Scholarships and Financial Aid DHSHS

1. Scholarships and Financial AidDHSHS This version was updated September 2011.

2. Financial Aid Terms Scholarships are free money for college and are usually based on your area of study or merit, such as good grades, special talents, or community service. Work Study or Student Employment Programs let you earn money for college in a job on or off campus. Loans are borrowed money that you must repay, usually with interest. Grants are money you don’t have to pay back and are usually based on financial need.

3. www.DateFest.org • Application Deadline October 12, 2011 • Scholarship Amounts: Queen Scheherazade - $3,500 Princess Dunyazade - $3,000 Princess Jasmine - $3,000

4. Seattle University • Sullivan Leadership Award • Scholarships from $11,000 to $18,500 per year to study at Seattle University www.seattleu.edu • Deadline November 15, 2011 • See also www.seattleu.edu/sullivan

5. Think about what you want: • Visit Career Cruising online at www.careercruising.com • Explore your personal interests • Research statistics about job availability, colleges and costs • Stop by the Career Center to pick up our user name and password

6. DHSHS Scholarship Application • Due December 14, 2011, in the Career Center • Download it to your student drive from the DHSHS Career Center website • Prepares you to have components you need to submit other scholarship applications (see next page)

7. DHSHS Scholarship Application complete packet = • 3 pages of your Personal information • Personal Statement (essay) • At least two letters of recommendation • Identify clearly your college and career goals • See next page

8. DHSHS Scholarship Application • When your completed DHSHS scholarship application is received in the Career Center, a scholarship file is made for you. • Copies of your application are submitted for you when you fit specific eligibility requirements for GPA, test scores, activities, etc., for local scholarship opportunities. • Members of scholarship committees read your application and make their decisions according to their own unique criteria. • At some point you may receive an invitation to be interviewed. If you need transcripts, copies of your letters of recommendation, or copies of anything from your scholarship file, please ask Ms. Emery in the DHSHS Career Center for them at least one week before the scholarship application deadline/due date. • ALL applications (college, job, and scholarship) will require time, energy, attention to detail, accuracy, and thought from you.

9. American Legion, Owen Coffman Post #519* APWA – American Public Works Association* Othel Britton Memorial Scholarship Foundation Reynaldo Carreon M.D. Foundation* California Desert Association of Realtors* California Retired Teachers Association, Division #89 Walter Clark Legal Group COD Alumni Association in conjunction with Pathways to Success* Desert Healthcare District Healthcare Professionals with Pathways to Success* Coachella Valley Pathways to Success – CVPTS* Coachella Valley Alumnae Panhellenic - CVAP Daughters of the American Revolution, Cahuilla Chapter Desert Escrow Association* Desert Hot Springs Rotary Desert Hot Springs Women’s Club Dolly Sinatra Lodge #2400 Sons of Italy* Local Scholarships – page 1

10. Elks Club* The Gas Company* La Quinta Arts Foundation Ladies of Mission Lakes Luncheon League Military Officers Association of Palm Springs* National Charity League National League of American Pen Women* Navy League Scholarship Fund* Negro Academic Scholarship Fund Palm Springs Art Museum Palm Springs Historical Society Palm Springs Leadership Association - PSLA Palm Springs Teachers Association* - PSTA Palm Springs Lion’s Club SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union Local Scholarships – page 2

11. UCLA Club of the Desert* USC Trojan League of the Desert* Women Leaders Forum Most of the Local Scholarship providers accept the DHSHS Scholarship Application. * An asterisk means an extra form, essay, photograph, or family member’s military Honorable Discharge papers must also be submitted. Local Scholarships – page 3

12. Suggestions for success…… • Present yourself well. Neatness counts. • Check your spelling on everything. • Be sure your name is on each page. • Submit all requested information, and submit it on time. • Be prepared to go to the post office for postage and to mail your own entries.

13. Beware of scholarship scams! • These scam-spotting rules are from www.FastWeb.com: • Don’t pay money to get money. • Too good to be true? It probably is. • Spend time, not money. • Legitimate scholarships are never guaranteed. • Feel suspicious? Trust your instinct.

14. Gates Millennium Scholars • The Gates Millennium Scholars deadline for application is January 2011 • Visit http://www.gmsp.org/ • You need a minimum GPA of 3.3 • You need a lot of time to complete this application. Start early.

15. With the exception of the Gates Millennium Scholars program,all applications must be submitted using the HSF online application system.  Please note that you can only apply to scholarship programs that are open. • http://www.hsf.net/

16. www.cappex.com • Scholarships made easy! Cappex.com is giving away thousands of dollars in scholarships for college. • All you need to apply for scholarships is a Cappex profile. One profile makes you eligible to apply for many different scholarships. • Once your profile is complete, click on the scholarships tab and apply. Scholarships will be given to students with well-rounded profiles, so don't hold back on the details when applying for scholarships. • Once you create your profile, applying for Cappex scholarships is as easy as one click. No essays. No hassle.

17. www.MeritAid.com • A comprehensive directory of merit scholarships and academic scholarships from colleges across the country. • Tell us about yourself. We'll show you colleges and merit aid scholarships that match. Best of all, you'll hear from great colleges that want you to apply.

18. Use www.SchoolSoup.com for the following: • The largest scholarship database in existence ($35 BILLION in scholarships - ten times larger than Fastweb) • SchoolSoup is adding almost 5,000 new scholarships each week to the database. • SchoolSoup has information on thousands of colleges and universities. • SchoolSoup has information on hundreds of careers and offers a free career aptitude test to help students make good career choices. • SchoolSoup is totally safe - we don't sell names or email addresses.

19. https://www.horatioalger.org//scholarships/index.cfm • Eligibility for Scholarships • The eligibility criteria to be considered for National Scholarships and Horatio Alger State Scholarship Programs are as follows: • a strong commitment to pursuing and completing a bachelor's degree at an accredited institution located in the United States (students may start their studies at a two-year institution and then transfer to a four-year institution. • critical financial need ($50,000 or less adjusted gross income per family is preferred; if higher, explanation must be provided); • involvement in co-curricular and community activities; • demonstrated integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity • a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0; and • United States Citizenship.

20. Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award • The Coachella Valley’s Soroptimist International clubs award up to five young women (14-17 years of age) with Violet B. Richardson Awards every spring. • These monetary awards are based on volunteer/community service (amount to be determined based upon club funds available but at least $250 each). • Each of the awardees receives a cash award, and the charity for which they volunteer their time receives an equal monetary award. • Completed applications are due November 2011.

21. http://www.elks.org/enf/scholars/mvs.cfm • The 2012 Most Valuable Student scholarship contest is open to any high school senior who is a U.S. Citizen • Applications are judged on scholarship, leadership and financial need. Applications are online at http://www.elks.org/enf/scholars/mvs.cfm • Deadline to submit an application is November 2011

22. www.colgate.com/hazlau • Colgate-Palmolive and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund will award 11 Haz La U grants: • Grand Prize will receive a $15,000 grant • 10 Second Place winners will receive $2,500 each • Applications are being accepted through December 31, 2011 • Log on to www.colgate.com/hazlau and follow the application process to submit 3 short essays on the topics provided

23. Financial Aid & FAFSA • Apply for FAFSA after January 1, 2012 • Colleges where you have been accepted for admission will give you a financial aid offer to review in the spring

24. Start with the FAFSA • Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov • Before January 1, you can get an estimate of your eligibility, even before your senior year, by using FAFSA4caster. • www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov

25. 2012 Presidential Scholarship at Montana State University • Full tuition waivers for up to four years for incoming freshmen entering Montana State University • Application is online at www.montana.edu/ honors. • Due no later than January 5, 2012

26. The Paletteers Art Club Scholarship $1,000 • For a student who has talent in painting, and who would pursue further training in art • You will need to submit samples of your art in jpg format • Ask your art teacher for help with putting your art samples into electronic format • Your Local DHSHS Scholarship Application will be submitted • Entries complete with art samples are due by February 15, 2012 to the Career Center • Winner will attend an Art Show at Miracle Springs Resort & Spa on Wednesday, March 14, 2012

27. Advertising Campaign - AAF • Create an original and effective advertising campaign against Cell Phone Usage While Driving to be eligible for a $2,000 scholarship from American Advertising Federation – Palm Springs - Desert Cities (AAF). • Create a print ad, radio or TV commercial, billboard or a web campaign. • Accent is on creativity in art and copy. • Entries are due in the Career Center no later than May 15, 2012

28. Ten Common Mistakes Students Make When Applying to Scholarships • Miss the deadline • Fail to complete the application • Do not proofread application for spelling • Do not answer the essay question • Choose the wrong recommender • Do not read the eligibility requirements • Provide incorrect contact information • Submit wrong paperwork/documentation • Do not follow the instructions given • Apply to only one scholarship