TheDoLittle
8th August 2007, 06:07 PM
I'm posting this in the Education section because I have a few links that might help other students, but I also have a few opinions I'll be posting. I'm working on finishing my Associates in Applied Science in Digital Communications. I hope to continue my education by earning a Bachelors in Education in a couple of years. I will also hopefully teaching here at HCC right after I get my AAS.
I am receiving $9,418 in four scholarships and a government Pell grant (http://www.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html) for my education this semester at Houston Community College. I will also be receiving ~$4,000 in grants and scholarships next semester. I did this not by praying to an imaginary idol, sitting around on my duff wishing and waiting for a "secret", sacrificing virgins on an altar on a volcanic rim, or getting a gun and holding up a liquor store.
I got them through asking questions, researching, talking with my school counselors, researching some more, and filling out a TON of paperwork.
For any students who happen to be reading this, the one tip I learned early on is GET THE BALL ROLLING!! And get it done yesterday! For you high schoolers, talk with your guidance counselor. Already at college/university? Talk to your financial aid people. They can point you in the direction of some scholarships you are eligible for. They can also point to any government assistance you should look into. Loans are also a good option, but pay close attention to the fine print. Also ask around at the other students and see what scholarships, grants, and loans they were able to get as well as some of the pros and cons of each.
I also found an interesting resource website, though geared for students here at HCC, there are a few scholarships listed for other places:
http://www.hccs.edu/students/financialaid/scholarships.html
Check with your campus website to see if they offer something similar.
Another tip, DON'T RELY ON FIRST HAND INFORMATION! Research everything! Google is a great resource here, but don't rely on the vague two sentence paragraph description you found on some obscure website to determine if you are eligible for that particular scholarship. Send an e-mail to the donor and talk it over with your counselor.
APPLY EARLY AND TO ALL THE SCHOLARSHIPS YOU FIND! Here's where the paperwork kills most people. I submitted applications to no less that 24 different scholarships, filled out around 60 different pages of forms, wrote around 30 different letters explaining why I should be the candidate for their money (this is where a form letter works really well), and invested some money in a couple of books of stamps and a box of envelopes. I received 22 responses, 18 of those were "Thank you, but no"'s, and 4 yes's.
Which brings me to my next tip, RESPOND BY THANKING THE PEOPLE WHO RESPONDED TO YOU! You never know, next time they will remember your effort and award you the money, or in one instance with a friend of mine, refer you to another possible scholarship donor.
KEEP UP WITH WHERE THE MONEY IS! Let your financial aid personnel know you've won an award. They are usually the ones who will handle the money. Drop in every few weeks or so to check on the progress.
These are just a few steps that I've walked to get where I'm going. I'm sure others will chime in with their 2 cents. I'll also probably post a few more in this thread as they come to me.
At any rate, I hope these tips will help someone.
I am receiving $9,418 in four scholarships and a government Pell grant (http://www.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html) for my education this semester at Houston Community College. I will also be receiving ~$4,000 in grants and scholarships next semester. I did this not by praying to an imaginary idol, sitting around on my duff wishing and waiting for a "secret", sacrificing virgins on an altar on a volcanic rim, or getting a gun and holding up a liquor store.
I got them through asking questions, researching, talking with my school counselors, researching some more, and filling out a TON of paperwork.
For any students who happen to be reading this, the one tip I learned early on is GET THE BALL ROLLING!! And get it done yesterday! For you high schoolers, talk with your guidance counselor. Already at college/university? Talk to your financial aid people. They can point you in the direction of some scholarships you are eligible for. They can also point to any government assistance you should look into. Loans are also a good option, but pay close attention to the fine print. Also ask around at the other students and see what scholarships, grants, and loans they were able to get as well as some of the pros and cons of each.
I also found an interesting resource website, though geared for students here at HCC, there are a few scholarships listed for other places:
http://www.hccs.edu/students/financialaid/scholarships.html
Check with your campus website to see if they offer something similar.
Another tip, DON'T RELY ON FIRST HAND INFORMATION! Research everything! Google is a great resource here, but don't rely on the vague two sentence paragraph description you found on some obscure website to determine if you are eligible for that particular scholarship. Send an e-mail to the donor and talk it over with your counselor.
APPLY EARLY AND TO ALL THE SCHOLARSHIPS YOU FIND! Here's where the paperwork kills most people. I submitted applications to no less that 24 different scholarships, filled out around 60 different pages of forms, wrote around 30 different letters explaining why I should be the candidate for their money (this is where a form letter works really well), and invested some money in a couple of books of stamps and a box of envelopes. I received 22 responses, 18 of those were "Thank you, but no"'s, and 4 yes's.
Which brings me to my next tip, RESPOND BY THANKING THE PEOPLE WHO RESPONDED TO YOU! You never know, next time they will remember your effort and award you the money, or in one instance with a friend of mine, refer you to another possible scholarship donor.
KEEP UP WITH WHERE THE MONEY IS! Let your financial aid personnel know you've won an award. They are usually the ones who will handle the money. Drop in every few weeks or so to check on the progress.
These are just a few steps that I've walked to get where I'm going. I'm sure others will chime in with their 2 cents. I'll also probably post a few more in this thread as they come to me.
At any rate, I hope these tips will help someone.