Navigating College Scholarships Indian Education Finding - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Navigating College Scholarships

Indian Education

Finding Scholarships….

• Requires time and dedication.
• Can be overwhelming.
• Is well worth the effort!

Don’t Panic! Take it one Step at time. Use all the resources that are available to you. You can do it!

Where do I start?

Hint # 1 If your Tribe has a website, always check this first and regularly throughout the year for any resources they may offer. Hint # 2 Google it! Hint # 3 Apply for everything! Hint # 4 Think outside the box. Hint # 5 Keep track of your applications and follow up on everything.

Tracker Example

How do I find Scholarships?

General databases:

Okcollegestart https://secure.okcollegestart.org/Financial_Aid_Plan ning/Scholarships/_default.aspx OkCareerGuide https://okcareerguide.kuder.com Collegexpress https://www.collegexpress.com/ StudentScholarships.org https://studentscholarships.org/#sthash.ndvb65gN. dpbs Ucango2 http://www.ucango2.org/

Tribal Specific Search Tools:

• Mississippi Choctaw Education Resources:

○ http://www.choctaw.org/government/tribalServices /education/tsp/otherScholarships.html

• Indian Country Today:

○ http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/schol arships

• Native American Rights Fund (this is a great database)

○ http://www.narf.org/nill/resources/scholarships.ht m

• American Indian College Fund

○ http://collegefund.org/

• Bureau of Indian Education

○ https://bie.edu/ParentsStudents/Grants/

• Scholarships for Women

○ https://www.scholarshipsforwomen.net/native-ame ricans/

• National Indian Education Association

○ http://www.niea.org/for-students/support/scholars hip-opportunities/

6 Myths about Native American Scholarships

Students should look for more than just Native American Scholarships.

Myth#1 Indians should look for Native American scholarships

This is the most persistent myth. Indian students should look for scholarships, period, which is a much bigger category than Indian scholarships alone. There are only about 150 Native American scholarships, plus the tribal scholarships, or about 350 altogether. But when you divide 350 by 3 million, the total number of scholarships in the U.S., the result is just above zero. In other words, Indian students are looking at one-hundredth of

• ne percent of scholarships and ignoring the other 99.9 percent.

Myth #2 Indian students should use the booklets on Native American scholarships published by colleges to find scholarships they are eligible for. Students will get these lists and think these are the only scholarships they are eligible for. This is just wrong.

Myth #3-Indian scholarships are based on financial need.

While a few are, most are based on merit. In other words, students have to earn them.

Myth #4-Native American scholarships are easy to earn.

Ironically, the few Native American scholarships are over-subscribed. Students will find

them harder to earn than the non-Indian scholarships.

Myth #5-Indian students should start applying for scholarships as soon as they finish high school.

This is in fact almost a year late. They should start before they start their senior year in high school. They should have their essay written and make sure it is at the A or A+ level. They should do their scholarship search before the start of their senior year.

Myth #6- Scholarships are hard to find

In fact, with the advent of the Internet, they are amazingly easy to find. We recommend that students go to three websites—Fastweb, Scholarships.com, and Sallie Mae Scholarships to find them. There are dozens of other scholarship websites. But after about three searches students find lots of repetition and duplication.

What do I search for?

• Gender

○ Male/Female ○ LGBTQ

• Socioeconomic Status

○ Has your family ever received federal Aid? ○ Has your family ever donated their time or money to charity organizations?

• Foster Care/Adoption

○ Are you a Foster child? ○ Is your family a Foster Family?

• Location

○ Rural/Urban ○ Tribal land

• race/ethnicity/ heritage

○ With or without proof

• Family/Relationships

○ Is family member an alumni of a school or

• rganization?

○ Is a family member active or retired Military? ○ Have your family members graduates high school? College? ○ Only Child/ Siblings ○ Have you our a Family member been incarcerated or hopstilized?

• Religion

○ Are you affiliated with a religious organization?

• Education

○ Did you graduate from High school with honors? ○ What career do you plan on going into? ○ Do you know what college you are going to?

• Sports

○ School / Club / Recreational ○ Did you play a specialty positions? ○ Have you receive awards or honors for your athletic ability? ○ Are you planning on playing sports in College? Professionally? ○ Have you ever/ are you certified, to Ref or Coach a sport? ○ Team captain?

• Health or Disability status

○ Long term or chronic illness ○ Physical or mental disability (Temporary or Lifelong) ○ Have you ever had major Surgery?

• Age
• Hobbies/ Skills /Extra curricular clubs or activities

○ Volunteer/ Community Service work ○ Have you gone/participated in a conventions, concert , Academic Competition/fair or conference? ○ Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts, ○ FFA ○ Student Government ○ STEM

Fields of Study

• STEM: Science Technology Engineering Math

○ Chemical Engineering ○ Mechanical Engineering ○ Industrial Engineering ○ Computer & Information Science ○ Medical/doctor/ Nurse Technician/ surgeon/ Research

• Architecture / Graphic Design / Interior Design
• General Education

○ Elementary, Secondary, Post-Secondary, Administration,

• English / Writing / Journalism

○ Editing, Multimedia Reporting, Technical Writing, Advertising

• Psychology / Social Work
• Anthropology/Cultural Studies
• Political Science / Law
• Business / Economics
• Fine Arts

○ dance , theater, music

• History

○ Museum, Library,

• Linguistics

How do I Apply for Scholarships?

Every Scholarship required different things, but here are a few things that you should have prepared that will help you when you are ready to apply for Scholarships…

• CDIB/Proof of Tribal Enrollment (if you are American Indian)
• Social Security Card / Proof of legal status
• Digital and Hard Copy photos of yourself (traditional Indian and mainstream clothes if possible)
• Biographical Information: Full page letter about yourself including your tribe. Should include educational goals

and future plans (this is much like a cover letter).

• Class enrollment schedule/proof of attendance
• Resume & Cover Letter (make a template that you can easily edit to comply with specific guidelines)
• Letters of Recommendation (3 if possible; two will be okay)
• Official transcripts (at least 5 copies) listing GPA, class rank, ACT or SAT score.
• AP Test scores if applicable
• Official billing statement from your college/university/ Letter of acceptance.
• Financial Needs Analysis/Financial Aid Award letter/worksheet

*** Edit everything carefully before you submit your final application!!!!***

Who Should Write My Letters of Recommendation?

• Employer
• Teacher
• School Counselor
• Mentor
• Coach
• Troop Leader

Hint # 1 choose someone who knows you really well and can write about more than just your GPA. Hint # 2 letters should reveal your true character and highlight positive things that you have accomplished. Hint # 3 help your recommender out by providing a detailed resume for them to reference. Hint # 3 have a diverse list of people to ask for letters of recommendation. Have a backup plan in case one of your choices cannot follow through. Hint # 4 Give your recommenders plenty of notice to complete a letter for you.

4 things to make your College Essay Stand out…

https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-scholarship-coach/2013/01/31/4-ways-to-make-your-scholarship-essay-stand-out publishBy Scholarship America, Contributor |Jan. 31, 2013, at 2:47 p.m

1. Know your audience: a. look closely at the questions of the prompt b. Research the organization giving the scholarship: what is their mission? c. Research past recipients you can find: What did they do to earn the scholarship? How are you like/unlike them? 2. Plan far in advance: a. Begin your research and planning at least a week before the deadline b. Craft an outline and keep it on hand throughout the writing process: this can help your essay stay concise and on target. 3. Make it personal and passionate: a. Fully answer the questions you've set out in your outline b. make sure every point you make is illustrated with a specific detail that shows you care about the subject. c. Putting your unique interests and perspectives on the page will go a very long way toward creating a memorable essay. d. Try to stay within two to three really great examples to avoid having an rambling essay. 4. Find an editor: a. make sure you have time to run your essay by a good editor b. Try to have more than one editor take a look at your essay if you have time. c. Read your essay aloud to yourself: does it flow? Does it make sense? Is it complete?

Cover Letters

Harvard Business Review Principles to Remember: Do:

• Have a strong opening statement that makes clear why you

want the job and why you’re right for it

• Be succinct — a hiring manager should be able to read it at a

glance

• Share an accomplishment that shows you can address the

challenges the employer faces Don’t:

• Try to be funny — too often it falls flat
• Send a generic cover letter — customize each one for the

specific job

• Go overboard with flattery — be professional and mature

Ready? Set! Apply…..

These are just few tips to get you started on your journey to finding Scholarships. There is a lot of information out there, it is important to remember to take it one step at time and try not to get too

• verwhelmed by the process.

Start early, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and stay determined. The results are worth it! If you have any further questions about how to navigate through finding scholarships for college, please reach out to an Indian Education staff member at your school. We are here to help!