applicants must fill out an online application form
including a 140-character limit answer to the question “the most important
reason to care about e-waste is …” From that pool of applicants, Digital
Responsibility will select 10 finalists, who will be asked to submit a
full-length essay (500 to 1,000 words) about e-waste.
Deadline: Earth Day (mid-April) Available to: All high school students, college students entering
or currently in college, and graduate school students. Home-schooled students
may apply as well. All applicants must be legal residents or citizens of the
U.S., but there is no age limit.
Fill out the online
application form via Digital Responsiblity’s website, and answer a
question about e-waste in 140 characters or less. If you are chosen as one of
10 finalists, you will be asked to submit a 500- to 1,000-word essay. The
winner will be chosen from that pool of 10 applicants.
Digital Responsibility will contact the winners by email
listed on the original application.
Ice-cream loving students rejoice, there is a scholarship
out there for you. In honor of national ice cream month (Juy) Unigo — which
also offers the
Shout It Out award above — is offering a $1,500 to the student who can
best explain to them what ice cream flavor best reflects your personality and
why.
Deadline: End of July
Available to: Anyone ages 13 or older planning
to go to a college, university or trade school. Simply submit a 250-word or
less online response to the scholarship portal. The winner is announced by the end
of November, and decisions are based on the decisions of a “qualified panel of
judges based on the criteria of writing ability (25%), creativity (25%),
originality (25%) and overall excellence (25%),” according to the Unigo
website.
Share your tips and photos for managing your stress, and
earn $1,000 in scholarship money from DoSomething.org and Blue Shield. In the
past six years, DoSomething.org has awarded $1.2 million in scholarships to
over 300 winners.
You might win cash and your suggestions may go into a guide
for students by students on how to help young adults manage stress.
Deadline: End of May Available to: Anyone in the U.S. or Canada under age 26. Become a
member of DoSomething.org and then fill out the simple scholarship
application, which takes an average of five minutes, according to its website.
Winners are announced via text message or email in late
June, and there is no GPA or essay required to win. Simply share your
strategies for dealing with stress. In addition, DoSomething.org offers other
simple entry scholarships to young people worth checking out.
Of course, a website dedicated to helping students afford
college and pay back student loan debt has a scholarship for the typical
student.
Yes, Student Loan Hero awards two $5,000
scholarships each semester to help alleviate educational costs and no
minimum GPA is required.
Deadline: Early October Available to: Participants must be 18 years of age or older and
enrolled at an eligible educational institution.
To enter, go to our
scholarship page and submit an essay in 500-700 words answering this
question: What financial challenges have you overcome growing up? How have they
shaped your goals and career aspirations?
A panel consisting of four personal finance professionals
will judge the essays. Each essay will receive a score based on clarity of
writing and organization, grammatical correctness, relevance to the prompt
question and creativity and thoughtfulness.
Available to: High School Seniors through College Seniors
Award Amount: $1,000
The Spirit of Giving Scholarship is available to high school
seniors and current college students. You must submit an essay of between 500
and 750 words on one of the following three topics in order to be considered
for this award: How have you advanced the spirit of giving in your community or
abroad either through service or in giving? How has the spirit of giving
affected you personally? How will your college or post-secondary education
allow you to be of service to others or give to others? Get more information on
the Spirit
of Giving Scholarship.
Available to: High School Freshmen through College
Graduate Students, Year 5
Award Amount: $1,000
The Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship is available to high
school, undergraduate or graduate students. You must be U.S. citizen or legal
resident and complete a short statement on why you pledge not to text and drive
in order to qualify for this award. Learn more about the Don’t
Text and Drive Scholarship.
The Paradigm Challenge is open to students up to the age of
18. You may work in a team or alone in creating an original and creative way to
help solve real-life problems in homes, schools, communities, and/or around the
world. Entries may come in the form of posters, videos, inventions, messages,
community events, websites, mobile apps, or anything else that will help save
lives. Additionally, you must submit a brief statement of your idea (140
characters or less) in order to qualify for this award. Learn more about the Paradigm Challenge.
Available to: High School Juniors through High School
Seniors
Award Amount: $250
The Prom Pics Contest is open to high school students. To be
eligible, you must submit a high resolution photo from your prom event. Prizes
will be awarded in each of the following categories: promposal, pre-prom, prom
dance, and post-prom. Get more information on the Prom Pics Contest.
Ages: High School Freshmen through High School
Seniors
The National High School Oratorical Contest is open to
junior high and high school students who are under the age of 20 and citizens
or lawful permanent residents of the United States. You must prepare an oration
on some aspect of the U.S. Constitution, with some emphasis on the duties and
obligations of citizens to our government. A complete list of topics are
available on the Legion’s Web site. Each individual state winner certified into
and participating in the first round of the national contest receives an
additional $1,500 scholarship. Get more information on the American Legion National
High School Oratorical Contest.
The Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest is available to high school seniors who demonstrate talent in duck calling. You must participate in a duck calling contest in Stuttgart, Arkansas to be considered for this award. Get more information on the Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest.
Just one of the many scholarships without essays offered by
Niche, you can enter for a shot at this $1,000 scholarship by creating a free
account and reviewing your school. A new winner is drawn each month.
The Live Bearded team are focused on lending a hand to those
building their future through higher education. While the company Live Bearded
focuses on grooming products for men, this scholarship opportunity is open to
males, females, high school students, college students, undergraduate, and
graduate students. Send a 90-second video sharing your goals, facts about
yourself, and why you deserve the scholarship. Upload your video to a social
media platform, fill out your application with a link to your video, and you’re
good to go!
In order to ease the pain of paying for college,
SuperCollege offers a monthly drawing for a $1,000 scholarship. All you need to
be eligible is to fill out the exceptionally short application form and you’re
good to go!
Customized Girl prints bold statements on customized shirts.
Naturally, they know an eye-catching quote when they see one. To apply, post
your statement as a caption on Instagram to be chosen as one of two winners,
and your statement may be featured on a customized shirt! Check out past
winners on the scholarship page for inspiration.
While this scholarship technically has an essay, it’s only a
short 150 words, so we’re adding it in! To apply, just fill out the super short
application form and write a mini-essay about the goals you have for your university
education.
In order to win one of these no essay scholarships, simply
answer a short prompt in 150 words or less, such as “How do you prepare and
study to feel confident for your final exams?” If you have more than one
college class you’d like to review, you can improve your chances by leaving as
many reviews as you’d like!
Submit: A short letter and proof of scholarship
applications
Debt.com’s mission is to give scholarships to students who
are consistently applying to scholarships. Debt.com asks you to send all the
tedious scholarship confirmation emails you received along with a short letter
about yourself. Your letter can be about how you feel about applying to so many
scholarships, or if you learned anything from the application process. Winners
are announced every two months.
Submit: A video, music, creative writing, or
graphic design
Deadline: August – November 2020
Students between 14-22 years old may apply. The contest
seeks original work about a solution and strategy regarding reckless and
distracted driving. Choose either video, music, creative writing, or artwork.
There are many submission options and contest categories, so make sure to visit
the scholarship page for details!
Share your story of dealing with migraines or light
sensitivity. All full-time students of accredited two- or four-year American
universities may apply. Choose from a video (less than 1 minute in length) or
an image (photo, drawing, etc.). To qualify, the submission must be posted on
at least one of the following social media platforms: YouTube, Facebook,
Instagram.
HeadSetPlus.Com wants to help you pay for college…no essay
needed! Be creative and create a video with a maximum length of five minutes
detailing why you deserve the scholarship and what inspired you to pursue a
degree in your field.
If you’re planning on attending a two- or four-year
Christian college, you’re eligible to enter the drawing for this $2,500
Christian College Scholarship. Simply fill out a short online survey and you’re
good to go!
Attention all students: You can be the next J.K. Rowling!
This is your chance to show off your writing skills, get published and win a
cash scholarship.
You do not have to be an advanced writer to take part. This
is an opportunity to use words in a creative and unique way.
Students who are currently studying at or have been accepted
to an accredited university may apply by publishing an essay online on the
topic, “How Companies Can Take Advantage of Digital Marketing”.
This scholarship helps students 16 or older pay for higher
education. The scholarship is a competition based on a short essay. Family
income, grades and test scores are not used in selecting a winner. The award
must be used for any education-related expenses such as tuition, fees, books
and room and board.
Do you need money to pay for college? Are you having trouble
motivating your student to study and prepare for standardized tests?
What you may not know is that there are GUARANTEED
scholarships available for students based on their standardized test scores. And
in case you think they are only for perfect scores, think again. Many colleges
award automatic scholarships for scores of 1100 for the SAT and 22 for the ACT.
Of course, the higher your score, the more scholarship money you receive.
Automatic National Merit scholarships
Perhaps one of the best sources of money based solely on a
standardized test score, is the PSAT. If your student is a National
Merit finalist (based on the scores in your state), they are eligible for
scholarships. Apart of earning a $2500 scholarship through the competition
itself, students can score some big money from colleges by listing them as
their first choice when they take the test.
With just a little preparation and study (most students don’t
prepare for this test), your student can score well stacked up against other
students in the state. It’s completely achievable and pays off in huge
scholarship dollars.
To learn more about sponsoring universities, read here.
Automatic scholarships based on SAT/ACT scores
Colleges offer automatic scholarships based on your student’s
test scores. These scholarships don’t require an extra application or
information, but there may be a college application deadline. Check with
each individual college for deadline information.
These scholarships are usually posted on the college
websites. For a short list of some of the colleges and their scholarship
opportunities and how to search for any college, hop over to PrepScholar
for a detailed explanation of how to search for these scholarships.
Of course, don’t stop here. Encourage your student to apply
for the scholarships that fit them well and keep applying all throughout
college. Free money means no debt after graduation. Your son or daughter should
appreciate the benefit of that.
Have you ever had a question about college prep and there
was no one to ask? Do you wonder what other parents have done in your
situation? Is there a question about paying for college that you simply can’t
find the answer to?
Odds are, you can find most answers to your unanswered questions on Facebook (or at least a suggestion on who to ask). From parenting a teen through the college process, paying for college, financial aid, scholarships and connecting with college parents, you can find groups or pages to help.
Here’s a list of my favorite Facebook groups and pages:
This is a widely popular group for parents of both
college-bound and college students. You can connect with experts in college
prep here or get advice from other parents who have been through the process
and/or have current college students. It’s a friendly, conversational group and
if you have a question, it’s easy to post it and usually get an instant
response from another parent or expert in the group.
If you have a question about paying for college, this group
is available to help. Helpful articles are posted daily and questions are
answered quickly by experts and mentors on the page. They cover topics related
to college prep and often offer training sessions and webinars to help you with
the college admissions process.
Financial aid can certainly be confusing for parents and
students. College talk provides parents with tips and strategies related to
college financial aid.
Looking for merit scholarships? This group is devoted to
sharing merit scholarship opportunities and discussing ways to find schools generous
with financial aid and merit scholarships.
Need help searching for scholarships? Need help with
scholarship applications? Have a question about the scholarship process? You capayn
find the answer on this page, along with endless lists of scholarships
available. Check this page daily for the best in scholarship information.
This is my page and you can find the answer to any
college-related question here. I post informative articles daily and am happy
to answer any question you might have about college prep. I also frequently
post scholarship opportunities and free training opportunities as well. Check
back often to see new news about college admissions.
This is the portal for you to ask any question, raise out
any concern or get feedback from the group. This type of forum rarely exists in
the college admissions space, but it’s space for parents to expand their
network, build connections, establish relationships and form a support system in
this competitive field. This is also the place for parents and students to grow
and even enjoy their college admissions journey.
Everything you need to know about the college essay, personal statements and supplemental essays can be found on this page. From podcast episodes to essay samples to expert advice, the College Essay Guy is available to help. Your student can also join his private group page for personalized essay help: College Admission and Application Forum.
A page with over 14,000 members offering great college advice, current articles in the news, and a forum for students and parents to comment on them and ask questions. College Connections’ main objective is to have our students gain admission to the college which is their best match, and where they find happiness, success and a solid academic program.
Summer jobs are great for teenagers who want to save money for college. That money is great for textbooks, entertainment and other expenses. But what if your student could earn scholarship dollars while working at a part-time job during high school?
They can! Many companies award scholarships to their student employees. If your student wants to work during high school, why not cash in on some of this FREE money?
Here are just a few companies awarding scholarships and educational funds to deserving student employees:
To kick off the 2019 scholarship announcements, Chick-fil-A surprised 12 Team Members on stage at the company’s annual conference Tuesday with the news that they were this year’s $25,000 True Inspiration Scholarship recipients. The celebration will continue throughout March as local Chick-fil-A franchise Operators present $2,500 Leadership Scholarships to 6,016 Team Members across 47 states.
Starbucks is committed to the success of our partners (employees). Every benefits-eligible U.S. partner working part- or full-time receives 100% tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program. Choose from over 80 diverse undergraduate degree programs, and have our support every step of the way.
Employees and their families can qualify for one of the following scholarships:
Up to 3 James W. McLamore WHOPPER® scholarships of $50,000 granted to the most highly qualified students demonstrating leadership, substantial work experience and financial need
Up to 12 Regional awards of $5,000 granted to the two most qualified employees in each of six regions from the pool of eligible and complete applicants
One (1) Steven M. Lewis Foundation award of $5,000 granted to the most qualified U.S. Restaurants employee from the pool of eligible and submitted applicants aligned to U.S. Restaurants
Up to four (4) Bravokilo, Inc./Bravotampa, LLC awards of $5,000 granted to the most qualified Bravokilo, Inc./Bravotampa, LLC employees from the pool of eligible and submitted applicants aligned to Bravokilo, Inc. or Bravotampa, LLC
One (1) Ghai Management award of $5,000 granted to the most qualified Ghai Management employee from the pool of eligible and submitted applicants aligned to Ghai Management
One (1) Carrols LLC award of $5,000 granted to the most qualified Carrols LLC employee from the pool of eligible and submitted applicants aligned to Carrols LLC
Additional award designations as determined by Burger King Corporation, participating franchisees of the BURGER KING® system or BURGER KING℠ McLamore Foundation
The Publix tuition reimbursement program can help cover the cost of college classes. This program is available to part-time and full-time associates who are seeking graduate or undergraduate degrees. In addition, some individual courses, online programs, and technical training in appropriate areas of study can also be covered. As long as an associate has six months of continuous service and works an average of 10 hours per week (which leaves plenty of time for studies!), they can be covered in this program.
For a list of 36 companies who offer either scholarships or tuition reimbursement, EStudentLoan has compiled a list–click here.
The Krazy Coupon Lady has also compiled a list of companies that offer money for college is you’re an employee–click here.
Fireworks. Picnics. Family celebrations. It’s that time of year when we think about our freedom and the people who are responsible for protecting those freedoms–servicemen and their families.
This scholarship honors their sacrifice:
The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund was the vision of Freedom Alliance founders LtCol Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) and the late LtGen Edward Bronars, USMC. The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund honors Americans in our Armed Forces who have sacrificed life or limb defending our country by providing educational scholarships for their children.
The mission of the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund is two-fold. First, it helps offset the high cost of a college education for the sons and daughters of American heroes. Second, it is a reminder to the recipient that their parents’ sacrifice will never be forgotten by a grateful nation.
The dependent children of U.S. military personnel who have been killed or permanently disabled in an operational mission or training accident are eligible to apply. Also eligible are students who have a parent classified as a Prisoner of War or Missing in Action. The generosity of patriotic Americans has made it possible for the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund to award more than $7 million in college scholarships to the sons and daughters of American heroes.
Students wishing to apply for a Freedom Alliance Scholarship should first review the qualification and eligibility requirements to verify that they do indeed qualify for the Freedom Alliance scholarship. The first step for those who believe they qualify for a scholarship is to complete the online scholarship application by clicking here to apply.
THE APPLICATION MUST CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
Copy of your government issued photo identification (Drivers License, Military ID Card)
Proof of dependency: birth certificate, tax form which lists dependents, or military child ID card
Certificate of death (DD 1300) or rating letter from the Veterans Administration disability stating that the eligible Servicemember parent has been rated as 100% Totally and Permanently disabled
DD Form 214 if applicable – for disabled veterans’ dependent children
Applicant must upload a 500 Word Essay or Personal Statement: What does your parent’s service mean to you?
Official high school or college transcripts
Please submit a high resolution (at least 500KB) portrait-style JPEG photo of yourself which is appropriate for publication of scholarship award announcements. Make sure that it is taken in an appropriate setting and there are no other people, distractions, or watermarks visible.
Photo of qualifying parent
If you are found to be eligible by the reviewing committee, there will be a few additional steps that will be included in your notification letter/email which will include a form to be completed by your school’s financial aid office. Once these steps are completed, the reviewing committee will do a final review of applications and, if the student has a need, a scholarship check will be mailed directly to his/her school.
Please note that checks will only be endorsed to your school and will be mailed directly to your school’s Financial Aid or Bursar’s Office.
It’s a jungle out there–cluttered with all kinds of college advice. How does a parent hack through the massive amounts of advice and find what they need with confidence? It’s not easy. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of college help websites, Facebook groups, YouTube channels and more offering paid and unpaid advice about college.
There are five experts I turn to when I need added advice about all things college:
Debbie Schwartz-admissions/financial aid
Debbie Schwartz founded Road2College in 2016 to educate families about college admissions and empower smarter college financial decisions. Her facebook group has a huge following with parents and experts sharing advice about paying for college and finding colleges with the best merit aid.
With all the scholarship search sites and information out there, you need someone to help your student WIN the scholarships they are eligible for. Monica fits that bill. She successfully helped her son graduate debt-free with $100,000 worth of scholarships by using her unique method of packaging the scholarship application. She knows her stuff and she knows what you need to know to make the scholarship application process successful.
Perhaps the most complicated aspect of the college application process is financial aid. Jodi has experience in this area from working in a college’s financial aid department. She has advice related to the FAFSA, student loans, financing college and helping your student budget for college. If you have a financial aid question, Jodi knows the answer.
I love Ethan’s information because he knows what he is talking about and much of it is free to anyone who takes the time to browse his website. He offers samples of essays, tips for writing them, brainstorming ideas and more. He also provides personalized help with the essay and web training for students as well. You can’t go wrong by using Ethan’s expertise and he even has a “pay what you can afford” option for his seminars. What could be better?
If you have a learning disabled student or simply a student who can’t seem to focus on preparing for standardized tests, Jenn is the expert. Her unique method of coaching not only helps prepare your student for the test, but she helps them learn study habits to help with more than test prep. Jenn has the training and the experience to help your student do their best on any of the standardized tests. Plus, she’s a Duke alumini and proud of it!
Disclaimer: I don’t receive any fee or commission for recommending these experts. These are simply my own “go to” experts when I have a question or need to collaborate in any of these areas of college prep. I trust them implicitly and you can too!
While many students are busy packing their bags and getting ready to leave for their first year at college, still others are working on their applications for the next round of admissions. Of course, if your child fits the latter category, it’s likely that they already have a college in mind that they wish to attend. Happily, by reading the post below you can find out about the tactics that will help them get into their first choice. Keep reading to discover more.
Address any study or subject issues
Number one of the list tactics is dealing with grades, as this is the base level that a college application will address. Happily, this is something that you can definitely help your child with, without micromanaging them as well. Firstly, it’s vital that you take a keen interest in their progress with their studies, without being overbearing and demanding.
Then, if they or their teachers flag up an issue on a particular topic, it will be much easier to address this constructively. It may be that your child is struggling with a specific subject, or that something is going on in their life that creating a distraction for them. However, as long as you are able to have an honest two-way conversation, you will ultimately be able to get them the support or help they need to ensure that their grades remain on target to get into the college of their choice.
Help your child to present a rounded application
Please do remember though that while grades are essential for college, they are not the only thing that the application board with be looking at. In fact, lately, there has been a definite move towards reviewing the whole person and looking at their extracurricular activities as well as their academic ones.
What this means is that you can quickly help your child by encouraging them to engage in activities outside of the home. These may include sports such as basketball, football, and athletics, as well as getting them involved in community projects like food banks, reading programs, and soup kitchens. Even having a part-time job, or getting some work experience in a firm that is related to their studies can go a long way to helping them stand out amounts all the other candidates. Something that can help them secure that much-needed place in their first choice school.
Seek additional help
It’s also wise to remember as a parent that there is plenty of help out there both for you and your child when it comes to making a successful college application. First off there is lots of advice online that can take you through the process step by step, and also help you hone your child’s particular application documents.
Although, if your child is aiming at one of the top schools in the country it can be helpful to approach specialists like Ivy Select admission consulting for some additional help. After all, as they have been through the process of being accepted to an ivy league college, they are the best people to know all the little tips and tweaks to make to your child’s application for the best chance of them getting into their first choice.
Explore financial aid and scholarship options
Lastly, it is important to remember that it may be finance and scholarship issues that are standing in the way of your child getting into their first choice college. In fact, as university fees have risen so sharply in recent times, it is widespread for students to pick the more economically viable options, rather than where they genuinely want to go.
Luckily you can assist your child in dealing with this, by going through the costs of their course with them, and showing them what sort of budget they will be working on. You can even help them by demonstrating how this will affect their income when they are qualified and have to pay any loans back.
It’s obviously also important to openly discuss how much, if any financial help you will be providing to them, and not leave them guessing. After all, this may have a significant impact on whether they end up applying for the genuine first choice or not.
Lastly, it’s crucial that you also go over the options for scholarships with your child as well, and make sure that they understand these entirely before they make their applications. After all, the can be complicated and confusing and they may even need to start working on things like their grades or other requirements before it gets to application time. Something that you can support them with and that can ultimately help them get into their first choice college.
While many students are busy packing their bags and getting ready to leave for their first year at college, still others are working on their applications for the next round of admissions. Of course, if your child fits the latter category, it’s likely that they already have a college in mind that they wish to attend. Happily, by reading the post below you can find out about the tactics that will help them get into their first choice. Keep reading to discover more.