PEA RIDGE — Scholarship Resources
Many free scholarship searches are available for all students. A word of caution about scholarship searches that charge a fee.
Avoid them! ASLA offers a free online scholarship at www.fundmyfuture.com.
Other online scholarship searches include: www.
fastweb.com, www.scholarshipexperts.com, www.collegeboard.com and www.
collegetoolkit.com.
The state of Arkansas offers a variety of scholarships and grants for students planning to attend a college or university in-state. The programs are administered by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE). Visit the Arkansas Department of Higher Education to findout more about the state scholarships and grants.
Federal Student Aid - Grants, Scholarships and Loans
The U.S. Department of Education has established federal financial aid programs that are available to students attending postsecondary education institutions. The federal and state programs are determined and awarded based on the family’s financial need. Students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA). You may apply on-line at www.fafsa.gov.
The federal financial aid programs are: Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), College Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Stafford Loan (subsidized and unsubsidized), Federal Parent PLUS Loan and Federal Grad PLUS Loan.
Learn more about Grants and Loans at Student Aid on the Web presented by the Department of Education.
Start Early
◊Start searching your sophomore or junior years
◊Apply for scholarships about a year before you will actually receive the aid
◊Get good grades
◊ Be organized so that you don’t waste time applying to the same scholarship twice Prepare Yourself
◊Get involved in clubs and organizations
◊Perform community service and keep records Do Research
◊Figure out what separates you from everyone else
◊Consider unique circumstances or conditions
◊Search everywhere for scholarships
Send Away for Applications and Information
◊Contact organizations through mail to request applications
◊Give the organizations time to select recipients,but follow up, too
◊Watch out for deadlines Apply
◊Make sure you understand all the information being requested
◊Give yourself enough time to complete the application
◊Keep a calendar of all deadlines
◊Double check spelling and grammar
◊Give your best effort foreach application Beware
◊Do not pay any business or person to get a list of scholarships; there are too many free searches available
◊Do not pay a scholarship application fee; sometimes this is also called an “administrative fee”◊◊◊
Editor’s note: Randi Jo Hutchinson-Kelso is the counselor for Pea Ridge High School.
Community, Pages 9 on 08/15/2012