A majority of the scholarship dollars available are for those students graduating from high school and entering an undergraduate program. Many high schools capitalize on the availability of these scholarship dollars and provide assistance to students and their parents in earning these dollars. It is important to know up front that every high school is different in how they assist parents and students in earning scholarship dollars. Furthermore, every high school is different in what scholarships they attempt to help students earn. Some offer assistance to students only for locally available scholarship dollars that have been awarded at the school before. Others high schools will do everything they can to help students earn every dollar available for scholarships.
In the best case, students will only need to fill out one application for the locally available scholarships that the school awards every year. In this process, the student completes one application and then is compared against the requirements for many different scholarships. This program is beneficial as it streamlines the work students need to do. However, if the school makes an effort to balance the amount of scholarships dollars earned by each student then a particularly high achieving student may not receive all the dollars they would receive in a more competitive process that is not centralized.
Parents and students need to follow up regularly on the scholarship process at the high school on a regular basis. This includes learning when deadlines are, what documents the guidance department at the high school will provide, and what other documents/information the student will need to complete the application process. Scholarship application processes can begin very early – as early as the high school sophomore year.
In addition to providing guidance to students on what scholarships are available, the high school should provide some support in gathering the documents necessary to complete scholarships. These documents include:
* high school transcripts which typically provide the student’s grade point average and the student’s class rank
* PSAT, SAT, and/or ACT scores.
* Listing of awards the student has received
* Listing of activities in which the student has participated including documentation of the number of service hours earned and the activities in which these hours were earned
* Scholarship essays
* Letters of reference for the student
* Financial need statements/Financial Aid Applications (typically the FAFSA is used to demonstrate financial need and guidance offices are the key high school office for assistance with this document)
Note that the guidance department can not create or even gather all of these items. However, they may maintain records that will support you in completing scholarship applications – whether private or high school provided. They may also maintain copies of these items which you create or provide and may be willing to submit them on your behalf for scholarship applications which require only demographic information (name, address, phone) and numerical data (test scores, class rank, financial need.).
After scholarships are awarded
Students who are awarded scholarships should remember that the people and organizations which award these scholarships do so because they feel that it is important to invest in the future – and in the education of those who will lead the way in the future. However, it is appropriate to thank those who provide these awards if you receive one. The guidance department at your school should be able to provide you with sample thank you letters if you have never written such letters before and should also provide you with the names and contact information to which these letters should be sent.
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