Scholarship Essays: Master the Basics
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Pay attention to details for a high quality essay.
- Get organized. Brainstorm to generate some good ideas and then
create an outline to help you get going.
- Demonstrate originality and creativity. To catch the attention of
a scholarship judge, find a hook that will interest the reader right away.
- Show, don't tell. For example, if you're describing an activity
you participated in, don't describe it in general terms. Be specific! What
duties did you perform? What affect did it have on your life or the lives of
others?
- Develop a theme that fits the scholarship. What sort of student is
the sponsor looking for? Include elements in your essay that complement the
sponsor's expectations (without pretending to be someone you aren't).
- Turn in a professional-looking essay. Write a second draft to
catch mistakes and better organize your thoughts. If possible, type and
double-space your essay. Check spelling and grammar. Finally, share your essay
with friends, family, or teachers for another proofread.
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Keep Your Scholarship
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Some of your scholarships may be renewable. However, awards might have ongoing
requirements. These may include:
- Submission of renewal application. Scholarships may require you to
submit a new application each academic year.
- Grade point average (GPA) You may need to maintain a minimum GPA to
remain eligible.
- Satisfactory Academic Progress You may be required to fulfill
certain academic requirements, such as completing a certain number of credits or
courses.
- Designated field of study. Will you lose the award if you change
majors?
- Full-time enrollment status. Scholarships frequently require you
to be considered a full-time student.
If there is any question whether your scholarship has renewal provisions, talk to
your school or scholarship sponsor as soon as you know you've won the scholarship.
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What do Judges Look For
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Make it past the first round by following these simple rules:
- Do you qualify? Sounds simple, but students every year waste time
by applying for awards they aren't eligible to win.
- Is you application presented well? Type your essay and other
information. Messy handwriting and excessive scratch-outs could land your
application in the trash.
- Did you include all required documents? Required documents that are
frequently left out of applications include: transcripts, photos, references and
a letter of recommendation.
- Did you answer all of the questions? Double-check that you haven't
forgotten any required information.
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Creative Financial Aid Scams: Consultants & Seminars
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Seminars and consultants sometimes charge fees for services or information you can
obtain for free.
Consultants:
Paying fee to a financial aid service to help you apply for aid may be an
unnecessary expense. Here's why:
Claim: "We'll help you complete complicated forms."
Reality: You still have to fill out the same basic information for a
fee-based service that you would for the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
How else would the consultant get your information?
Claim: "We'll find different ways to report your assets and obtain
more aid."
Reality:
- This information is available for free at FinAid:
www.finaid.org/fafsa/maximize.phtml
- While these services can be legitimate, remember that colleges can request
additional documentation about your finances.
- Not reporting information accurately is against the law (punishable up to a
$20,000 fine, prison or both).
Seminars:
You may be able to do what they do on your own.
Claim: "Our presentation is completely free."
Reality: While the presentation is free, they may use high pressure
tactics to try to get you signed up for their service. They may also claim that
the price will increase if you don't sign up now, or that they can answer
questions after payment.
Claim: "We can help you complete complicated forms."
Reality: Everyone needs the same basic information to complete financial
aid forms, so even if you pay for help, it is still up to you to do the work of
assembling the information. Help with the FAFSA is available for free at the
KU Office of Student Financial Aid
or through the Federal government at
www.fafsa.gov or by phone at: 1-800-4-FED-AID.
Claim: "We'll find loopholes to help you save money."
Reality: The company may be encouraging you to commit fraud by entering
inaccurate info to make it seem like you earn less money. These practices are
dishonest and illegal!
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10 Scholarship Scam Warning Signs
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Knowing the warning signs can keep you from being a scholarship scam victim.
- Fees: You should not have to pay to search for or apply for scholarships.
There are a number of free scholarship search engines online. (The one
exception is students applying for Kansas State Scholarship programs. The Board
of Regents charges a legitimate $10.00 administrative fee.)
- Credit card or bank account information needed: You should never have to
give credit card or bank account information to award providers.
- Scholarship guarantee: No one can guarantee that you will win a scholarship
because no one can control scholarship judges' decisions. Also, be wary of
"high success rates" - they usually do not refer to actual award
winners.
- No work involved: Legitimate scholarship applications require time and
energy.
- No contact information: Legitimate sponsors should provide contact
information upon request. If the sponsor does not supply a valid e-mail
address, phone number and mailing address (not a PO box) upon request, that
could be the sign of a scam.
- Unsolicited scholarships: If you are called to receive an award for which
you never applied, be alert - it is most likely a scam.
- Pressure tactics: Do not allow yourself to be pressured into applying for a
scholarship, especially if the sponsor is asking you to pay.
- Claims of "exclusive" scholarships: Legitimate sponsors will not
restrict knowledge about their award to a single search service.
- An official-sounding name or endorsement doesn't automatically mean
legitimacy: A sponsor may use words like "national,"
"education" or "federal" or have an official-looking seal,
but might still be a scammer. Also, the federal government and the U.S.
Department of Education do not endorse private businesses.
- Your questions are not answered directly: If you cannot get a straight
answer from a sponsor regarding their application, what will be done with your
information (e.g., if it will be sent to a third party) or other questions,
proceed with caution.
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