scholarship and grant opportunities

SCHOLARSHIP
AND
GRANT
OPPORTUNITIES
Don't Get Scammed on Your Way to College!
Financial aid scams are a hot topic these days.
You should be aware of the tactics companies use
to convince students to buy their services. Here
are some of the most common claims students
are hearing:
"I'd like to offer you a scholarship
[or grant]. Alii need is your bank
account information so the money
can be deposited and a processing
fee charged."
"If you use our services, you're
guaranteed to get at least $5,500 in
student aid for college, or we'll give
you your money back."
Watch out! It's extremely rare for a legitimate
organization to ch arge a processing fee for a
scholarship. Some criminals imitate legitimate
foundations, federal agencies, and corporations.
T hey migh t even have official-sounding names
to fool students. D on't give anyone your bank
account or credit card information or your Social
Security number (SSN) unless you initiated the
contact and trust the company. Such personal
identification information could be used to commit
identity theft. If yo u've been contacted by someone
claim ing to be from the U.S. Department of
Education (ED) and asking for your SSN or bank
account information, do not provide it. (ED does
not make such requests.) Instead , immediately
contact the agen cies listed below.
This claim doesn't mean anything. Most students
are eligible for at least $5,500 in unsubsidized
student loans anyway-and because a student loan is
considered student aid, you won't be able to ask for a
refu nd if that's all you're offered. No on e can guarantee
to get you a grant or scholarship. Remember, too, that
refund guarantees often have conditions or strings
attached. Get refund policies in writing.
"Applying for aid is complicated. We're
the only ones who can help you through
the process and find all the aid for which
you're eligible."
Unlikely. There are many places to get free help applying
for student aid. Check with yom school counselor or
college fu1ancial aid office for h elp filling out the Free
Applicntion for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA5M). Yom
school or college also can help you find scholarships.
And be sure to try the free scholarship search at
www.studen taid .ed .gov/scholarship
Don't Pay to Fill Out the FAFSA
The FAFSA is a free application.
Fill it out at www.fafsa.gov.
Other sites will charge you.
Download this fact sheet at www.student aid.ed.gov/pubs
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To find out how to p revent or report a financial
aid scam , visit or call:
Federal Trade Commission
www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscam s
1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)
(TTY for the h earing impaired: 1-866-653-4261)
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Inspector General Fraud Hotline
www.ed.gov/misused
1-800-MIS-USED (1 -800-647-8733)
oig.h [email protected]
For more ideas about where to find free
information on student aid , visit Looking
for Student Aid Without Getting Scammed
at www.studenta id.ed.gov/LSA.
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TAR T HERE
• ·:::.
G 0 F U RT H E R
· .::::·
EDERAL STUDENT A ID•
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CONSUMER ALERT
Federal Trade Commission-- Bureau of Consumer Protection -- Office of Consumer and Business Education
OUCH ... Students Getting Stung
Trying to Find $$$ for College
Washington, D .C. -- Need money fo r college? D oesn 't everybody?
With tuition bills skyrocketing, and room and board going through the roof,
students and their fam ilies are looking for creative ways to finance a co llege
education. Unfortunately, in their efforts to pay the bills, many if them are falling
prey to scholarship scams.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, unscrupulous companies
guarantee or promise scholarships or grants. Some guarantee that they can get
scholarships on behalf of students or award them "scholarships" in exchange for an
advance fee. Most offer a " money back guarantee"-- but attach conditions that
make it imposs ible to get a refu nd. Others provid e nothing for the student's
advance fee -- Not even a list of potential sources; and still others tell students
they've been selected as "fi nalists" for awards that require an up-front fee.
Sometimes, these companies ask for a student 's checking account to "confirm
eligibility," then debit the student ' s account without consent.
T he FTC cautions students to look and listen for these tell-tale lines:
•
•
•
•
•
•
" The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back"
"You can' t get this information anywhere else."
" I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold thi s scholarship."
" We' ll do all the work."
"The scholarship w ill cost some money."
"You've been selected" by a ' national foundation' to receive a scho larship -- or
"you' re a fin alist in a contest you never entered.
The FTC says many legitimate companies advertise that they can get students
access to lists of scholarships in exchange for an advance fe e. Others charge an
advance fee to compare a stud ent's profile w ith a database of scho larship
opportunities and provid e a list of awards for which a student may qu ali fy. And,
there are scho larship search engines the Worl d W ide Web. The di fference:
Legitimate companies never guarantee or promise scholarships or grants.
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TIPS FOR RESEARCHING SCHOLARSHIPS
FROM PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS
To effectively utilize your time and energy in looking for scholarships
and aid from the private sector keep these tips in mind.
MAJOR FIELD OF STUDY
DO NOT LIMIT YOURSELF TO A SPECIFIC MAJOR BUT LOOK FOR FAMILIES
OR FIELDS OF STUDY WITHIN A MAJOR. For example, when looking for
scholarship information as a business major you should inquire about resources
available for accounting, banking, business administration, economics finance, public
relations, marketing, insurance, and others.
PERSISTENCE
WHEN REQUESTING FINANCIAL AID OR SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION, BE
PERSISTENT AND FOLLOW-UP:
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If you don't hear from the sponsor regarding application information, send second
and third requests.
If the fall deadline has passed call and find out if it has been extended.
If they say, 11you don't qualify, 11 find out why.
If you are an "alternate11 rec~pient be sure the sponsor has correct telephone
numbers at home, school and work so they can reach you.
DEADLINES
DON'T MISS THE DEADLINE! This can make it an uphill battle. If you do miss a
fall deadline, ask about a spring deadline.
THE DISCOVERY PROCESS
BE SURE TO INVESTIGATE ANY PROSPECTIVE SPONSOR OF AIDII
Talk to your counselor and make use of the resources available in the Guidance
Office and the Counseling Center. The Coin Career Library online is available to our
students and parents. It is a quick and easy-to-use career exploration and planning
resource and is available 24 hours a day. You will find specific information on how to
access this site in the Counseling Center Resources section of the book: We also have
numerous books that are updated and purchased each year. We have many of the
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same resources that are used by high priced college scholarship and financial aid
search companies.
Contact business and industrial groups that provide services or products in your
major or career field to see if they sponsor students who are entering their
profession or industry.
Contact successful leaders in your community to see if they are sponsoring students
or know of associates who sponsor students who go to college.
Visit your library. Ask the librarian to recommend resources on financial aid for
college.
Contact your parent•s employer to inquire about possible sponsorship for family
members of employees.
Contact the department chair within your college or university to see if the
department has its own scholarship program in addition to the programs offered by
their college office of financial aid.
Contact your local chamber of commerce to find out if the community is sponsoring
students in specific professions (medical students, engineers, teacher, etc.) who will
return to the sponsoring community after graduation to practice their profession for
a specific amount of time.
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of listening to the daily
announcements in school for scholarship information. These announcements
are also printed on the school website. In addition there is a special
section on our website that lists all of the scholarships that are made
available to us for the students of Archbishop Wood. This is important all
year round, but especially in the spring when many local scholarships
become available.
REMEMBER: THERE ARE MANY SCHOLARSHIP POSSIBILITIES TO
INVESTIGATE. FIND OUT WHAT•s OUT THEREI COMPUTER
SEARCHES PLUS YOUR OWN RESEARCH SHOULD YIELD A
VARIETY OF SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES.
REMEMBER... THE FUTURE BELONGS TO
THOSE WHO PREPARE FOR IT/!
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IMPORT ANIT
SCHOL~RSHIPIN~ORMATION
MANY SCHOLARSJMIPS ARE OFFERED liO WOOD
STUDENTS AND STUDENTS FROM THE LOCAL AREA.
A PARTIAL LESl:" OF THESE SCHOLARSHIPS BEGINS ON
THE NEXT PAGE.
A DESGRIPTION OF THESE
SCHOLARSHIPS AND MANY OTHERS CAN BE FOUND
ON liHE ARCHBISHQP WOOD WEBSITE. THE
APPLICATI0N PROCESS AND ACTUAL APPLICATl!ONS
CAN BE FOUND THERE AS WELL.
FOLLOW THESE STEPS
TO FIND THE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE
1. Sign on to www.archwood.org
2. Click on About Us
3. Click on College Scholarship Information
Be sure to look at this list frequently, it is updated regularly.
We
leave all scholarships on the website throughout the year. This makes
it possible to see what scholarships have been available in the past and
anticipate what could be available in the future. Please be sure to
listen to morning announcements. All of the scholarships are announced
on the TV as well .
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SCHOLARSHIP POSSIBILITIES
ALMOST ALL COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES AND SCHOOLS
GIVE SCHOLARSHIPS.
YOUR BEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR
A PARTICULAR SCHOOL IS ITS FINANCIAL AID OFFICE.
LI STED BELOW YOU WILL FIND A PARTIAL
LIST OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS.
SPECIFIC INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS FOR MOST OF
THESE SCHOLARSHIPS CAN BE FOUND ON WWW.ARCHWOOD.ORG
A. Marilyn Moyer Scholarship- Bucks County Res1dent
AIAA Aerospace Engineering - Paul Gorsuch Scholarship - Aerospace Career
American Dream Scholarship
American Heritage Federal Credit Union Scholarship- Parent Must be a Member
Anna M. Vincent Scholarship- Student Must be Employed
Asian American Women's Coalition- Cecilia Moy Yep Scholarship
Asthma Athlete Scholarship- "Will to Win" - Schering Plough
Bernard Harr is Scholar ship
Big 33 Nursing Scholarship - Nursing Major
Big Brothers/Big Sisters Scholarship
Bucks County Community College Disability Scholarship- Neuber
Bucks County Li brarians Assoc. Scho larship- "Bucks for Books"
Burger King Scholarship
Cameron Foundation Scholarship
Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce Scholarship - "Bucks Beautiful "
Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce - Engineering Major
Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce - Chemistry Major
Centr al Bucks Registered Nurses Assoc. Scholarship
Certified School Nurses Assoc. of Bucks County Scholarship
Chalfont Lions Club Scholarship - Chalfont or New Britain Res1dent
Coca Cola Scholarship
Comcast Scholarship
Doylestown Hospital - Must Live in the Area of Doylestown Hospital
Doylestown Lions Club - Must Live in Doylestown and Enroll in Healthcare
Dunning Scho larship - Natalie- Education
Dunning Scholarship- W. Gordon- Medicine
Edward Lange! Memorial Scholarship- Feasterville Businessmen's Assoc.
Elizabeth Moyer Memorial Scholarship- Feasterville Rotary- Live in Feastervlfle Area
Emergency Aid of Pennsy lvania Scholarship
Greater Horsham/Willow Grove Chamber of Commerce Scholarship
Greater Willow Grove Charities/Rotary Scholar ship- Willow Grove Residents
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Harry W. Fawkes Scholarship- Students Attending Bucks County Community College
Herb Kohl Memorial Scholarship - Warrington Lions Club - Warrington Resident
Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards
Holy Redeemer Volunteers
Horatio Alger Assoc. Scholarship
Horsham Lions Club Scholarship - Horsham Twp. Resident, Community Service
Horsham Little League Scholarship
Horsham Rotary Club Scholarship - Horsham Twp. Res1dent, Top 20% of Class
Hughesian Grant Scholarship - Buckingham Twp.
Intelligencer- Rudy Millarg Scholarship
John Fisher Citizens Scholarship- "Courier Times"- Nomination
John McKee Scholarship- Fatherless Boys
Katherine Ryan Scholarship - Bucks County Resident, Top 20% of Class
Keystone Farm Credit Scholarship
Knights of Columbus/Beneficial Savings/Frank King Scholarship
Langhorne Rotary Club
Latino Leadership Alliance of Bucks County Scholarship- Latino Heritage, Community Service
Long & Foster Scholarship
Louise Fleischer Memorial Fund Scholarship - Nursing Major
Lower Southampton Athletic- Eric Hanson Memorial Scholarship
Martha K. Smith Memorial Scholarship- Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce
Martin Luther King Scholarship
Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo- Bensalem Resident
McDonald's Scholarship
Mensa Scholarship
Mervyn Sluizer, Jr. Scholarship- Eagle Scout
Middletown Community Foundation - Middletown Twp. Resident
M. Verna Butterer Educational Trust Scholarship - Bucks County Resident
National Alliance Scholarship
National Assoc. of School Principals Scholarship
Navmar Applied Sciences Corp-George F. Eck Memorial Scholarship - Bucks County Resident
NFIB - National Federation of Independent Businesses
NIH - National Institute of Health
PACB- Pennsylvania Assoc. of Community Bankers Scholarship
Penndelphia Scholarship - Philadelphia Resident
Pennsylvania Burglar & Fire Alarm Scholarship
Pennsylvania House of Representatives Scholarship
Pennsylvania Masonic Foundation
PHEAA- Robert Byrd Scholarship- Top 5 % of Class
Plumbers Union Scholarship
Polish Heritage Society Scholarship - Must be of Polish Descent
Prudential Spirit of the Community Scholarship
RMHC/HACER - Ronald McDonald House Charity Scholarship
Robert L. Imperial Memorial Scholarship - Achievement in the Face of Adversity
Ron Brown Scholarship- African American Student
Roslyn Town Watch- Roslyn Resident
SAE Engineering Scholarship
SAMMY - Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year
Samuel A. Green (SAG) Scholarship - First Trust Bank- Parent Must be a Member
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SEAP Apprentice Program Scholarship
Soroptimist International -Nomination
Southampton Business Association - John Danenberger Scholarship - Resident of Southampton
Southampton/Warminster Lions Club Scholarship
Soroptimist International - Nomination
U. S. Senate- JCI Foundation Scho larship
USA Today Scholarship
United Steel Workers Scholarship
Veterans of Foreign Wars Scholarship
Village Improvement Assoc. of Doylestown Scholarship- Central Bucks Resident, Health Major
Warminster Area Women's Club Scholarship - Warminster Resident
Warminster Chamber of Commerce Scholarship - Any S enior
Warminster Rotary Club Scholarship - Any Senior
Warrington Lions Club- Herb Kohl Scholarship- Warrington Resident
Warrington Rotary Club Scho larship - Live in or Adjacent to Warrington
Washington Crossing Foundation Scholarship
Wendy's High School Heisman Award Scholarship
William C. Ashworth Scholarship - Abington Township- Abington Resident
Willow Grove Rotary Scholarship- Willow Grove or Hatboro Res1dent
Willow Manor Players- Ruth Kletzing Memorial Scholarship- Theatre Major
UNION SPONSORED SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDS AND STUDENT FINANCIAL AID
SPONSORED BY THE AFL-CIO , NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL, DISTRICT,
REGIONAL AND LOCAL UNIONS .
If you or your parents are members of any national or international union you may be
eligible for financial aid. The organizations are to numerous to be listed here. You or
your parents should check with your union representative for this information.
STATE FEDERATIONS (PENNSYLVANIA ONLY)
Pennsylvania AFL-CIO (Member's local must be affiliated with t he Central Labor Council
and the Pennsyl vania AFL-CIO)
CONSULT THE MANY PUBLICATIONS AND PAMPHLETS THAT ARE
AVAILABLE IN THE GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT OFFICES.
There exists a wealth of sources of financial atd Check-out every
possibility When the returns are in, then you can make a decision as to what
you can afford Financial atd can be applied to approved trade/ technica~ and
professional schools as well as colleges.
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