Scholarships and Financial Literacy Jamie McEwen Financial Literacy Coordinator Washburn University

Scholarship: How Do I Start? Crafting the perfect essay is the key to applying for most scholarships. Essay, Essay, Essay!

How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay in 5 Steps Step 1: Brainstorm and Research Set aside 30 minutes distraction free and brainstorm on aspects of your life to write about Step 2: Free Write It’s time to start writing! Write down your thoughts and ideas, without worrying about grammar, sentence structure or storyline. Create a Rough Draft Select the most compelling thoughts from your document and organize those into the four main sections of a winning scholarship essay Opening Story Goal Wrap up 1. Think of all the things you have done both in and out of school. What influenced you to pick a career path? What sparks your interest. 2. Just get it all down on paper. 3. Start to organize your thoughts.

How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay in 5 Steps Review, Rewrite, Repeat Once you have completed your first draft, have someone you know review it and give feedback. Does the essay make sense to you? Did anything in the essay sound unnecessary or redundant? What did you like about the essay? What did you not like? Submit Your Essay (Again and Again) You can reuse what your wrote for just about any scholarship contest about career goals/personal statement, which is a common theme Make sure you reference the correct Scholarship! Diane Melville- SALTmoney.org 1.You feel pretty good on what you have written, get someone else to review. Don’t get your feelings hurt; look for ways to improve. Use the same essay over and over again. Make sure you update the scholarship title for each submission.

What are Scholarship Committees Looking for? The Story – Real and Honest Tie it Together What motivates you? Why are you attending college? Why do you want to pursue your career? What is your reason to wake up in the morning? What would the movie “The Story of My Life” look like? How does your story relate to your academic pursuits or career plan? What do you want to achieve Academically and professionally, and how will you do it? Academic achievements matter, but they're not the only thing scholarship providers look for—that list includes things like personal characteristics, intended major/career, and place of residency. Hand-out – How to Win a Scholarship I your GPA isn’t the best

The Details Count Stay within the word count Do NOT plagiarize Check spelling and grammar Reach out to your English instructors and your High School Counselors for help with your essay. Look online for examples of winning essays. Those who apply win! Handout The Anatomy of a Winning Essay

Never Stop Searching! Where do I find Scholarships? Handout Scholarship list / Handout Scholarship Application Organizer Where do I find Scholarships?

What Every Freshman Should Know About Money

Money Items You Need to Know Manage Your Financial Aid Review your award letter carefully. Consider your loan amounts carefully. Balance Work and School Studying, classes and sleep should be your top priorities to stay on top of your game, so if you are planning on working part-time, make sure you allow for these things. Build your emergency fund For college students, extra funds can be critical if you run into unexpected expenses like an illness, car problems, or having to replace your computer mid-semester. Start putting money aside in the bank for such an emergency. Look for ways to save on supplies Look for ways to save on books Furnish with garage sale items or nice relatives that can help  Look for any of the essentials on the cheap 1.Many students get student loans. Must get the degree. 2. 15 to 20 hours work is max for full time student 3. You need an emergency fund. Stuff happens. 4. Find the least expensive way to live. You are not going to need the stuff for long.

The time to start looking at your budget is NOW!

Focus on What Really Matters Start with the necessities Tuition Books Food Clothing Shelter Second, look to Safety Insurance Utilities Savings Emergency Fund Luxuries are Last Focus on What Really Matters Don’t be tricked into prioritizing Wants over Needs! Handout Budget

You’re a Student. It’s okay to be poor! Live like no one else now, so you can live like no one else later. Dave Ramsey

Have you Filed your FAFSA? Fafsa.ed.gov

Financial Aid Office Morgan Hall Student One Stop 785-670-1151