College Prep/Scholarship
College Prep Information
Looking for your post-secondary education is a PROCESS! It is also a journey that we encourage you to enjoy. We are here to help you on this journey, do not hesitate to ask questions. There are three main step in searching for a college:
STEP ONE - Research, visit, fill out your college "fit sheet", ask yourself what variables are important to you, oh, and VISIT! Apply to your schools of interest.
STEP TWO - Figure out how to pay for it. Fill out the FAFSA here and check out the Department of Higher Education for loans and information on planning your fiances here. Also, see scholarship information at your college of choice and some of the suggestions below. It is a small sample, do your own research, too!
STEP THREE - Decide. That's right. Make a decision. Then sign up for housing and orientations...oh, and celebrate!
Keep an eye out for our College Readiness and College Prep Nights with College Admission Counselors. Visit admission counselors when they are here at lunch. Be engaged in the process! See Mrs. Hopkins - let her help you with this process!
“If you develop a pure and sincere motivation, if you are motivated by a wish to help on the basis of kindness, compassion, and respect, then you can carry on any kind of work, in any field, and function more effectively. ”
— Dalai Lama
Great Articles/Resources:
Resume Building Assistance from Resume Builder
It’s easy for teen students to overlook the potential professional value within their current experience. Oftentimes, they don’t realize the foundational professional skills they are building and showcasing in class projects, co-curricular activities and clubs, volunteer work, and even in entry level minimum wage jobs. Our resources and tools aim to help high schoolers create resumes that can frame their current life experiences in a way that highlights them as well rounded, quality individuals for their college and scholarship applications. You can learn more about it here:
Sallie Mae - We have our Scholarship Search by Sallie Mae®. This is a free, easy way for students to find scholarship opportunities that match their skills and interests, with access to 5 million scholarships worth up to $24 billion. During November, in honor of National Scholarship Month, students who register for Scholarship Search can enter Sallie Mae’s $5,000 Sweepstakes.* Registering is fast, easy, and free – and there’s no essay required!
Here’s how it works:
Students register for free.
They answer a few questions about themselves, creating a custom profile.
Scholarship Search serves up scholarships based on the student’s skills, hobbies, interests, and more.
Students can receive email alerts when new matches are posted and update their profile any time.
GREAT website on the Top 25 Public Colleges….check it out:
Do Colleges Look at Your Social Media Accounts?
Thinking about going abroad to study? The 50 Most Popular International Universities
This one is wonderful, too, on looking for an International University in a particular area
Another International site that focuses on the Universities in Europe by county
A Stanford Dean on Adult Skills Every 18-Year Old Should Have
12 Best Ways to Find a College Scholarship
US News & World Reports - These are tremendous resources, valuable information. Check them out here:
US News & World Report's Best Student Loans of 2019
US News & World Report's Best Student Loan Consolidation & Refinance Lenders of 2019
Great article on finding scholarships
Trade School Information:
At Best-Trade-Schools.net, we provide prospective students a hub for locating nearby schools and colleges, while researching specific details about the trades they're considering. Rather than doing an extensive internet search, individuals can locate specific trades, industry details and the locations nearest them all in one convenient platform.
Readers can find all of the following information and more in one place, rather than doing extensive internet research:
Detailed breakdown of over 80 programs - career outlook, job duties, skills needed, etc.
Custom school searching by zip code of over 650 locations nationwide.
Overview of specific trade schools - student services, financial aid options, programs offered, etc..
Visit: Best Trade Schools for more information.
Teaching & Psychology Education Guides:
- Teaching Degrees
- Psychology Degree
How To Use Student Loans For Living Expenses:
The cost of attending a university might have changed for students learning remotely due to COVID-19, but colleges are factoring at-home or off-campus living expenses into the overall costs. To help determine what is covered in this new environment, our experts discuss what can be paid for using student loans and what you should pay for out of pocket.
Cost of Attending College Article
How to write a winning scholarship essay: Essay examples
From the Associated General Contractors of Missouri: This information contains construction career information and scholarship application information for seniors entering a construction related program of study. The program can be a Department of Labor approved apprenticeship program, technical school program, or two or four year college program. The following is a link to a digital flyer to the Build Your Future website for Missouri (BYF Missouri). This website provides information about each trade in the construction industry as well as training programs. BYF Missouri flyer
The next link is for a Construction in Careers book produced by the St. Louis Construction Cooperative. This book also provides information about the trades in the construction industry. It can be published for free, so you are able to print out any pages desired. Careers in Construction
These last links are for our scholarship information and applications. The AGCMO Education Foundation Scholarships are awarded to students entering the construction industry or a related field, such as engineering (civil, mechanical, etc.) or architecture. The information page provides more details on the qualifications for application and how to submit the application with the required additional information. Last year a total of $58,000 was divided between 28 students in $1000, $2000, or $3000 amounts. Application Information; Skilled Trades Application; College Application
Money Geek - Resources for Paying for College - Click Here
Ultimate Guide to Paying Down Student Loan Debt - Click Here
Guide to 529 College Savings Plans - Click Here
AffordableCollegesOnline.org - Scholarships for Student-Athletes For more info-Click Here
Annuity.com - Guidelines on varies ways to pay for college: Click Here
Pigly Personal Finance -Wonderful in-depth guide to help teach kids the importance of the building an emergency savings plan, along with over 100 financial calculators: Click Here
Winning a College Scholarship: Ultimate Guide + Infographic: Article on different types of awards, and ways to navigate the scholarship search. Written by Ruth Kinloch on IvyPanda: Click Here
Extracurricular Activities & Why You Need Them for College - Great article on the importance of, what we call, Co-Curricular Activities and the importance of building a resume, making friends, and making memories! Click Here
Lists from BestColleges.com:
We can give you the water...but you have to drink it! Meaning.....Scholarship searches are all about Input=Output.
Scholarships
Of course, these are a small sample of scholarships. Don't forget to look at your university of choice and the available scholarships within their institution. Find the ones that fit your needs.
A+ Scholarship—REMINDER! Greenwood is now an A+ school! A+ is a state funded program that pays for two years at any community college in Missouri OR approximately 85% of Missouri’s four-year universities offer an A+ scholarship. Amounts vary from institution to institution, but they still offer them! There are conditions for this scholarship and information has been handed out to students. The first is turning in your written agreement. Ask your student if they have completed it and turned it in. Once they do, they will receive the A+ Handbook that contains detailed information. This is one of those scholarships that you want to have if you need it.
Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship—Seniors and US Citizens are eligible. Judging will be on Scholarship, Leadership, and Financial Need. Apply here or here.
Fast Web Scholarship Applications—Seniors—this website (fastweb.com) has SO many helpful resources, check it out and fill out the application to find out what scholarships you may match!
Related to a veteran or military service representative? See Mrs. Hopkins for American Legion Scholarships.
H&R Block Scholarship—Mr. Black will be registering students in his Professional Math class.
Horatio Alger Scholarships - there are a variety of scholarships, one notable national one for $25,000.
College Raptor Scholarship Service
Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship Program—The Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship Program is designed to address the financial needs of minority college students and provide comprehensive mentoring services through its 42 Strategies for Success Curriculum. Once chosen from a national, selective process, “Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars” receive a generous four-year grant to assist with the costs of attending the college or university of their choice and are enrolled in JRF’s celebrated mentoring curriculum.
Private Student Loans Information from LendEDU…..
“Our team has been hard at work and just launched a tool that shows students which private student loan companies they are eligible for based on the college they are attending. We know that now is the time that soon-to-be college students and their families are starting to decide how they will pay for college so we thought it would be the perfect time to unveil our newest tool at LendEDU.” You can see it here
***Community Foundation of the Ozarks Website; Scholarship Portal: Click Here
Important Notes:
Beginning February 1, our scholarship portal will go live
Students should not use their school email as that will be turned off after graduation. Have them use a gmail, yahoo, etc.
Make sure to read the criteria before applying for a scholarship. Just because it comes up on their list does not mean you are eligible
If you qualify for A+ money make sure to let them know that A+ only covers tuition, it does not include books, fees, supplies
CFO scholarship policy: we will only communicate with the student (no parents, counselors)
Recipients will be notified by email from CFO with instructions on how to activate their scholarship towards the end of May
Once recipients have activated their scholarship for payment and has been approved, a check will be mailed to their school with instructions to be placed in their student account
Activate deadline: October 1, 2021
If you need to have your eligibility reopened to take the eligibility quiz, please email or call so we are able to reopen it for you
James L. and Nellie M. Westlake Scholarship - this program is administered by Scholarship America (also a great resource) - Eligibility: Missouri Resident, Graduating Senior, Income of $60,000 or less, and 2.5 GPA, application is due February 1.
Missouri Chamber of Commerce STEM Scholarship - All of the details, eligibility requirements, and scholarship application process can be found here. The application deadline is March 1. The application process is not that time consuming and should only take students approximately 10-15 minutes to fill out.
OppU Loans/Scholarship application: App
Education Loan Finance (ELFI) - organization that assists borrowers with student loan refinancing as well as undergraduate, graduate, and parent private student loans. When planning for student loans, it's important to have an idea of future monthly payments. We created a Student Loan Calculator to automatically generate estimated monthly payment amounts based on the preferred terms provided by the student or parent. Please feel free to take a look: Here