GHMV College Counseling Newsletter
December 2018/January 2019
Fun Facts: What Is A Summer Program?
Are you ready for summer? The winter holidays are an opportune time to research summer programs. Students are encouraged to consider an internship or volunteer position, explore a career field, conduct research, participate an academic camp, or earn credit at the college level. Summer program deadlines range from December 1 - mid spring. Please be on the lookout for a PDF guide in an upcoming weekly newsletter. You can use this guide as a jumping-off point for research; however, know that this guide is not a comprehensive list of programs available.
Students are encouraged to meet with Mrs. Bowman if they wish to discuss specific programs or ask for assistance in researching additional programs.
Parent's Corner: Completing the 2019-2020 FAFSA or TASFA With Your Child
As a friendly reminder to parents of senior students, if you and your child have not completed the FAFSA or TASFA, you are strongly encouraged to do so over the holiday break.
Read here for 5 Financial Aid Tips for Parents (from a Parent) or select the link below.
Remember: The FAFSA is for US citizens and eligible non-citizens and the TASFA is for residents of Texas who are not US citizens and not considered an eligible non-citizen for FAFSA filing. (If you are uncertain if you should complete the FAFSA or TASFA, please contact Mrs. Bowman for assistance!)
To complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will need:
- Your Social Security Number
- Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
- Your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)
- Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
- Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
- An FSA ID to sign electronically.
If you are a dependent student, then you will also need most of the above information for your parent(s).
Need assistance completing the FAFSA or TASFA? Have your student set up an appointment with Mrs. Bowman or attend one of Cafe College's Wrap Up the FAFSA Events for one-on-one assistance.
Local/National Opportunities
Inspiring Girls Expeditions leads unique, FREE, wilderness science education programs for high school girls. Each summer a team of 8-9 teenage girls and 3 instructors spend 12 days exploring and learning about glaciers and the alpine landscape or fjord in which the expedition is based. They conduct scientific field studies with our team of professional glaciologists, ecologists, mountain guides, and artists.
The girls on the team also challenge themselves and gain self-confidence in their physical, intellectual, and social abilities. An Inspiring Girls Expedition is the science version of a “language immersion” experience – where we connect science with all aspects of daily life with the goal of creating lifelong advocates for Earth science, specifically, and the scientific process as a whole, regardless of whether or not they decide to specialize in science in college.
Kinetic Kids Volunteering Opportunities
Kinetic Kids offers physically-focused programming (sports and arts) for children living with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Trisomy 21, autism, brain tumors, cancers, and other neurological disorders. Volunteers 16 and older are welcome to volunteer independently; volunteers 14-15 must partner volunteer with a parent or guardian.
Two talented graduating seniors will be selected to represent Texas at the 2018 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC). Student delegates attend the STEM and outdoor adventure program, at no charge. Travel is included. The students also spend several days in Washington, DC.
Applications close on February 28, 2019.
The dates of NYSC are planned for June 27 - July 20, 2019. Only students who can attend the entire session should plan to apply.
Additional information is available at http://www.nysf.com/w/programs/nysc/faq/ and applications are available at http://apply.nysc.org.
Upcoming Test Dates and Registration Deadlines
Spring 2019 Standardized Test Registration Deadlines - 11th grade students are strongly encouraged to take both the ACT and SAT.
Jan. 11 - Registration Deadline for February ACT
Feb. 8 - Registration Deadline for March SAT
Mar. 8 - Registration Deadline for April ACT
Apr. 5 - Registration Deadline for May SAT
May 3 - Registration Deadline for June ACT and June SAT
June 14 - Registration Deadline for July ACT
For more information on how to register for standardized tests, please check your Naviance account. The pages labeled "Taking the ACT" and "Taking the SAT" are there for your convenience. For further questions or assistance, please contact your college counselor.
Scholarships with December and January Due Dates
Please use the scholarships posted below as a jumping off point for your scholarship research. For more scholarships or information on how to begin your scholarship search, see your college counselor.
Sponsor: Fisher House Foundation
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: December 1, 2019
Description: Scholarship is open to dependent unmarried children under the age of 23 of active duty personnel, Reserve/Guard, and retired military members, or survivors of service members who died while on active duty. Applicant must be enrolled, or planning to enroll, in a full-time undergraduate program leading to a bachelor’s degree at an accredited U.S. college or university in the fall term of 2018.
James M. and Erma T. Freemont Scholarship
Sponsor: Freemont Foundation
Amount: varies
Closing Date: December 1, 2019
Description: * Must complete high school in the spring of 2018
* Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale, excluding home school studies) and plan to attend an accredited HBCU (HBCU is defined as “historically black colleges and universities”.)
* Must have minimum SAT score of 1150 or ACT score of 21
* Must be a United States Citizen
* Must intend on pursuing an undergraduate degree in the sciences
* Must plan to matriculate at accredited HBCU for the Fall 2018/Spring 2019 academic year
* Must have the endorsement of their guidance counselor, submit two letters of recommendation and an official transcript
* Must complete an essay
Military Child of the Year Award
Sponsor: Operation Homefront
Amount: $10,000
Closing Date: December 5, 2018
Description: Award is open to young people ages 13 to 18 who are children of someone who is/was in the military. Student must be nominated by a parent, other family member, teacher, counselor, coach, community official, church leader, neighbor, other others.
Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarships
Sponsor: Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation
Amount: $5,000
Closing Date: December 5, 2018
Description: Scholarship is open to students in kindergarten through graduate school (ages 5-25) who have demonstrated ongoing commitment to their community by performing unpaid volunteer services impacting hunger in the United States within the last 12 months.
Wells Fargo Scholarship Program for People with Disabilities
Sponsor: Wells Fargo
Amount: $2,500
Closing Date: December 6, 2018
Description: Scholarship is open to students who have an identified disability and are high school seniors or current undergraduate students with at least a 3.0 GPA. Applicant must be enrolled at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university in the United States in the entire 2018-2019 academic year. Only the first 700 applications submitted will be considered.
Google Lime Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Lime Connect
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: December 10, 2018
Description: Applicant must be a current undergraduate or graduate student with a documented disability. Applicant must also be pursuing a degree in computer science, computer engineering, or a closely related technical field.
Science Ambassador Scholarship
Sponsor: Cards Against Humanity
Amount: Full-tuition
Closing Date: December 11, 2018
Description: Scholarship is open to women seeking an undergraduate degree in science, engineering, or math. Applicant must be enrolled in fall of 2019. There is no citizenship requirement, but student must be or planning to attend a college in the U.S. Applicant must submit a three minute video explaining a topic in science they are passionate about.
Letters About Literature Competition
Sponsor: Center for the Book in the Library of Congress
Amount: Up to $1,000
Closing Date: December 14, 2018
Description: Competition is open to students in grades four through 12. Applicant must select a fiction or nonfiction book, poem or play and write a personal letter to the author on how the author’s work changed the applicant or their view of the world. While some states have a deadline of December 14, there are other states with later deadlines. See website for details.
AXA Achievement Scholarship
Sponsor: AXA Foundation
Amount: Up to $25,000
Closing Date: December 14, 2018
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their activities in school, the community or the workplace. Applicants are encouraged to apply early as only the first 10,000 applications will be accepted.
Burger King Scholars Program
Sponsor: Burger King McLamore Foundation
Amount: Up to $50,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2018
Description: Program is open to graduating high school seniors who live in the United States, Canada or Puerto Rico. Applicant must have a cumulative high school GPA of at least 2.5 and plan to enroll full-time, without interruption, for the entire 2019-20 academic year at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school.
Burger King WHOPPER Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Burger King McLamore Foundation
Amount: Up to $50,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2018
Description: If you want to go a step further, the McLamore Family Foundation created the James W. McLamore WHOPPER® Scholarship Award, granting a $50,000 scholarship to three students each year since 2011. The four-year scholarship is intended to help the top students that apply achieve their educational and professional goals, along with serving as a tribute to Jim himself. Here are the details:
- Be a citizen of the United States or Canada,
- Have graduated from high school within the last three years or be a full-time student who is a senior at a high school or home school in the United States, Canada or Puerto Rico,
- Students who are applying as a full-time freshman to a four-year accredited, college or university that is located in the United States and is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code,
- Students who have a cumulative unweighted grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.3,
- Students who have a minimum ACT Composite score of 25 or a minimum combined SAT score of 1220,
- Students who demonstrate an active leadership role in community service, athletics, and/or similar co-curricular activity (such as student government, team sports, fraternal life, etc); and,
- Students who demonstrate substantial work experience.
Scholarships range from $1,000 to $50,000.
Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program
Sponsor: Foot Locker Foundation, Inc.
Amount: $20,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2018
Description: Scholarship is open to U.S. students who are currently involved in high school sports, intramural sports, or community-based sports. Applicant must be entering college in fall 2019 as a freshman at a four-year school for an undergraduate degree.
Pretty Lightroom Presets Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Pretty Presets For Lightroom
Amount: $500
Closing Date: December 15, 2018
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors, students transferring from high school to college, and current college students in the United States and Canada. Applicant must submit an essay and photos on topic related to Adobe Lightroom.
Scarlett Family Foundation College Scholarships
Sponsor: Scarlett Family Foundation
Amount: Up to $15,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2018
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who will or have graduated from a public, independent or homeschool association high school in 40 Middle Tennessee counties. Applicant must be pursuing a business or STEM approved degree at a four-year, non-profit college or university in the fall of 2018.
Diller Teen Awards: Tikkun Olam Award
Sponsor: Helen Diller Family Foundation
Amount: $36,000
Closing Date: December 18, 2018
Description: Scholarship is open to students who are 13-19 years of age, self-identify as Jewish, serving in a leadership role in a project dedicating to repairing the world, and residents of the United States.
National WWII Museum Essay Contest
Sponsor: The National World War II Museum
Amount: Up to $1,000
Closing Date: December 28, 2018
Description: Contest is open to middle school and high school students in the United States, U.S. territories, and military bases. Student must submit an essay sharing their thoughts on what the United States’ role as the ‘Arsenal of Democracy’ should be today. Only the first 500 essays will be considered.
Apprentice Ecologist Initiative Youth Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Nicodemus Wilderness Project
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: December 31, 2018
Description: Scholarships are open to students between the ages of 13 and 21 who are candidates for a degree/diploma at a primary (middle school), secondary (high school), or accredited post-secondary educational institution from any country around the world. Applicant must conduct their own environmental stewardship project in 2017.
Free Speech Essay Contest
Sponsor: Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: December 31, 2018
Description: Contest is open to juniors and seniors in U.S. high schools, including home-schooled students, as well as U.S. citizens attending schools overseas. Applicant must submit an essay on a given topic related to free speech.
George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest
Sponsor: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
Amount: Up to $5,000
Closing Date: December 31, 2018 (dates vary by state)
Description: Scholarship is open to students who are United States citizens or legal aliens who attend a public, parochial, or private high school (including accredited home schools). Applicant must submit an essay related to the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution. Student should contact their state SAR chapter for specific deadline.
Illustrators of the Future Contest
Sponsor: L. Ron Hubbard Library
Amount: $500
Closing Date: December 31, 2018
Description: Contest is open to new and amateur artists who have not been professionally published and paid for more then three black-and-white story illustrations, or more than one process-color painting, in media distributed broadly to the general public.
Image America High School Scholarships
Sponsor: Imagine America Foundation
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 31, 2018
Description: Scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors or recent high school graduates who have a high school GPA of 2.5 or greater and financial need. Applicant must be planning on attending a career college.
Influence Print Award for Design Excellence
Sponsor: Influence Print
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 31, 2018
Description: Scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors and current undergraduate and graduate students who are majoring or interested in design and applied arts or graphic design with strong academic records and outstanding creative abilities. Applicant must submit a design and a 300 word description of their design.
Sponsor: Texas Comptroller and Texas Tomorrow Fund
Amount: Minimum $100
Closing Date: December 31, 2019
Description: Applicants must meet the following criteria to apply for the Match the Promise program:
- Student must be a beneficiary of a Texas Tuition Promise Fund® account.
- Student must be a Texas resident and a dependent [1] for tax purposes of a Texas resident.
- Student must be in grade five through nine at the time of application.
- Student must have a family income [2] of $100,000 or less.
NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Essay Contest
Sponsor: NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund
Amount: Up to $1,000
Closing Date: December 31, 2018
Description: Contest is open to all students enrolled, or who will be enrolled, in an elementary, junior high or high school during the 2018-2019 academic year, including homeschooled students in an equivalent grade level. Applicant must submit an essay on the theme, “What Does the Second Amendment Mean to You?”
Poetry Card Contest
Sponsor: Blue Mountain Arts
Amount: Up to $350
Closing Date: December 31, 2018
Description: Contestant must submit an original poem.
Scholarship Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Live Poets Society of New Jersey
Amount: Up to $500
Closing Date: December 31, 2018
Description: Scholarship is open to all U.S. high school students. Applicant must submit an original poem with 20 lines or less.
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Sponsor: Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: Opens January 1, 2018/Closes March 31, 2018
Description: The HSF Scholarship is designed to assist students of Hispanic heritage obtain a college degree. Scholarships are available, on a competitive basis, to high school seniors. GPA requirements posted on the website.
NOTE: The 2019-2020 application has not yet opened, however, historically, the HSF application has opened on December 31 or January 1 every year.
MIT THINK Scholars Program
Sponsor: MIT THINK
Amount: $1,000 budget, chance to win $500 scholarship, mentorship, and a trip to MIT
Closing Date: January 1, 2019
Description: Applicant must be a current high school student at a school in the United States. Applicant must submit a project proposal on a science, technology or engineering idea.
GE – Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute and GE
Amount: $10,000
Closing Date: January 4, 2019
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors who demonstrate leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship at school, at the workplace, and in the community. Applicant must also demonstrate financial need.
Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award
Sponsor: From the Top
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: January 7, 2019
Description: Award is open to classical instrumentalists, vocalists, and composers between the ages of 8 and 18 who have not yet entered college during the 2018-2019 academic year. This is the second deadline. Deadline III is March 4, 2019.
Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship
Sponsor: The National Cartoonists Society Foundation
Amount: $5,000
Closing Date: January 7, 2019
Description: Scholarship is open to students at a four-year college in the United States, Canada or Mexico who will be a Junior or Senior during the 2017-2018 academic year. Applicants do not have to be art majors to be eligible for this scholarship. Applicant must submit an entry form and eight samples of their own cartooning artwork.
Ron Brown Scholar Program
Sponsor: Ron Brown Scholar Program
Amount: $10,000
Closing Date: January 9, 2019
Description: Scholars program is open to African-American/Black high school seniors who excel academically and demonstrate a keen interest in public service, community engagement, business entrepreneurship and global citizenship.
Junior Duck Stamp Contest
Sponsor: United States Fish & Wildlife Service
Amount: Up to $1,000
Closing Date: January 10, 2019
Description: Contest is open to students in grades K-12 who attend public, private, or home schools in the United States and the U.S. territories. Contestant must draw, paint, or sketch a picture of an eligible North American waterfowl species. Email the state coordinator for a state-specific deadline.
APIASF Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund
Amount: Up to $20,000
Closing Date: January 10, 2019
Description: Scholarship is open to students who are of Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity and are citizens, nationals, or legal permanent residents of the United States. Applicant must be enrolling as an undergraduate student in a U.S. accredited college or university in the Fall of 2018. Special focus will be given to students who live at or below the poverty level and/or are the first in their family to attend college.
KSCPP’s 11th National Essay Contest
Sponsor: Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project (KSCPP)
Amount: Up to $500
Closing Date: January 13, 2019
Description: Contest is open to Middle School and High School students. To apply, applicant must read a book available on the KSCPP website and submit an essay on a given topic.
NOTE: The website for the 2019 contest only reflects dates and deadlines for the middle school entrants. Interested high school entrants should contact the program coordinator directly to confirm high school contest dates BEFORE preparing materials for submission.
NRA Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.) Grand Scholarship
Sponsor: National Rifle Association (NRA)
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: January 15, 2019
Description: Scholarship is open to current sophomores and juniors in high school who are actively engaged in academics, leadership, and community service with at least a 3.0 GPA. If selected, student will travel to Washington D.C. to attend the Youth Education Summit (all expenses paid) to compete for the scholarship opportunities. Texas students will apply directly to the Texas Y.E.S. Summit; selected Texas Y.E.S. participants will go on to attend the National Summit.
National Sojourners Essay Contest
Sponsor: National Sojourners Inc.
Amount: Up to $2,000
Closing Date: January 15, 2019
Description: Contest is open to students in 9th through 12th grade. Applicant must submit an essay on a topic related to historical documents.
Washington Crossing Foundation Scholarship
Sponsor: Washington Crossing Foundation
Amount: Up to $5,000
Closing Date: January 15, 2019
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors who are U.S. citizens and are planning careers of service to the United States in local, state, or federal government.
Woodworking Manufacturing Students Scholarship
Sponsor: Woodworking Machinery Industry Association
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: January 15, 2019
Description: Scholarship is open to incoming and current college students studying, or interested in studying, a wood science or wood technology program at an accredited two-year or four-year technical school, college or university in North America.
Carson Scholars
Sponsor: Carson Scholars Fund
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: January 16, 2019
Description: Scholars program is open to students in grades 4-11 who excel academically and are dedicated to serving their communities. Applications must be requested by school officials. Applicant must have at least a 3.75 GPA.
Profile in Courage Essay Contest
Sponsor: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: January 18, 2019
Description: Contest is open to United States high school students in grades nine through twelve. Applicant must submit an essay on a given topic related to an act of political courage.
C-SPAN’s StudentCam Documentary Competition
Sponsor: C-SPAN
Amount: Up to $5,000
Closing Date: January 20, 2019
Description: Competition is open to students in grades 6-12. Student must create a short documentary video on “What Does It Mean To Be American?"
Sponsor: Coolidge Foundation
Amount: Full tuition, room & board, and expenses
Closing Date: January 23, 2019
Description: The Coolidge Scholarship is an annually awarded, full-ride, presidential scholarship that covers a student's tuition, room, board, and expenses for four years of undergraduate study. The Coolidge may be used by recipients at any accredited American college or university. Anyone of any background, pursuing any academic discipline of study, may apply to this non-partisan, need-blind program. Students apply for the Coolidge Scholarship during their junior year of high school.
Hamilton Award
Sponsor: Alexander Hamilton Scholars
Amount: $500
Closing Date: January 30, 2019
Description: Award is open to high school juniors who are college bound with a strong record of community service and academic achievement. Student must have financial and/or personal need.
National Catholic Society of Foresters Scholarship
Sponsor: National Catholic Society of Foresters
Amount: Up to $4,000
Closing Date: January 30, 2019
Description: Scholarship is open to Catholic graduating high school seniors and current college students. Applicant must be a NCSF member.
Association of Women in Mathematics Essay Contest
Sponsor: Association for Women in Mathematics
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: January 31, 2019
Description: Contest is open to students in grades 6 through 12 and undergraduate students. Student must submit an essay based on an interview with a women currently working in a mathematical career.
Discover Student Loans Scholarship
Sponsor: Discover Financial Services
Amount: $2,500
Closing Date: January 31, 2019
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors and undergraduate students who are 16 years of age or older. Applicant must sign up to receive helpful tips on planning and paying for college and they will be automatically entered into the sweepstakes.
Redfin Scholarship
Sponsor: Redfin
Amount: $2,500
Closing Date: January 31, 2019
Description: Scholarship is open to legal U.S. residents who are graduating high school seniors or current college freshman, sophomores, and juniors with at least a 3.0 GPA. Applicant must submit an essay on a given topic related to affordable housing.
RiSE Scholarship
Sponsor: RiSE Scholarship Foundation
Amount: $2,500
Closing Date: January 31, 2019
Description: Applicant must be current high school, college bound senior who has submitted applications to and is planning on attending an accredited college or university. Applicant must have a documented learning disability (a diagnosis of ADHD or ADD alone does not qualify).
Seniors - wanting to work ahead? The SAF (San Antonio Area Foundation) scholarships typically have deadlines in February and March.
Check out a comprehensive list of scholarships here and apply for them here.
About Us
Email: lauren.bowman@greatheartsmontevista.org
Website: http://greatheartsmontevista.greatheartsacademies.org/
Location: 319 East Mulberry Avenue, San Antonio, TX, United States
Phone: (210) 888-9485