AHS Scholarship Newsletter
What you need to know about scholarship searching this spring...
The time we affectionately refer to as scholarship season in the guidance office is here. Scholarship season is when the majority of our local scholarships open up for seniors and typically lasts through early May. During this period of time, over 100 local scholarships become available for AHS seniors. The majority of those scholarships come from the Ashland County Community Foundation. Their online application opened on January 1st. In order to be prepared for all of these local opportunities, try following these six tips:
1. Bookmark the AHS scholarships webpage: http://arrowsguidance.weebly.com/scholarships.html
Our scholarships page serves as our hub of information during scholarship season. It includes a calendar of local scholarships and their due dates as well as any applications that need to be printed off and submitted the old-fashioned way. We just added 10 new scholarships...head there and check them out.
2. Create a calendar of the scholarships you plan on applying for that includes their due dates and where you need to turn them in. Some scholarships are submitted online, others are mailed by the student, and a few are submitted to the guidance office. Knowing where you need to turn it in becomes very important if you are running up against a deadline.
3. Create a list of your activities, awards, employment history, and any other information you feel might be relevant for donors to know about you. Many scholarships ask for this information in addition to your other materials, and most online scholarships ask you to put this information in online. It will be much handier and quicker for you if it’s already done.
4. Get ready to fill out your FAFSA. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. While it is not mandatory to have this done to apply for scholarships, there are quite a few scholarships that will ask you for an EFC number if they are based on financial need. You will only have an EFC if you have completed your FAFSA. You can learn about the FAFSA here and begin filling out the application here after January 1st.
5. Pay close attention to the reminders the guidance office sends out through our Remind messaging service January through May. During this time our reminders focus mostly on scholarship due dates or announcements about financial aid.
6. Spend some time working on the essay prompt below. It the major essay question that goes with the Ashland County Community Foundation application. It is a broad question and really gives students the freedom to include personal stories that don’t show up in other parts of their application. There is a 500 word limit, so it is important to be concise. This is not the time to recycle your college essay. Your story and how you plan on using the scholarship are important. The prompt is here:
Describe your educational and career goals and plans; why you chose your selected major/field of study; what you hope to gain from your college experience; and why this scholarship is important to you.
1. Bookmark the AHS scholarships webpage: http://arrowsguidance.weebly.com/scholarships.html
Our scholarships page serves as our hub of information during scholarship season. It includes a calendar of local scholarships and their due dates as well as any applications that need to be printed off and submitted the old-fashioned way. We just added 10 new scholarships...head there and check them out.
2. Create a calendar of the scholarships you plan on applying for that includes their due dates and where you need to turn them in. Some scholarships are submitted online, others are mailed by the student, and a few are submitted to the guidance office. Knowing where you need to turn it in becomes very important if you are running up against a deadline.
3. Create a list of your activities, awards, employment history, and any other information you feel might be relevant for donors to know about you. Many scholarships ask for this information in addition to your other materials, and most online scholarships ask you to put this information in online. It will be much handier and quicker for you if it’s already done.
4. Get ready to fill out your FAFSA. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. While it is not mandatory to have this done to apply for scholarships, there are quite a few scholarships that will ask you for an EFC number if they are based on financial need. You will only have an EFC if you have completed your FAFSA. You can learn about the FAFSA here and begin filling out the application here after January 1st.
5. Pay close attention to the reminders the guidance office sends out through our Remind messaging service January through May. During this time our reminders focus mostly on scholarship due dates or announcements about financial aid.
6. Spend some time working on the essay prompt below. It the major essay question that goes with the Ashland County Community Foundation application. It is a broad question and really gives students the freedom to include personal stories that don’t show up in other parts of their application. There is a 500 word limit, so it is important to be concise. This is not the time to recycle your college essay. Your story and how you plan on using the scholarship are important. The prompt is here:
Describe your educational and career goals and plans; why you chose your selected major/field of study; what you hope to gain from your college experience; and why this scholarship is important to you.
7. If you need help, check in the guidance office. If you have any trouble we are happy to help point you in the right direction or troubleshoot any problems you are having. Happy Scholarshipping!