December 1st Deadline - Indiana NOW

Indiana National Organization For Women:  http://indiananow.org/

Indiana NOW is giving out up to five $2,000 scholarships. Criteria include a woman returning to school, Indiana resident, over 23 years old and involved in feminist activities. Check our website www.indiananow.org for more specific details. The deadline is December 1st.

Follow Directions

Follow the directions of the scholarship application to avoid being weeded out.

Scholarship Committees receive thousands of applications each year.  The first part of the review process is to weed out the applications that (1) do not meet the minimum requirements and (2) did not follow the directions.

• If the application guidelines ask for a minimum or maximum number of words...follow the directions.
• If the rules say to provide 2 letters of recommendation... follow the directions.
• If the application says no staples, paper clips, or folders.... follow directions.
• If the application says fit it on one page... follow directions.
• Most importantly if the deadline is January 1st at 5pm, make sure it is in thier hand in advance.
• If the GPA requirement is 3.0 do not send a 2.999999.... Unfortunately, you do not meet the minimum GPA requirement. (There is light at the end of the tunnel:  You can hold onto this application for the next year's application round)

Following directions will get your application to the next step in the process:  actually being read!

Undergrad - The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program (GMS)

Bill Gates Announces 2012 Scholarship Program For Low-Income Minority Students


The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program (GMS) will select 1,000 talented students next year to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice.

THE GATES MILLENNIUM SCHOLARS PROGRAM
http://www.gmsp.org/

For students entering college for the first time in the fall 2012, the GMS 2012 Scholarship Application online process is now open. The deadline for all submissions is Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 11:59 p.m

Free Tuition Colleges

15 Free Tuition College Options
There are 15 or so colleges in the country that offer free tuition. That’s right – students pay $0 for the education. Most of these schools offer free tuition due to large endowments, or a little creativity, like requiring students to work 15 hours a week to sustain campus operations.

1. Cooper Union—New York, New York
2. College of the Ozarks—Hollister, MO
3. Berea College – Berea, KY
4. Deep Springs College – Big Pine, CA
5. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering – Needham, MA
6. Saint Louis Christian College – Florissant, MO
7. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY – New York, NY
8. Curtis Institute of Music – Philadelphia, PA
9. Alice Lloyd College – Pippa Passes, KY
10. Barclay College – Haviland, KS
11. Webb Institute – Glen Cove, NY
12. University of the People – Online College
Armed Forces Colleges – There are three armed forces colleges that offer full-tuition scholarships to students:
13. U.S. Military Academy in West Point
14. U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis
15. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point

*Free tuition means more competition and stricted guidelines, but the extra work would be well worth the return.

Why I do what I do...

This is my passion area...

It is my mission to increase access, enrollment, and retention in colleges and universities for underrepresented students.


I beleive that financial aid and scholarships are vital to this mission.  Students must prepare to apply. Guidance in this are is my way to "Pay it Forward".

Letters of recommendation

Letters of Recommendation Tips... 
What are you waiting for? ;o)

• Mail a written request for a letter of recommendation. It shows that you are serious and professional about your request. An email is for reminders and verbal requests will probably not get a response.

• Ask the writer to address the letter generally to: "The Scholarship Committee".  So you can use the letter for several different applications.  Genius!!!!

• Be very accommodating to the people you are requesting a letter from. For example, send a resume or list of accomplishments with your written request. This way they have the information they need to write your letter of recommendation. If they have to work too hard they probably won’t write it. Remember, you know more about yourself than they do.

• Request (in writing) 3-5 original copies of the letters. Make 10-20 copies of each for each scholarship application you will submit. Some applications will ask for originals and some will accept copies. Be prepared!

• Provide your written requests well in advance. The writer is doing you a favor and good letters take time.

• You will need at least 3 letters of recommendation….so send out 9 written requests! You might actually get 3. Remember this is optional for the writer, so be very humble about reminders.

Who to ask:

• Past professors and current professors

• Work: Manager, supervisor, co-worker, etc. Some scholarship applications specifically request a letter from your employer.

• Church: If so, ask your pastor, a minister, Sunday school teacher, etc...

• Community Service: Always request a letter when you do community service and add it to your binder/portfolio (see Prepare tab). These letters will be worth their weight in gold.

• Organizations: If you are involved with extra-curricular activities these letters will be worth their weight in gold!

Tricks of the trade: Be prepared to ask for an updated Letter of Recommendation (in writing) in November/December. You will want it to be dated for Jan. 1st or later. Most scholarship committee’s want current letters. You will be one step ahead of the game!!

Tricks of the trade: Ask for 3-4 envelopes with the original letters. Use them when the application requires a signed & sealed letter of recommendation. But black white envelopes are acceptable too.

More to Come...

Do not be afraid of the Essay...

"The Essay" is what scares people away from applying for scholarships.
I tell my clients all the time:  Don't be afraid of the essay...

• The Essay or Personal Statemant is your opportunity to tell YOUR story
• Who can tell your story better than you?

The essay is also a wonderful opportunity to brainstorm and outline your goals and aspirations. My first Personal Statement took me over a month to write.  There was no pressure because I had started months in advance of the deadline.  It may not take other people that long, but the "process" really made me think and ask myself questions like:

• Why am I returning to college?
• Where am I coming from? Where do I want to go?
• Why do I want to study in this particular field?
• What are my goals and aspiration?

Putting these things in writing is an important step.  The essay is your way of introducing yourself to the scholarship committee, the college admissions department, foundations, corporations, etc...  You are telling them WHY they should invest in you.

Great Tips  (Hint: Example of a Header)

• Follow Directions:  Stay within the word count
• Make it easy for the readers:  Use headings and cover each subject the ask you to discuss
• Save Time: Keep a copy to use and re-use for other applications
• Always place you name in the header
• New!! Use Nice paper.  This sets your essay apart from the other 300 essays to be read.
• Say Thank you!

Start Early

Start preparing for college a year in advance. 
I repeat...Starting this process a year in advance is not too early!  Starting early will give you the following advantages:

• Less Pressure!...you can take your time and not feel rushed
• You can get prepared and GET ORGANIZED
• You won't enter into the wrong program because you have all the information
• You can prepare to meet deadlines
• You won't miss out on great opportunities
• You will have time to request letters of recommendation
• You can tweek and re-tweek your essay (your story)
• You can order all your transcripts and wait patiently

Check the tabs above for more info...

Feedback Welcome!

ScholarshipAdvisor@yahoo.com

Student Loans are a Trap!

I hate student loans!

This is money that is so easily handed over to 18-year-old college students with a wicked snear....saying "Here little girl, do you want some candy?" or "You can have all you want little boy!  Here take some more, and more, and more..."...and then the trap door slams shut *BAM*.

I borrowed $3,000 of student loan money for my 2nd year of college (in 1994)...and now 17 years later I now owe $12,000.  I'm sure you are wondering how $3K of student loan money can turn into $12K.  Well can you say subsidized? or involuntary consolidation fees? more fees? or interest accuring at a phenominal rate? interest only payments?  can you say TRAP! 

Listen people!  These are the facts:

• You can not file bankruptcy on student loans.
• You can not write-off student loan debt.
• You can never get rid of student loan debt except through death...
• Student loan companies can garnish your wages.
• Student loan companies can take your taxes.
• Student loan companies can haunt you for the rest of your life.
• Student loan companies will not use vaseline.

....You will owe this money until your death, even if you don't finish your degree.

I encourage everyone to exhaust all other possibilities before accepting more than your first year's salary in student loans.

For example, a social work (BSW) student should not accept $65,000 of student loan money. 

A BSW will never make $65,000 which equals a lifetime of debt.  Run Forest Run!

Accessing the precious and disappearing scholarship dollars...

EVERYONE, regardless of income, should apply for financial aid

If you don't apply...you can't win!

Where do you find scholarships?

Where do you find scholarships?

1. My favorite website is www.fastweb.com
It does all the work for you. After you fill out your profile fastweb continuously searches for any opportunity the fits YOUR qualifications. It gives you the website links, phone numbers, deadlines, etc...

2. www.scholarships.com is my second favorite; and it does the same thing.

3. YOUR University Scholarship Office:
Love them! Visit them! Study their website! Sign up to receive email notices concerning new scholarship opportunities!

4. Finally, Scholarship application time is typically Jan. to March/May of each year. So if you miss a couple of opportunities this time around don't worry....you will be WELL prepared for next season, and can hit the ground running. There are fall application opportunities so keep an eye out.

Volunteer Experience

Your Volunteer Experience will be worth it's weight in gold!  Scholarship committees want to see community service, volunteerism, and abroad experiences.  
Volunteer Experience sets you apart from the other 3,000 applications scholarship committees review.  So I encourage you to include a short write-up about your experience.

Indiana Black Expo Education Conference

I attended the Indiana Black Expo Education Conference this morning.  And if I thought that programs were in short supply to help young women achieve their goals...I was wrong! 

The message I shared was: Raise the Bar!  When we know better we do better!
The message I received was:  One kind word can change a person's life.  Hello Beautiful!

$50,000 in scholarships and financial aid

Single mom is awarded over $50,000 in scholarships and free financial aid to earn a college degree. 
NO STUDENT LOANS. 

I want to reach back and help others achieve their educational goals…EMPOWERMENT.

I am a single mom that decided to change my life and return to college after the age of 30.  I knew the only way I could afford to attend classes full time and meet my other financial responsibilities would be with scholarships and financial aid.  After preparation, hard work and determination I graduated with a bachelor degree from Indiana University….and was awarded over $50,000 in free financial aid.  No gimmicks. No Tricks….but I definitely developed a system. 

Dream. Prepare.Apply.Succeed.

Introduction: Apply to win

I want to help others achieve their higher education goals….without racking up thousands of dollars in student loans.  I am living proof that it is possible!


ScholarshipAdvisor is my attempt to "Pay it Forward".  I offer advice, consultation, organizational tips, resources, and ANSWERS.  If I do not have the answer I know where to find them.  I love the research! 


However, I do not do the work for you.  I only work with people who are determined and serious about the pursuit of scholarships for the purpose of achieving their educational goals.  The process of applying for scholarships is work.  But with organization and preparation the process can be simplified like an assembly line.


Scholarships are out there!  But it is like the lottery…if you don’t apply you can not win.

Purpose...

I want to help others achieve their higher education goals….without racking up thousands of dollars in student loans.  I am living proof that it is possible!

Scholarships are out there!  But it is like the lottery…if you don’t apply you can not win.

So start dreaming… picture yourself walking across that stage in your cap and gown…earning your degree. 

If you are willing to put forth the effort it will take to find, apply, and use the scholarships….you are almost there.  Most people are not willing to do the work… so that leaves more scholarship money for you!
I can help you along this journey…  so that you can achieve your goals and reach back and help someone else.