Find some MONEY$$$
updated 9/26/08
by Cindy Weaver
November 21, 2005
Financial Aid Resources
Scroll below the table for a list of scholarships received by the Guidance Office.
***NOTICE***
| ATTENTION: Scholarships received by the Guidance Office will be posted below the chart of resources when they are received, listed in order of deadline for submission. Please stop back periodically to see what's available. Also, see searches listed below. |
| FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
must be filed by all college students (prospective ones, too)
before other aid will be considered by colleges. It is
free. Paper forms are available in the counseling
office. View the forms, get college code numbers, or file
on-line at . . . Note: Always list an Illinois college first on your FAFSA so that your file is processed into our state funding system as well as the federal data bank. |
www.fafsa.ed.gov |
| FAFSA filers can obtain a personal identification number (PIN) for on-line filing and status checks on Student Aid Reports at . . . PINs are now available in real time. | www.pin.ed.gov |
| To phone for a paper copy of the FAFSA OR help with the FAFSA and other federal programs, call . . . | 1-800-4-FED-AID |
| The main on-line address for information about
the U.S. Department of Education's financial aid programs is . .
. Students or parents can request a paper FAFSA form at this site OR they may download a PDF version. |
www.studentaid.ed.gov |
| The current version of Funding Your Education is available at . . . | www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/FYE |
| The current version of the Student Guide (to financial aid) is available at . . . | www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide |
| The Illinois Student Assistance Commission can be accessed by calling the Client Access for Student Information line at 1-800-899-ISAC or go to . . . | www.collegezone.com |
| A site with many links to federal agencies that provide funds for college is | www.students.gov |
| Managing the Price of College may help families plan to pay at | www.ed.gov/pubs/collegecosts |
| The College Board offers a CSS/financial aid profile free online at | www.collegeboard.org |
| Do online searches for scholarships at | www.wiredscholar.com/scholarships |
| Another free online search site is | www.scholarships.com |
| Yet another free online search can be found at | www.discovercolleges.com |
|
The Cappex College Fit Kit is actually a series of counselor tools but can be used by students to measure their progress in the college search process. Go to |
www.cappex.com/tools |
| Keep looking for scholarships at | http://www.finaid.org |
| Merit-based scholarships can be searched in a $11 Billion database at | http://www.meritaid.com |
| And don't give up yet, go to | http://www.fastweb.com |
|
For a scholarship drawing for tuition at a Christian school, go to the site at right and enter. The site offers information about Christian colleges at no charge. |
www.ChristianConnector.com |
|
A free service where you fill out one application that gets sent to multiple schools and also has scholarship applications is at |
www.ApplyingToSchool.com |
| The American Legion has sent a book listing scholarships they make available by state. Stop by the G.O. or go to | www.illegion.org |
| Sallie Mae offers parents a site for info from saving for college to estimating your likely awards. Go to | www.ParentAnswerService.com/KFC |
| Students: enter a profile and get a free scholarship search at . . . | www.CollegeAnswer.com/scholarships |
| and there are even more tips and strategies at . . . | www.CollegeAnswer.com/freemoney |
| Another net search tool is . . . . | www.nelnet.net/collegeplanning |
| Learn about school, careers, military service, and more at | www.forwardillinois.com |
| Explore colleges in virtual reality & financing tips at . . . | eCampusTours.com |
| Do even more exploring (including cost calculators and scholarship searches) at | www.collegegold.com |
| Parents: If you are looking ahead at financing a younger child's college, go to College Illinois! (a 529 prepaid program) by calling 1-877-877-3724 or go to . . | www.collegeillinois.com |
| Parents with younger children to plan for may want to look into tax sheltered savings/investment plan can look into Bright Start. | www.brightstartsavings.com |
Latest Scholarships from the G.O.
October 30, 2008 deadline: The Horatio Alger Foundation Scholarship is for students with “integrity, determination, and courage” as well as a minimum of a 2.0 GPA. Financial need will be considered. Go to www.horatioalger.org for details and to apply.
October 31, 2008 deadline: The 2009 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards are for those who do exemplary volunteer service for their communities. Call 1-877-525-8491 (toll free) to get a paper application or go on the web to www.prudential.com/spirit or www.principals.org/prudential to apply online.
December 1, 2008 arrival deadline: Illinois Dollars for Scholars “Lincolnland Legends” Essay Contest involves an essay about a community leader. Full details, including forms, can be obtained at www.illinoisdollarsforscholars.org and clicking on the “Lincolnland Legends” link.
December 15, 2008 deadline: The AXA Achievement Scholarships” will be awarded to students displaying drive and determination. Go to www.axa-achievement.com to learn more and to download applications.
January 5, 2009 deadline: The Iowa-Illinois Regional Autoshow Scholarship is for students who have a parent employed at a new car dealer in one of the qualifying counties in Western Illinois or Eastern Iowa. Visit www.cfgrb.org and look for the scholarship by name or phone 563-326-2840 for information.
“Write a Little. Win a Lot.” is the promotion for a writing competition that will award five $10,000 scholarships. Go to www.tuitiongiveaway.com for the details about the topic: “Why are you the most deserving person on the planet to win a scholarship?”
Be sure to see your college of choice for specific scholarships offered through their financial aid office or departments of study. Examples:
- Black Hawk Community College has a list for varied amounts at varied due dates. Go to http://www.bhc.edu to check.
Also, special interest groups can sometimes vget grants, like the one below:
Athletes with asthma should visit www.schering-ploughwilltowin.com for information about special scholarships.
