Scholarship Savvy

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Scholarship Savvy
Presented by Cal-SOAP
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DID YOU KNOW?

• Financial aid is available to help finance your
  college education!
• Scholarship dollars can help reduce the amount of
  student debt!

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SCHOLARSHIPS MAY BE USED TO HELP FINANCE YOUR
EDUCATION IN ALL FIVE SYSTEMS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
IN CALIFORNIA!

• The five systems include
• Community Colleges (CC)
• California State University (CSU)
• University of California (UC)
• Private and Independent Colleges
• Vocational and Technical Schools

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APPROXIMATE ANNUAL TUITION AND FEES, 2008-09

• University of California 8,100
• California State Universities 3,201
• Community Colleges 590
• Private Universities (range) 15,000
  - 55,000
• All fees subject to change. Books, supplies,
  and room and board are NOT included.

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PAYING FOR COLLEGE

• A college education is a solid investment with
  lifetime benefits.

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HOW CAN I PAY FOR MY COLLEGE EDUCATION?

• Personal / Family Savings
• Financial Aid (Grants, Work Study, and/or Loans)
• Scholarships

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(No Transcript)
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WHAT ARE MY FINANCIAL AID OPTIONS?

• GRANTS
• LOANS

• WORK STUDY
• SCHOLARSHIPS

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FINANCIAL AID IS PRIMARILY NEED-BASED

• Students and their families have the primary
  responsibility to pay for the students
  education.
• Financial aid is based primarily on NEED (the
  lower the Expected Family Contribution, the more
  financial aid a student will receive).

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SCHOLARSHIPS

• May be need-based, but they may also take other
  factors into consideration, like MERIT-based
  scholarships.
• What other factors may be considered?

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POSSIBLE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDERS

• Federal Government
• State Governments
• Private Sponsors
• Colleges, Universities, and Technical/Trade
  Schools

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POSSIBLE SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA

• Geographic Region
• Organizational Membership
• Family Affiliation
• College and Career Goals
• Interests

• Race, Ethnicity, and Denomination
• Gender
• Disabilities
• Employment, Activities, and Hobbies

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POSSIBLE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION COMPONENTS

• Essays and Short Answer Questions
• Sample Work and Project Submissions
• Extracurricular Activity Lists
• School Transcripts

• Letters of Recommendation
• Interviews
• Auditions
• Awards and Honors
• Test Results

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WHAT PARENTS CAN DO TO HELP

• Help with the scholarship search
• Check with parents place of employment or
  affiliated organizations
• Strategize with your child
• Provide research assistance
• Keep things organized
• Review the application
• Give support and encouragement

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10 ACTION STEPS

• Assemble your scholarship search tools
• Tap into your schools resources
• Search scholarship databases online
• Politely raid other schools resources
• Canvas your community

• Seek out government sources
• Pursue all personal and family affiliations
• Apply effective internet search techniques
• Uncover school-specific awards
• Seek out related organizations

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WHERE TO FIND SCHOLARSHIPS

• Online Searches
• www.fastweb.com, www.collegeboard.com,
  www.cashe.com
• For students without Social Security Numbers
  www.maldef.org
• Scholarship Books
• Counselors/Teachers/Community Groups
• Career Center or Counseling Office at your high
  school
• Peers

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TOP 10 ONLINE SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH ENGINES

• Fastweb.com
• Scholarships.com
• ScholarshipExperts.com
• FindTuition.com
• CollegeToolKit.com
• SuperColleges.com
• BrokeScholar.com
• CollegeBoard.com
• StudentAwards.com
• NextStudent.com

• LOCAL Scholarship Databases
• Sdfoundation.org/ scholarships/
• Sdcoe.net/scholarships/

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PAINT YOUR PORTRAIT 9 THEMES

• The Do-Gooder
• The Creative Talent
• The Survivor
• The Brainiac
• The Activist
• The Entrepreneur
• The Leader
• The Scientist
• The Athlete

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10 UNIVERSAL JUDGMENT CRITERIA

• Hard work
• Overcoming obstacles
• Teamwork
• Perseverance
• Individual Initiative
• Passion and Enthusiasm
• Responsibility
• Civic Duty
• Purpose
• Character

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8 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE SCHOLARSHIP CAMPAIGNS

• Apply for as many scholarships as possible
• Dont neglect smaller, local scholarships
• Bridge multiple applications
• Recycle, recycle, recycle
• Keep a written personal inventory
• Prioritize schoolwork and class time
• Learn by example
• Stick with it

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KEEP IN MIND

• Applying for scholarships is a process.
• It takes TIME!

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BEWARE OF SCHOLARSHIP SCAMS!

• Notification by phone
• Application fees/other fees
• NEVER EVER pay for a scholarship!
• Everybody is eligible
• Unusual requests for personal information

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CAL-SOAP REWARDING COLLEGE DREAMS SCHOLARSHIP

• Open to high school seniors
• 2,000 University-bound
• 1,000 Community College-bound
• Find it at your counselors office / online after
  January www.sandiegocalsoap.com
• All students in San Diego and Imperial County
  high schools are eligible, if receiving outreach
  from a postsecondary preparatory organization
  like Cal-SOAP!

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CONTACT INFORMATION Phone (858)
569-1866 Fax [phone] Online
www.sandiegocalsoap.com Thank You!