Need Money for School? Here's A List of Scholarships & Application Tips!

I received a forwarded email with a list of available scholarships for minority students. This list is a very good place to start but I wouldn't rely solely on these because most of the scholarships are widely popular. This means that there may be a larger pool of applicants than there would be for local scholarships (like the STAR scholarship), but that shouldn't discourage you from trying. Here's what I think about all that:

1. You should be selective with your time and apply to scholarships that mainly match your background, career goals, etc. (see my last post about applying to scholarships). If a scholarship is for people interested in studying medicine and you are not interested in studying science it would be a waist of your time and the reviewers time for you to apply. 
2. Some of these scholarships also exist in a local format. Although they may be for less money, local scholarships may have a smaller amount of applicants which is less competition for you. For example, the National Black Association of Police Officers has a scholarship, but I know that this organization had a county chapter and I received $500 from this organization when I was applying.
3. Did I apply to any of these scholarships when I was going to college? Besides the one I just listed, the only other scholarship that I applied to on this list was the Ron Brown Scholars Program and I don't think I even finished the entire application. This is because I was more focused on local scholarships (i.e. churches, sororities, Long & Foster Realty local scholarship, police officers, feminist women's associations, city Character Counts scholarships, any-scholarship-I-could-get-my-hands-on scholarship, you get the idea) than super popular scholarships.That strategy worked for me because I didn't end up paying for school. However, I do know people who applied to larger scholarships, like the Gates Millennium Scholarship, and that worked for them too.
4. If you are going to apply, make sure you fill out the entire application and submit ALL of the requested materials (transcripts, resume, recommendation letters, etc.) Sometimes, an incomplete application is grounds for elimination.
5. Give yourself plenty of time to properly fill out the applications. If you can go to a computer lap during your school lunch time to fill them out or even after school--- the point is to pick a time when you're not stressed. Also give people writing your recommendation letters as much time as possible and then remind them as it gets closer to the due date. I would give people writing you a letter a deadline prior to the due date of the scholarship so that you have time to put all your materials together. I provided envelopes and my resume to all my recommenders, and sent a thank-you note afterwards. Writing the due date on the back flap of the envelope or putting a sticky note on the envelope helped my recommenders remember when I needed the letter.
6. Submit on time! I know that some of you are punctuality-challenged and are never on time to anything (like me) but a lot of scholarships don't read late applications. Some applications are online and the server shuts down at the time the application is due so you can't even submit the application online if it's late. But if you do all you can and you finished late, but you finished the entire application already then go ahead and turn it in. You won't be losing anything and you never know. Oh, and don't forget to fill out the FAFSA. 

After you've submitted it, breathe and let it go. You've done your part. Good Luck!

Scholarships for Students If you know any minority students (of any age) who could use a scholarship, please share this list... A AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship Program For women 40+ seeking new job skills, training and educational opportunities to support themselves. Academic Competitiveness Grant For first-year and second-year college students who graduated from high school. Actuarial Diversity Scholarship For minority students pursuing a degree that may lead to a career in the actuarial profession. Akash Kuruvilla Memorial Scholarship Fund For students who demonstrate excellence in leadership, diversity, integrity and academia. American Copy Editors Society Scholarship Available to junior, senior and graduate students who will take full-time copy editing jobs or internships. AORN Foundation Scholarship For students studying to be nurses and perioperative nurses pursuing undergrad and grad degrees. Automotive Hall of Fame Scholarship For students who indicate a sincere interest in an automotive related career. AWG Minority Scholarship For Women Encourages young minority women to pursue an education and later a career in the geosciences. AXA Achievements Scholarship Provides more than $600K in annual scholarships to 52 students – one from each state. B Beacon Partners Healthcare IT Scholarships Awarded to a student pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in the IT Healthcare field. Best Buy Scholarship For students in grades 9-12 who plan to enter a full-time undergraduate program upon high school graduation. Burger King Scholars Program For high school seniors who have part-time jobs and excel academically in school. C CIA Undergraduate Scholarship Program Developed to assist minority and disabled students, but open to all who meet the requirements. Coca-Cola Scholars Program Four-year achievement-based scholarships given to 250 high school seniors each year. D Davidson Fellows Scholarship Recognizes and awards the extraordinary who excel in math, science, and technology. Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund Need-based scholarships for college students are part of the progressive movement in their community. Dell Scholars Program For students who demonstrate a desire and ability to overcome barriers and achieve their goals. Development Fund For Black Students in Science and Technology For students studying science or technology at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Discovery Scholarship Annual scholarship for high school juniors to support continued education and training beyond high school. E Ed Bradley/ Ken Kashiwahara Scholarships Open to full-time students who are pursuing careers in radio and television news. EMPOWER Scholarship Award Designed to increase diversity in the medical rehabilitation field by awarding students of color. ESA Foundation Computer and Video Game Scholarship Program For minority and female students majoring in a field related to computer and video game arts. F Fulbright Scholar Program Sends faculty and professionals abroad each year to lecture and conduct research. Future Engineers Scholarship Program For students pursuing a career in engineering who shows outstanding academic performance. G Gates Millenium Scholarship Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; established to help low income minority students. Go On Girl Book Club Scholarship Supports authors of the Black African Diaspora who wan to write their way to college money. Google Anita Borg Scholarship For women who excel in computing and technology, and are active role models and leaders. H Hallie Q. Brown Scholarship For African American women who have a minimum C average, and can demonstrate financial need. HBCU Study Abroad Scholarship Provides travel opportunities for students of color who are traditionally under-represented in such programs Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program Provides fellowships to students who excel in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Javits-Frasier Teacher Scholarship Fund To increase diverse students’ access to talent development opportunities through teacher training. Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund For low-income women who have a vision of how their education will benefit themselves and their community. Joe Francis Haircare Scholarship For cosmetology and barber school students who can demonstrate a financial need. K KFC Colonel’s Scholars Program For college-bound students who can demonstrate financial need, and have a GPA of at least 2.75. L Lincoln Forum Scholarship Essay Contest A writing contest pertaining to the life and times of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era. M McKesson Pharmacy Scholarship Designed to assist pharmacy students who plan to continue their education. N National Achievement Scholarship Established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding African American high school students. National Black Police Association Scholarships For students pursuing careers in law enforcement, criminal justice, and other related areas. National Institute of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship For students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are pursuing science and health-related research. National SMART Grant Available to full-time students who are majoring in science, math, technology, engineering, and more. P PMI Educational Foundation Scholarships Established for students in the field of project management or a project management related field. R Ron Brown Scholar Program Seeks to identify African American high school seniors who will make significant contributions to society. Ronald Reagan College Leaders Scholarship Seeks to recognize outstanding young people who are promoting American values on college campuses. S Siemen Competition Competition for individual or team research projects in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. T Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholarships For first-generation students majoring in business, finance, science, engineering, and more. Tri-Delta Scholarships For students who excel in chapter and campus involvement,community service, academics, and more. Tylenol Scholarship For students pursuing a career in health care who can demonstrate leadership and academic qualities. U United Negro College Fund Scholarships Administers 400 different scholarship programs so low-income families can afford college, tuition, and books. U.S. Bank Internet Scholarship For high school seniors planning to enroll or college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors already enrolled. USDA/1890 National Scholars Program For students seeking a Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, food, or natural resource sciences and related majors. V Vanguard Minority Scholarship Program Provides merit-based scholarships to minority students studying business, finance, economics, and more. W William B. Ruggles Right To Work Journalism Scholarship Available to undergraduate and graduate students who are majoring in journalism or a related field. Writer’s Digest Annual Short Story Competition Contest for writers who can compose the best fictional short story, written in 1,500 words or less. X Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship For academic high-achievers in science, engineering, and information tech

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Roadmap to Getting Scholarships

Some of you think about this topic all the time! A lot of you stress about it. I was fortunate to have received an undergraduate and graduate education fully covered by scholarships. I think that it is very possible for others to do so as well if you are really motivated and have the time to dedicate to finding fitting opportunities and applying properly. The truth of the matter is that the process can be long and discouraging.  Some of you may end up getting loans to go to school like many people do and that is fine too. It is just something you should understand and prepare yourself for as much as possible while still being able to enjoy high school. Last year, I did a meeting about scholarships and college prep and got an email from a nineth grader asking me how she can get started. Here was my response to her and I think this could be helpful to other nineth graders. For those of you further ahead in your studies, I will post the tips sheet I created last year about resumes, interviews, tracking your applications, scholarship searching, etc.

Part 1
There are quite a few ways to get started and the approach I would recommend is called Starting with the End in Mind (kudos to author, Steve Covey). That basically means that you are going to design your remaining three years of high school based on a desired result (getting scholarships to go to college). As a nineth grader, you still have a while to go before you can apply to many scholarships, but it will make Junior year a lot easier if you already did a few things now.

1) Start considering a few fields of interest for the future. It doesn't have to be a specific position or career track, but just imagine yourself in fields that may work for you.

2) Identify a few potential colleges that someone interested in this field might attend. Don't forget to add Montgomery College or an in-state school to your potential schools because Maryland colleges tend to give Maryland residents more money to attend their schools.

Part 2
Once you have done these things you will have a basic idea of what kind of student these colleges are looking for, and what kind of college might get you to your future career. Ex. if you decide you want to be in the field of medicine, you may identify a school like Johns Hopkins University as your target. By looking through their website for "prospective students" you may find out they prefer students with GPAs above 3.6, have had some volunteer/internship in medicine, and taken honors/AP courses in chemistry and biology. Having this information, you can do the following:

1) Start volunteering at elderly nursing homes, adult care centers, hospitals, etc., join a science club, and gain some volunteer/internship or work experiences in that field maybe every summer to build your resume and for you to see if that's really where you want to go. A resume is basically just where you are going to start keeping track of all of the things that you do that show you are a great student. You'll want to have a section for:
a) Academic achievements- keep track of semesters where you get high GPAs, honor roll, or straight A's. Also keep track if you submit a paper for any competitions or anything like that.
b)Extracurricular activities- keep track of every single group you are a member of and if you hold any kind of leadership/officer position for any of them. You will want to be in at least one school club while you are in high school. Not only will this make school a little more fun for you while learning more about others, but it will also give you a chance to show your social skills and leadership capabilities.
c)Volunteer/internship- every time you do an SSL activity keep track of it. Especially if its doing something that is close to your field. I would ask your career center coordinator and counselor for any opportunities to work in something close to what you are interested in. Also, if you have time, do community service even if it isn't in your field because it's important to give back, and it shows you are involved in your community and can balance school with life.

2) You will know what kind of grades you need to get in your classes so that you can get in to whatever school you really want and will stay focused on that goal.

3) You can look for scholarships for people with your profile that want to work in that field. For example, there may be scholarships for women to study medicine, for black people to study medicine, for people from low-income families to study medicine, for people that live in Maryland to study medicine, etc. Google can give you a starting place by typing things like "Scholarships for medicine or health". Fastweb.com is also a good start. Look at the applications and familiarize yourself with what they ask for so you'll be ready when you apply junior year. You can look for scholarships from major companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi, large government agencies, nonprofit foundations, churches, etc. in any section of their website where they talk about Giving to the Community.

4) Start locally. Look at what clubs, churches you go to, places your parents/family members work and check out if those places give scholarships. Even McDonald's gives scholarships so you'd be surprised.

Feel free to email me if you have more questions. Now go and forge your path to success!

Let's Keep it Real

Being honest is important to being a person of integrity. However, the most important person you have to be honest with is yourself. We can sometimes let ourselves see things in a light that makes us feel better about what we've done and about who we are. Sometimes this is a defense mechanism of masking the past, masking who we are, or what we've done, or what we let happen, or what we allowed others to do to us. Masking things seems like a way to cope with people or the past, but it's really just a temporary band-aid. The issue swells inside of your heart and later resurfaces in a different light or you become a different person because of what you're carrying inside of your heart. Sometimes we get angry at others and we don't really know why but the real problem lies within and has never been resolved. Check out a quick video I did about some simple steps to being honest with yourself. We all know that it's easier said than done, but it's a process that has to start somewhere. So, when you're ready to be real with yourself begin by:

 1) Admitting/acknowledging it. Whether it's the past, who you are, what you did, what you allowed to happen, or whatever is at the root of what troubles you.

2) Accept it. Whatever it is. Accept it for what it is and what it was. Forgive yourself and the parties involved in order to let go and use it as a lesson learned. But most importantly, let it go. We did an exercise called Pandora's Box in one of our meetings. You write the name of a problem of a person or something you did in the past that hurt you. You can also write how it made you feel on it. Once you have written it all down you put it in the box and it's a physical representation of your letting it go. You can even tear the paper to pieces if that helps.

3) Honor yourself. Decide who you want to be from this moment, what you will accept, what you want, who you want to be in your life, how you want to live your life. Honoring yourself means being true to yourself and your feelings; it means acting in alignment with what your heart desires. If you say you no longer want to allow people to talk down to you and you're in a situation where someone is talking down to you it might make you feel uncomfortable. You have to honor your feelings and your wishes either by removing yourself from the situation or addressing the person (if appropriate) and being true to yourself.

Keeping it real with others is fine but none of it matters if you can't be honest with you. You can do it.