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Scholarships

NEW SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION!!

Name of Scholarship:      The Robert P. Amrhein Memorial Scholarship

Robert Amrhein was a young man who participated in many activities.  In addition to being a valued member of the debate team at PNHS, he competed in forensics, the swim team, was a member of the USS Great Lakes Aquatics team and was a member of the National Honor Society.  During high school he received several awards for outstanding academic performance, leadership and citizenship.  These awards included the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award, the Portage Northern Principal’s Leadership Award, the Jimmy Holms Perseverance Award and the Portage Northern Debate Departmental Award.

As a PN graduate of the class of 2006, some of Robert’s most admirable qualities were:  honesty, integrity, selflessness, acceptance of others, concern for others, leadership, compassion and a general spirit of good will.  Robert succumbed to cancer after a long, courageous battle on June 7, 2007. 

How to apply:

  • Applications will be available in the Portage Northern Counseling Office beginning December 1, 2009.
  • Students may be nominated by Portage Northern faculty.

Nominated students interested in being considered for the scholarship will be asked to fill out an application.  If not nominated, a student may nominate himself/herself.

Deadline:

  • Applications must be turned in to the Portage Northern Counseling office by February 19, 2010.
  • Recipient will be selected and notified in mid-March, 2009.
  • Recipient will be honored at the Senior Academic Awards Ceremony on May 13, 2010.

Criteria:

  • A PNHS senior who has attended Northern for at least 2 years and plans to attend a two or four year accredited college, university or vocational/technical school.
  • The student demonstrates the following qualities:
    • Honesty, integrity, selflessness, acceptance of others, concern for others, character, leadership, compassion and a general spirit of good will.  The award is primarily merit based, but financial need may be considered.

Award:

  • $4,000 non-renewable award…payable only to recipient’s college/university/school.

Free $cholarship $earch $ervices

Look beyond colleges and universities for scholarships.  Educational funding in the private sector has increased dramatically in recent years.  Review mainstream sources of funds, and be creative.  Think about what makes you different, and find groups that value that difference.  Many organizations offer scholarships, including: state and local governments, businesses, employers, clubs, associations, high schools, civic groups, religious organizations, trade associations, labor unions, political parties, military associations, private foundations, private charities, and ethnic organizations.

Kalamazoo Community Foundation: www.kalfound.org for students who live in Kalamazoo County

FastWeb: www.fastweb.com a searchable database of over 400,000 scholarships, fellowships, grants & loans

Wal-Mart Foundation:  www.walmartfoundation.org

Bank One Sponsored College Scholarship Site:  www.supercollege.com
 
SRN Express: www.srnexpress.com has a database of over 8,000 private, non-need based programs

College NET MACH 25: www.collegenet.com the fastest search on the Web

Free Scholarship Search: www.fresch.org has a database of over 1,900 resources

Peterson’s College Quest: www.iiswinprd03.petersons.com/ugchannel has a database of about 2,000 resources that cover 69 academic majors.

MI-SEARCH: www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid a search site for Michigan Residents

Sallie Mae: www.thesalliemaefund.org/smfnew/index.html

Black Excel Scholarship Gateway:  http://www.BlackExcel.org/link4.htm

Gates Millenium Scholars: www.gmsp.org a resource for African American, Hispanic American, American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian Pacific American applicants

Students with Disabilities: http://heath.gwu.edu

National Association of Hispanics:  students interested in journalism as a career can apply.  http://www.nahj.org/student.html

National Association of Black Journalists: Students should be attending a four-year university. A grade point average of 3.0 is desirable. Eligible students must be majoring in journalism-print, photography, radio, or television.  . http://www.nabj.org/programs/scholarships

Hispanic College Fund: Major site for Hispanic students majoring in business-related areas, A to Z (accounting, human resources, communications, and more. The award amount varies. Over 140 awards granted.  Deadline: April.  http://www.hispanicfund.org/scholarships

Arts Recognition and Talent Search Awards: These awards are granted to high school or college students (17-19 years of age) who show talent in dance, voice, music, art, photography, jazz, visual arts, writing, or other creative areas. You must audition or submit a portfolio or tape. The award is to be used for freshman year in college. Award amounts: from $100 to $3,000.  Deadline is June 1 or A1 (for registration in specific regions).  http://artsawards.org

Society of Women Engineers: These scholarships are targeted for women who are majoring in engineering or computer science. Award amounts are from $200 to $5000, and at least 90 are granted. The deadline for students already in college is February 1 but is May 15 for high school seniors entering an accredited program.  http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org

Ron Brown: The award: leadership, community service, all fields.  The deadline is usually in January. This is one of the most prestigious scholarships and it's very, very competitive. http://www.RonBrown.org

Jackie Robinson Foundation: The award is $6,000 per year. Number of winners: about 100.  It's renewable. Academic merit, leadership, community service, all fields. Deadline is usually in April. http://www.JackieRobinson.org

Project Excellence : The award is $4000 or higher (to full tuition). Number of winners: at least 600.  Academic merit, leadership, community service, all fields. Deadline: Feb http://www.project-excellence.com

United College Fund: The UNCF is one of our major scholarship gateways.  The awards are  of varying amounts, and there are a great many under different names and requirements (Grandmet, Duracell, for example). The deadline is usually December.  http://uncf.org/

Kodak Scholarships: The award: varying amounts to $5,000. Number of awards: Varies for those studying in film/cinematography at U.S. colleges. http://motion.kodak.com/US/en/motion/Education/Discounts_And_Scholarships/index.htm

Intel Science-Talent Search: The award is from $5,000 to $100,000. There are approx. 40 awards in this prestigious competition. You must  present a scientific research project.  http://sciserv.org/sts

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: For undergraduates studying accounting at a U.S. college with at least 30 credits completed. Awards up to $5,000, with about 300 winners annually. Deadline is in July. Go to website for GPA requirements and details. http://www.aicpa.org/members/div/career/mini/smas.htm

National Alliance for Excellence: Students can be seniors already in college. They must submit an application that can includes recommendations (academic, art slides), dance (tapes), photographs, and/or other materials that point to talent and achievement in all areas. Awards are for a minimum of one year, and over 100 are granted.  Applications can be submitted at any time. The selection process is ongoing.  http://www.excellence.org .

Tips on Applying for Scholarships

Scholarships – They’re Not Just About Grades!

One of the biggest myths about scholarships is that they’re won based mostly on grades.  As a result, a lot of qualified students don’t even apply for scholarships that could award them the recognition they deserve and the help they need.  High grades and test scores are significant but being a positive, well-rounded person is just as important.

1.  Fill out application on line if possible.  Otherwise, print carefully and legibly in ink.

2.  Use Spell check.

3.  Be completely honest about grades, experiences, memberships, qualifications, family finances and other information.

4.  Keep developing a “brag sheet” of all your activities.  As you participate in school, church, community or other activities update your sheet.

5.  Don’t forget to include unpaid work experience.  Jobs show initiative and that you know how to budget your time well.

6.  Don’t leave a space blank, if it does not apply to you write N/A.

7.  Talk to students who have already won the scholarships of interest and what worked for them.

8.  Carefully follow instructions.  If the scholarship asks for an essay with a word limit, do not exceed the limit.

9.  Only apply when the scholarships minimum requirements are met.

10. Proof read everything before sending it.

11. Supplement applications with personal letters of recommendation.

12. Strictly observe deadlines and even strive to submit applications early.

13. Follow up with a telephone call to make sure the organization received the application.

14. Remember to send thank you notes.

15. Know what you want and why.  You should be able to explain your goals and know what steps you will take to reach them.

Web resources:

Find your local Michigan Community Foundation: www.forgoodforever.org

Scholarship Searches:
www.supercollege.com/hotline
www.thesalliemaefund.org
www.fastweb.com

Beware of Scholarship Scams:

Warning signs:

  1. States you’ve won an award you never applied for.
  2. Scholarship Organization does not provide valid contact information.
  3. Guarantees you will win an award.
  4. Requires personal financial information such as a credit card number or bank account number to “verify” or “hold” a scholarship.
  5. “For a small fee, we’ll give you a list of scholarships”.
  6. We will do all the work for you.  There is no way to avoid submitting your own work for a scholarship application.

 

Beware of Financial Aid Scams:

Warning signs:

  1. While the presentation may be free, the services aren’t.  You may be pressured to give a check or credit card number to sign up for the service.
  2. You are told that the program can adjust your income and/or assets to make you eligible for financial aid.  Such practices are often illegal.
  3. The service tells you they can only answer specific questions after you have paid for the service.

Just because the seminar is being held at a local library or school doesn’t mean it is legitimate.  You can get help from your local colleges for free!  FAFSA filing with college professionals will be available on Sunday, February 8, 2009 from 1-3pm at Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business.

Report Scams to:
National Fraud Information Center: www.fraud.org
Federal Trade Commission (FTC): www.ftc.gov
Better Business Bureau: www.bbb.org
United States Postal Inspection Service: www.usps.gov/postalinspectors/fraud