Scholarships for San Juan School District Students
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Scholarship Advice
Scholarships are financial aid awards which don’t have to be paid back. Scholarships require time to locate and apply for them.
Scholarships are offered for Merit and Achievement or for Financial Need. Scholarships are also given to students who are interested in particular fields of study, who live in certain areas, or who have athletic or artistic talent.
Many organizations such as charitable groups, unions and others offer scholarships to children of their members/participants.
Most scholarships require an application process, so seek them out early and apply extensively. Important and useful College planning/ACT Prep and scholarship websites;
www.unigo.com
Some websites search for scholarships based on the student's profile, while others offer keyword search capabilities.
Finding scholarships is only beginning of the scholarship process. Once you find the scholarship, the next two critical steps are to
Get the application
Apply!
Applying for scholarships takes a lot of work. Receiving scholarships make the effort worthwhile! There are scholarships out there for everyone.
Scholarship Advice for Freshmen
Start looking for scholarships today! It's not too early! There are scholarships out there for almost any age.
Your grades don't have to be perfect to get scholarships. However, your eligibility for scholarships increases A LOT when you keep your GPA above 3.0!
Seek tutoring and outside help with your classes; ClubZ in-home tutoring Services is one such organization to help; www.clubztutoring.com
NOW is the time to get involved in clubs, activities and community service!!! Some scholarship applications ask how you were involved for each year of high school. Keep track of your volunteer projects and hours, as well as any certificates, awards or honors that you receive.
Go to CongressionalAward.org to register for awards. Set goals in one or more of four areas, including Volunteer/Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness and Expedition/Exploration. When a goal is met, students receive Congressional certificates or medals. A gold medal takes a minimum of 2 years to achieve. Having a Congressional Gold Medal on a scholarship or college application would look great!
Scholarship Advice for Sophomores
Start saving your essays that might be adapted to college admissions essays or scholarship application essays.
Stay involved in school and the community.
After learning how to use keys to success online at RESOURCES | Keys to Success (ktsutah.org) continue your search for post-secondary institutions and interests.
Begin to incorporate leadership into your activities. Many students believe that leadership is limited to President of the National Honor Society or Vice President of the Student Council. While these are great examples of leadership, there are lots of other ways to be a leader! If you are helping coach a little league team, working as a camp counselor, or if you are tutoring others, you are a leader. If you organized the church dinner or were chairperson of a committee, you have leadership experience.
Keep your resume up to date with celebrations of all the great things you've been doing. There is a resume program on RESOURCES | Keys to Success (ktsutah.org) under the Prepare menu.
Scholarship Advice for Juniors
Keep your grades up and stay involved.
Get registered on Fastweb.com and Collegeboard.org. search engines for scholarships.
If you don't know where you want to go to school or what your major will be, go back to RESOURCES | Keys to Success (ktsutah.org) to compare colleges or re-evaluate your interests.
Start thinking about whom you'd like to ask to be references for scholarships. These should be persons who have seen your dedication and hard work.
Start selling yourself -- point out to your teachers, potential references and your counselors that you are a deserving candidate for scholarships, nominations and awards. Many of us don't know about all the great things you have been doing. It is time to start tooting your own horn!
Get a part-time job. If you have an idea about what career would like to have after college, try to work in this field. Enroll in the internship program!
Be sure to attend your SEOP with a parent. This takes place during the third quarter.
Make an appointment with the Scholarship Advisor before you leave for summer.
Scholarship Advice for Seniors
Get organized. Set up a "forwarding file" for each month. Forward scholarship applications to the monthly file when they are due (or the month prior). Work on applications as they come up. Dedicate at least one hour per week to finding and applying for scholarships.
Still not sure where you want to go to school or what your major will be? Use RESOURCES | Keys to Success (ktsutah.org) to aid in your decision-making process. Check out the Carnegie Foundation's list of the nation's top schools to help with your college choices.
If you are planning to attend schools in state, be sure to apply for Sterling Scholar awards. If you become a regional winner, you will receive 1 to 4 years tuition!
If you'd like to attend any of Utah's Applied Technology Schools or Community Colleges, be sure to apply for the variety of scholarships that are available.
Apply for local Community Scholarships in the spring. You can apply for up to three scholarships. Your chances of receiving these awards are considerably higher than most regional, state or national awards.
Negotiate with the college of your choice for reduced tuition. It doesn't hurt to ask!
Ask your intended school what scholarships they have for freshmen.
Ask the DEPARTMENT at the school where you are interested in attending what scholarships they have to offer college freshmen.
Watch the monthly scholarship reports that are included in the PCHS Newsletter.
Listen for new scholarship announcements on the Morning Announcements
Meet with the Scholarship Advisor periodically to discuss scholarship opportunities.
Don't stop applying for scholarships throughout your college career! Many college departmental scholarships are for students after their freshman year.