LITTLE ROCK — Scholarships available include:
◊Thea Leopoulos Visual Arts Scholarships, state, $2,000- $4,000, deadline Jan. 17, 2012, for Arkansas High school junior or senior, original artwork based on theme, www.theafoundation.org; apply on-line: Top 15 finishers will be asked to send their art to the Foundation for finals judging.
◊Young Filmmaker Scholarships, state, four $2,500, deadline April 8, 2012, for graduating senior, does NOT need to be majoring in a media related field, submit five DVD copies of work, one award per category: screenwriting, directing, cinematography, editinghttp://www.aetn.org/studentselects/scholarships; on-line registration.
◊BigSun Scholarship, national, $500, deadline June 22, 2012, for graduating high school senior, planning to attend college, student athlete who participated in any sport, short essay www.bigsunathletics.com; apply online.
◊Crowder College - College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), college, one-year tuition, deadline as soon as possible, for graduating high school senior, current or former migrant student, plan to attend Crowder College;
apply: http://www.crowder.edu/PROGRAMS/international-students/CAMP/index.php.
◊AXA Foundation-AXA Achievement Scholarship, national, One in each state for $10,000 (10 of those receive an additional $15,000), deadline Dec. 1, 2011, for U.S. citizen or legal resident, high school senior, plan to enroll in accredited two-year or fouryear college or university in the U.S., outstanding achievement in an activity in school, the community or the workplace, letter of recommendation http://www.axa-equitable.com/axa-foundation/AXAachievement-scholarship.html; apply on line.
◊Thea Leopoulos Performing Arts Scholarships, state, amount varies, deadline Feb. 5, 2012, audition Feb. 7, 2012, for high school senior, sing, dance, or act, winners do NOT have to major in the performing arts to receive this scholarship, no gpa, test score or major requirements! Top 10 places win scholarships & educational partners offer additional scholarships to THEA Winners www.theafoundation.org; on-line registration; audition is inLittle Rock.
◊Thea Leopoulos Creative Writing Scholarship Competition, state, amount varies, deadline Jan. 30, 2012, for high school senior, submit original short story, educational partners offer additional scholarships to THEA Winners www.theafoundation.org; on-line registration.
◊Ark. Govenor’s Commisssion on People with Disabilities Scholarship, www.governor.arkansas.
gov/officeoverview.html, Feb. 28, 2012
◊Hispanic College Fund Scholarship, http://www.hispanicfund.org, April 15, 2012
◊Native American Scholarship Program, http:// www.catchingthedream.org, April 15, 2012
◊Regency Beauty School, [email protected], April 20, 2012
◊Learning Disabilities Association of Arkansas, http://www.ldarkansas.org, April 20, 2012
◊UAMS Nursing Scholarship Program, http:// www.nursing.uams.edu/Scholarships/default.asp
◊Military Dependents Scholarship, http://www.
arkansashighered.com/miakia.html, June 1, 2012
◊Single Parent Scholarship, http://www.spsfnwa.
org, June 15, 2012
◊Arkansas High Tech, http://dwe.arkansas.gov/ hightechscholarship.htm, July 1, 2012
◊Lilly Reintegration Scholarship, http://www.reintegration.com/resources/scholarships/apply.asp
◊Autism Society Awards, www.autism-society.org
◊Arkansas Foster Care Education and Training Voucher, www.statevoucher.org
◊Arkansas Distance Learning Association Greg M. Heuberger Educational Grant, www.ardla.org/Heuberger_grant.htm
◊Discover Colleges, www.DiscoverColleges.com.
◊Preston WoodruffScholarship, www.asla.info
◊Tysons Team Member’s Children, www.teammemberessay.com &
◊Tyson Foods Scholarships (engineering, business, computer science), pick up application at Tyson Home Office
◊United Negro College Fund, www.uncf.org
◊Walmart Associates and Associate’s Children, http://www.walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving
◊Arkansas Public Health Association - $500, http:// www.arkpublichealth.org/ scholarships.php, March 16, 2012
◊Arkansas Public Health Association - $1,000, http:// www.arkpublichealth.org/ scholarships.php, March 16, 2012
◊American Legion Oratorical Program, http:// www.legion.org/oratorical/about
◊Abbott and Fenner Scholarship, http://www.
abbottandfenner.com/ scholarships.htm, June 15, 2012
◊Arkansas Alumni Association, google-site search, Dec. 1, 2011
◊American Legion, google-site search, March 15, 2012
◊Big Sun Athletic, google-site search, June 22, 2012 ACT news Key Dates
December:
◊The ACT student poster contest starts Dec. 5.
The winning entries will be rewarded with thousands of dollars in scholarship money. To learn more go to actstudent.org/poster contest.
January:
◊The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) becomes available online Jan. 1. File the FAFSA as soon as possible at fafsa.ed.gov.
◊The registration deadline for the February ACT test date is Jan. 13, after that you may register, with a late fee, until Jan. 20.
February:
◊The ACT will be administered on Feb. 11.
Gear up for financial aid
January is fast approaching and that means it’s time for seniors to seriouslyconsider college financial aid for the upcoming school year.
In addition to private scholarships, federal financial aid is available for students attending two-year or four-year, public or private, career or trade colleges and schools. The aid is intended to cover expenses such as tuition, room and board, books, other supplies and transportation. Most students receive the aid based on financial need.
Students can receive federal financial aid in the form of grants, loans or work-study. Grants are financial awards that do not have to be repaid. Examples include Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants. Loans are money you borrow and must repay. The best loans are those that are subsidized by the federal or your state government. These generally carry lower interest rates. Work-study provides jobs, usually on campus, so students can help pay for education expenses.
To find out about federal financial aid programs and your rights and responsibilities under these programs, read “Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid,” from the U.S. Department of Education at studentaid.ed.gov/guide. You also can request a free paper copy by contacting the U.S. Department of Education at 1-800-4-FED-AID.
The guide is available in both English and Spanish.
Also, be sure to check out the ACT website at actstudent.org/finaid. You’ll find a good financial aid overview in easy-to-understand language, plus a list of resources to contact formore information on loans, scholarships and government programs.
How to apply for financial aid
If planning to attend college next fall, January is the time to file the Free Application for FAFSA. Information from the FAFSA is used to determine eligibility for the federal student aid programs mentioned above - grants, loans and work-study.
The FAFSA is available:
◊online at www.fafsa.
ed.gov
◊from a school counselor
◊from a college financial aid office
◊from a local public library
◊from the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
Make sure to check financial aid deadlines. The FAFSA will list deadlines for federal and state aid.
Also check the requirements at the colleges.
Some require additional financial aid forms.
Student Aid Report (SAR) - The Student Aid Report (SAR) summarizes all the information provided on the FAFSA. Your SAR will usually contain your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the number used in determining your eligibility for federal student aid. Students willreceive their SAR by e-mail within three to five days after the FAFSA has been processed, if an e-mail address was provided when the application was made.
This e-mail will contain a secure link so students can access the SAR online.
A paper SAR will be received by mail within seven to 10 days after the FAFSA has been processed, no email address was provided.
Whether students apply online or by paper, the data will automaticallybe sent electronically to the schools listed on the FAFSA.
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Editor’s note: Randi Jo Hutchinson-Kelso is the counselor for Pea Ridge High School.
School, Pages 9 on 12/07/2011