Resources - Scholarships

Searching for Scholarships

Scholarship Sources Institutional Federal State Private

Federal Sources U.S. Department of Education www.students.gov Click “Scholarship Searches” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/index.html U.S. Armed Forces http://aid.military.com/scholarship/search-for-scholarships.do

State Sources SSACI – Grants and Scholarships Overview http://www.in.gov/ssaci/2359.htm For more information on the grant/scholarships offered by SSACI: Contact SSACI’s office at AHDC40@ssaci.in.gov Or call 317-232-2355 or 1-888-528-4719

Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship Program New SSACI Scholarship Program as of 2011-2012 Academic Year Early high school graduates Must enroll into a postsecondary institution within 5 months after graduating from high school Must attend an eligible Indiana postsecondary institution Award value – a one-time award of $4,000

State of Indiana Info. Award aid on the basis of both merit and need Use information from the FAFSA Deadlines: March 10th, 2011 Check with school of choice www.in.gov/ssaci eStudent is a web portal where students and colleges can view and update information pertaining to their state financial aid awards. Only Indiana residents who have filed a FAFSA will be able to access eStudent. First time FAFSA filers will be able to begin accessing eStudent in mid February (usually within 72-96 hours of filing the FAFSA from mid February on). 7

Private Sources Foundations Community organizations and civic groups Religious or ethnicity-based organizations Local businesses and employers Organizations related to student’s field

Private Scholarship Search Sites Free Internet scholarship search engines: FastWeb: www.fastweb.com College Board: www.collegeboard.com CollegeNet: www.collegenet.com/mach25

Fun Scholarships Duck Tape “Stuck At Prom” Scholarship Design and accessorize prom outfits with duct tape The Mycological Society of America Scholarship For those who plan to study Mycology (the study of fungi)

Avoiding Financial Aid Fraud

Fraud Warning Signs “Buy now or miss this opportunity” “We guarantee you’ll get aid” “I’ve got aid for you; give me your credit card or bank account number” Social Media messages that may be too good to be true

Common Fraud/Scam Complaints Paying for “guaranteed financial aid” and not receiving as much aid as you paid for Remember that loans are considered Financial Aid Paying to file the FAFSA Always remember the first “F” in FAFSA stands for “Free” Make sure you use www.fafsa.gov

Resources for Avoiding Financial Aid Fraud

Resources Knowledge US Department of Education Website Awareness of free resources prevents fraud/scam opportunities US Department of Education Website Federal Trade Commission Website Office of the Inspector General hotline

Knowledge College Goal Sunday ISFAA Financial Aid Nights 40 locations throughout Indiana February 12th, 2012 2:00 pm www.collegegoalsunday.org ISFAA Financial Aid Nights Regional Coordinators

Federal Resources US Department of Education Website www.ed.gov/misused Federal Trade Commission Website http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/scholarship/index.shtml Office of the Inspector General hotline 1-800-MIS-USED

Questions/Discussion