SCHOLARSHIPS

After you have filed your FAFSA, you may still need scholarship money to cover tuition, books, fees, etc. The following information will inform you how to best go about your scholarship search: Assess yourself and your situation. A simple assessment will help you to determine what kinds of scholarships you may be eligible for. It will also help you develop answers to questions asked on applications and in essays! Think through the following questions: 1. What is your intended college major? 2. What is your current cumulative GPA? 3. What is your current financial situation? 4. What city and state were you born in? 5. What extracurricular activities are you involved in? 6. What are your current and future goals? 7. What makes you unique? 8. Have you ever found yourself in a unique circumstance? 9. What obstacles have you overcome to get to where you are right now? 10. Why do you believe you should receive a scholarship?

Most colleges and universities will typically offer three types of scholarships to incoming freshman: 1. Merit-based scholarships a. These are based on such non-academic qualities as leadership ability, artistic ability, athletic ability, etc. 2. Academic scholarships a. These are based off of cumulative GPA and rigor of classes taken 3. Departmental scholarships a. These are given by academic departments at colleges and universities. For example, if you are studying psychology, you may be eligible for a scholarship from the College of Arts and Sciences at your school. If you are studying business, you may be eligible for a scholarship from the College of Business. Be sure to contact the Financial Aid Office at the college that you will be attending to inquire about scholarships. Next, visit the Missouri Department of Higher Educations website to find a complete list of state grants and scholarships: http://dhe.mo.gov/ After this is done, be creative in your scholarship search! Youve done your personal assessment, and you know what makes you unique. Search for scholarships based on those traits. Youll be surprised by what comes up! For example, there are scholarships for being left-handed, for having the ability to call ducks, for being a certain height, etc. Dont limit yourself! It may sound crazy, but it just may get you some money for college!

Lastly, use scholarship search engines to help you find national scholarships. Many of these search engines will prompt you to create an online profile with information about what degree you are seeking, what your GPA is, where you are going to school, etc. Based upon the information that you provide, the search engine will find scholarships for you.

A few things to keep in mind while searching for scholarships: 1. Watch out for scams! a. Never pay money to search for scholarships. Much like filing the FAFSA, the scholarship search process should always be free of charge. b. Always be cautious about what type of information you are giving out. You will need to include information such as home address, email address, phone numbers, etc. on most scholarship applications. However, you should never have to provide extremely sensitive information, such as your Social Security number or credit card number. 2. Do not pass over scholarships that offer small amounts of money! Scholarships that offer smaller amounts of money typically receive fewer applicants, so you will actually have a better chance of receiving the scholarship! Furthermore, if you receive more than one of these scholarships, they might add up to be worth more than one scholarship that offers a bigger amount of money!

A few tips about filling out scholarship applications: 1. Make sure that you meet all eligibility requirements before filling out the application. 2. Do not be afraid to ask questions if you are puzzled by the scholarship application! Contact the scholarship foundations for clarification. It will be much better for you to ask questions that it will be for you to turn in an application with wrong information. 3. Do not use the same essay on every scholarship applications! Instead, you should tailor each essay so that you are answering the questions being asked. 4. Turn in all necessary documents. Some scholarships only require an application. However, some scholarships will also other documentation, such as transcripts, financial documents, letters of recommendation, essays, etc. Be sure to read the directions for each scholarship application carefully! 5. Do not procrastinate. The earlier you begin the process, the better.

Hispanic Development Fund Scholarship

Eligibility Requirements:
Must be Latino Must exhibit proven academic merit, financial need, and community involvement Must be a permanent resident of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area Must be enrolled full-time at a fully accredited college or university

To apply: http://www.gkccf.org/scholarships/hispanic-scholarship-fund Deadline: March 1

James L. and Nellie M. Westlake Scholarship

Eligibility requirements:
Must be a Missouri Resident Be a graduating senior with plans to enroll full time at an accredited four-year college or university Demonstrate limited financial resources, with a family adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less and an expected family contribution of $7,000 or less Have a cumulative GPA of 2.25/4.00

To apply: http://sms.scholarshipamerica.org/westlake/ Deadline: February 1

Hispanic Scholarship Foundation Scholarships:

This website has a list of different scholarships available for Latino students. Each scholarship has its own specific criteria and deadline, so be sure to read carefully!

General Eligibility Requirements:

Have a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 Be a legal U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a valid permanent resident card or passport stamped I-551 Be pursuing your first undergraduate or graduate degree Must apply for federal aid using the FAFSA Plan to enroll full-time as an undergraduate or graduate student in a degree- seeking program within an accredited U.S. institution

To view scholarships and apply: http://www.hsf.net/default.aspx

MALDEF Scholarship List

MALDEF, which stands for Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, created a list of scholarships for students. Read each scholarship carefully for eligibility requirements and deadlines!

To view scholarships and apply:

http://www.maldef.org/leadership/scholarships/2010_Scholarship_List.pdf

Kansas City Specific Scholarships:

This website has a list of different scholarships available for those who have graduated from high schools in the Kansas City area, are employed in the Kansas City area, or have relatives that are employed in the Kansas City area. Each scholarship has its own specific criteria and deadline, so be sure to read carefully!

To view scholarships and apply:

http://www.gkccf.org/scholarships

Scholarship Search Engines:

100 Free Minority Scholarships: http://www.blackexcel.org/100minority.htm Aid Scholar: http://aidscholar.com/ Black College Dollars from the Sallie Mae Fund: http://www.thesalliemaefund.org/smfnew/scholarship_directory/index.html Broke Scholar: https://www.brokescholar.com/ Sallie Mae s Scholarship Search: http://go.salliemae.com/scholarship/ Cappex: http://www.cappex.com/ CollegeBoard: http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp College Insight: http://college-insight.org/ College Toolkit: http://collegetoolkit.com/ Fast Aid: http://www.fastaid.com/ FastWeb: http://www.fastweb.com/ FinAid: http://www.finaid.org/ Find Tuition: http://www.findtuition.com/ Go College: http://www.gocollege.com/financial-aid/scholarships/ Latino College Dollars: http://www.latinocollegedollars.org/ Military Scholarship Finder: http://aid.military.com/scholarship/search-for-scholarships.do Military Officers Association of America Scholarship Finder: http://www.moaa.org/scholarshipfinder/ International Scholarships: http://scholarship-positions.com/ Scholarship Experts: http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/ Scholarship Hunter: http://www.scholarshiphunter.com/

Scholarships: http://www.scholarships.com/ School Soup: http://schoolsoup.com/ UNCF (For Minorities): http://www.uncf.org/