Financial Aid Options Grants and Scholarships 12th Grade Advisory Activity UNIT 5: Financial Aid Options ACTIVITY 1: Grants and Scholarships GRADE: 12 Learning Target: The students will review how to find grants and scholarships. Opening: 2 minutes – The advisor begins by noting that this is the time that students get very serious about figuring out how to finance college. Almost all college students receive some form of financial aid, and the next two advisories will cover the different forms of financial aid. Today the topic is grants and scholarships.

Types of Grants and Scholarships Listen for: Do grants and scholarships have to be repaid? What are the two main categories? What application is necessary for need-based aid? Where can students find scholarship information? Activity: 26 minutes – Slide 2: The advisor will show students the video Types of Grants and Scholarships. Students are asked to listen for the answer to these questions: Do grants and scholarships have to be repaid? What are the two main categories? What application is necessary for need-based aid? Where can they find scholarships? The advisor clicks on the picture to play the video. After the video the advisor asks the students for the answers to the first three questions. [Grants and scholarships do not need to be repaid, they are commonly awarded based on merit or need, and the FAFSA is necessary for need-based aid.] The advisor tells the students they are focusing on grants and scholarships first because they do not need to be repaid. The advisor asks the students for examples of types of scholarships mentioned in the video. Examples included scholarships based on specific kinds of talents or interests in art, music, academics, leadership, and athletics. If the school has implemented Ramp-Up to Readiness™ in previous years, ask the students to think back to previous discussions and come up with additional examples, such as community service. (Click on the picture to play the video)

Special Careers Slide 3: The advisor notes that choosing specific careers can lead to grants or scholarships, such as teaching in high-need fields in low-income areas. High need fields include languages, special education, sciences, and math.

Where to Find Scholarships or Grants financialaidfinder.com/category/scholarships www.fastweb.com studentaid.ed.gov www.studentscholarships.org/ School counselors School or district scholarship organizations Slide 4: The advisor asks the students for the name of the scholarship website mentioned in the video and any others they have learned about or used. Several examples are in the slide. The advisor or coordinator can add local resources to the slide. The advisor encourages students to keep looking for scholarships using many different sources. Many college scholarships go unclaimed each year, and students do not need to be a 4.0 student

Many Students Qualify for Federal Grants Slide 5: The advisor explains that many students qualify for federal grants, which are generally based on financial need. Two of these grants are called the Pell Grant, and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). Many students qualify for these funds. The FAFSA is required, and that is the subject of a future advisory. Reminder: Students must complete the FAFSA to be eligible,

Investigate Your Colleges of Interest Slide 6: The advisor encourages the students to explore the websites of colleges they are interested in, or contact the college admissions office. Colleges often have additional scholarship and grant opportunities, specific to their state or institution, Students should determine whether a separate application is required or whether students are automatically considered for these opportunities based on their college and FAFSA applications.

Search for Scholarships Spend the rest of your time looking for scholarships and applying for any that you may qualify to receive. Check the Marshall High School Student Services website to search for scholarships that the counseling offices posts throughout the year as well. Keep checking that website and looking for scholarships for the rest of the school year. Slide 7: Search for and apply for scholarships. Scholarships are free money that you do not have to pay back. Tell the students that it takes some effort but that an active search for grants and scholarships will usually pay off.