Scholarships for Students and Us! Heather Cooper Milwaukee School Of Engineering & Angela Sarni Concordia University Wisconsin

Scholarships Are  A form of gift aid  Free money that doesn’t have to be repaid  Applied directly to tuition to help pay for college  The best way to pay for college

Who Can Get a Scholarship?  Your students! Scholarships are available for every kind of student

What are Scholarships Based On?  Qualities  Achievements  Luck

Qualities  Income Level  Major  Where the student or their parents work  Heritage or Religion  Hobbies or Interest  Community Service

Achievements  Academic  Athletic  Musical  Artistic  Volunteer  Other

Luck

What are the benefits of scholarships?  They are free money that does not need to be paid back  They are worth the time One $500 scholarship won One hour spent applying = $500 per hour!

Reduced Out-of-Pocket Expenses $10,000 Scholarship $10,000 Federal Student Loan $10,000 Credit Card Debt Interest Rate 0%6.8%19% Interest Accrued Over 4 years 0%$2,720$7,600 Total Repaid Over 10 years 0%$12,720$17,600

Loan Repayment Examples Unsubsidized Direct Loan 6.8% Interest Rate DebtTerm Monthly Payment Total Interest Paid Total Paid $10,00010 years$115$3,810$13,810 $20,00010 years$230$7,619$27,619 $25,00010 years$288$9,524$34,524 $30,00010 years$345$11,428$41,428 $35,00010 years$402$13,333$48,333 $50,00010 years$575$19,408$69,408

Cost of Borrowing  Each Additional $5,000 borrowed adds Approximately $1,905 in interest Approximately $57 to their monthly payment *assumes 10-year standard repayment period and 6.8% interest rate

Where Do Students Find Scholarships?  High School Guidance Counselor  Local Searches  Financial Aid Office  Online Searches

High School Guidance Counselor  Great resources for local scholarships 4H Library ROTC Local business Lions Club

Local Searches  Churches  Civic Opportunities  Businesses  Employers  Government Agencies

Financial Aid Office (ways to promote scholarships)  Scholarship Binders  Listservs/ accounts  Financial Aid Websites  List of Endowment Scholarships  Bulletin Boards  Facebook & Twitter

Financial Aid Office (continue)  List of Internet Websites  Provide Key words to search  Offer to review and give pointers on essays  Do Scholarship Presentations  Offer Essay Templates

Online Searches  Go College  Fast WEBwww.fastweb.comwww.fastweb.com  Fin Aidwww.finaid.orgwww.finaid.org  Scholarships.comwww.scholarships.comwww.scholarships.com  Super Collegewww.supercollege.comwww.supercollege.com

Avoid Scams  Fees  Private information requests  Strange contact information  Fake endorsements  Phone calls  “Guarantees”

How Do Students Apply?  Personal Assessment  Application  Essays  Letters of Recommendation  Interviews

Personal Assessment  Activities  Accomplishments  Future Plans  Character

Application Do: Include clubs and organizations in which they are involved List other scholarships and honors that they have received Check grammar and punctuation Research the sponsoring company/organization Don’t: Use an unprofessional address Include phone numbers with unprofessional outgoing messages List the wrong scholarship or organization name Lie

Essays  Explain Who the student is Why they chose their major The organizations, hobbies, or community service they are involved in What they hope to accomplish in their major and their career

Examples:  Describe how they contribute to their community and what they have learned from their experiences  Describe an academic challenge they have faced and how they have overcome it

Letters of Recommendation  Choose the right people: They should know the student well Ask if they feel comfortable writing a positive letter of recommendation Asking an instructor who does not know the student well could result in a bland, boilerplate, average letter of recommendation Carefully follow the instructions on the application—if it requests a letter from an instructor, don’t substitute one from a staff member

Provide the letter writer with: Adequate time to write the letter  Let them know the deadline  Resume  Transcript  Essay  Instructions on where to send the letter  Ask for more letters than are needed Letters of Recommendation (continue)

Interviews  Research the company/organization  Compile revealing personal stories  Prepare questions to ask the interviewer  Prepare responses for anticipated interview questions  Practice ahead of time  Send a thank you note after the interview

Tips for Success  Apply if you are eligible  Follow all directions  Make sure it is readable  Proofread  Keep a copy  Meet deadlines  Ask for help  Keep a list  Remember the scholarship Trifecta Campus involvement Grade point average Community service

RECAP  What are scholarships? Free money for college  Who can get a scholarship? Your students!  Where can you find scholarships? Financial Aid Office High School Guidance Counselor Local Searches Online Searches  When should students apply? NOW!

Thank You! Heather Cooper Milwaukee School Of Engineering Angela Sarni Concordia University Wisconsin