® Unlocking the College Scholarship Mystery Sally Coonin, Project Manager, The College Funding Project (CFP) $tand by Me is a partnership between the State of Delaware and United Way of Delaware CFP is a partnership between $tand By Me and the DE Higher Education Office

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 3. ® Purpose: Get you on the road! Help you to understand the types of scholarships available. Offer tools and advice for finding college scholarships. Give you tips on scholarship essay writing.

It’s like a marathon!

Everyone’s journey will be different

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. What is the difference between a grant and a loan? Loans get paid back. Grants and Scholarships do not!

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Types of Scholarships and Loans: Federal State Institution Private

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Need Based Grants (Determined by FAFSA): Federal Pell Grant Federal SEOG Grant Need/Merit Based Grants (Must Apply): State of Delaware Scholarships/Grants Institutional Scholarships/Grants Private Scholarships/Grants

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 9. Federal Grants- FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid determines eligibility for Federal funding programs, including Grants and Loans For more information:

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 11. State of Delaware Financial Aid Programs Delaware Scholarship Compendium Common Merit Application due March 6 for state programs! Available January 11. FAFSA also required for State Programs

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. A few things you need to know about yourself: What do you want to study? SAT Scores Class Rank Cumulative Grade Point Average Other Qualifying Characteristics

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 14. Things to Look For: CLASS RANK GPA WHAT IS OFFERED? DEADLINES IS IT RENEWABLE? NEED BASED? Income requirements? REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS? NUMBER AWARDED?

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 15. Sample- State of DE Memorial Scholarships: Charles L. Hebner: – Common Merit App, March 6, FAFSA, upper half of class, 1350 SAT – Major in in humanities, social sciences or political science. – Full tuition, room, board, fees, books at UD or DSU. – 1 Awarded. – Renewable.

Other State Memorial Awards Bradford Barnes: – Common Merit App, Feb. 6, upper quarter of class, FAFSA, 1800 SAT. – Full tuition, room, board, fees, books to UD. – 1 Awarded. – Renewable. Herman Holloway, Sr.: – Common Merit App, March 6, FAFSA, March 6, upper half of class,1350 SAT. – Full tuition, room, board, fees, books at DSU. – 1 Awarded. – Renewable

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 17. Delaware Scholarship Incentive Program (ScIP) $700-$2,200/year based on GPA. Must demonstrate financial need – FAFSA by April 15 – Full time college enrollment in a nonprofit college in DE or PA. – Maintain a 2.5 GPA

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 18. SEED: UD Associates Degree or DTCC Associates Programs-Full Tuition. 2.5 GPA FAFSA No felonies Graduate from a DE High School Attend College Full Time UD January 15-Regular application DTCC rolling. scholarships/types-aid/seed/faqs

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 19. INSPIRE: DSU Associates Programs-Full tuition GPA FAFSA DE graduate No felonies Full time Community service Due March 15

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 20. Diamond State Scholarship: Upper quarter of class Combined 1800 Full time 3.0 $1,250 year. Renewable for 3 years

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 21. Specialized State Aid: *Apply any year. Academic Common Market: Page 7 in Compendium! – A partnership between 15 southern states. If degree program is not offered in DE, eligible for in-state tuition in these states. Undergraduate Professional Incentive Programs. Forgivable loans at the rate of 1 year for each year of state employment: – Teachers (Christa McAuliffe and DE Teacher Corps-work in De pubic schools) – Nurses (DE Nursing Incentive Program-work at DE state- owned hospital) – Multiple awards given.

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. ® College Scholarships: Also determined by FAFSA. College will determine amount. BUT-Individual departments have discretionary funds to lure students to their programs: – Academic-STEM – Music – Athletics – Arts

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 23. TM ® Private Scholarships The Delaware Scholarship Compendium at lists scholarship from: Corporations Nonprofits Sororities and Fraternities National and Local Service Organizations National and Local Trade Organizations

® Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 24. Surfing for Scholarships! The Internet is the #1 source for scholarships. Search for potential funds based on: Major Ethnicity/Nationality Parents’ Professions/Trades/Employers Service Clubs Fraternities and Sororities

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 25. ® Recommended Websites: – bigfuture – Career Cruising – Career OneStop ships.aspx ships.aspx – CollegeNet – Fastweb – FinAid

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 26. ® Latino College Dollars Scholarships.com StudentAdvisor.com School Grants Blog Delaware Department of Education Zinch

Words to the Wise Be specific in your search. Check to see if scholarships are renewable! What are the requirements to KEEP or renew the scholarship? Small amounts can add up! Don’t overlook them! Read carefully. Don’t waste your time! Never pay to access scholarship info or apply for a scholarship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 29. ® The dreaded application/scholarship essay. Difference between the two? How do I choose an essay? What do they want from me?

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 30. ® A college wants to know what you will bring-talents, skills, academic and leadership abilities. A scholarship reader wants to get to know you as a person!

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 31. ® Choosing an Essay Prompt Look for one that reflects your personality, skills and interests. Choose one that you are comfortable with – Subject matter – Your knowledge – Your experience

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 32. ® Every generation is different from the previous generation in important ways. How is your generation different from that of your parents? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer. Hint: Don’t stop at the obvious!

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 33. ® If you could invent something new, what product would you develop? Use specific details to explain why this invention is needed. Show your creativity!

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 34. ® Discuss a book that strongly influenced you Hint: Every book you have ever read has had a moral or lesson. Choose one you liked and explain how it taught you that lesson and how you applied the lesson.

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 35. ® Identify an opinion that you had to defend and discuss the personal importance of this challenge. Hint: Consider the reader.

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 36. ® Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you and describe that influence. Hint: Focus on what that person taught you, not on the person him/herself.

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 37. TM ® What do they want to know about you? – Your perspective on the world. Your opinions! – Your values-what’s important to you? – What you have learned in life and how you have applied those lessons? – Your creativity! – How tied are you to your community, the country and the world?

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 38. ® Essay Writing Tips: Choose wisely. Choose an essay prompt that will best reflect you, your knowledge and experience. Start early. Give yourself plenty of time to think and organize your thoughts, and to reorganize and rewrite – several times. It’s all about YOU! Your mom is amazing, but don’t write about her or anyone else. Write about what you have learned from them.

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 39. ® Don’t plagiarize. Don’t brag. Let your essay tell about you, not your resume. Counting counts! Keep to the character/ word count. Get an editor! A second, third pair of eyes is crucial! Spelling and grammar count! Use good style and narrative. You’re telling the story of you, and you are interesting in your own way.

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 40. ® Complete the FAFSA DE Scholarship Compendium Look for Scholarships online! Be Yourself!

We all get to the finish line!

Copyright Delaware Financial Empowerment Partnership. All Rights Reserved. Slide 42. ® JOIN OUR LIST FOR USEFUL INFO, REMINDERS, SUGGESTIONS AND TIPS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR! Send your address by text message. Text the word STANDBYME to Message and data rates may apply.