Senior Newsletter #7
October 26, 2018
Susan T. Buffet Scholarship
This is a scholarship that many students can apply for. It is a great scholarship that can cover tuition, room and board, and books. Students who receive this scholarship usually have their college paid for. We have had many students in the past get this scholarship! Elgibility is a outlined below. Please check to make sure you qualify. The application requires you to complete an online application, two letters of recommendation, transcript, essay, and SAR report from completing the FAFSA. This scholarship is not available until November 1st! All application materials are due February 1st.
To be eligible for a scholarship from The Susan T. Buffett Foundation, a student must:
- Be a resident of Nebraska
- Residency is determined by the institution where you enroll
- Graduate from a Nebraska high school or earn a Nebraska GED
- Achieve at least a 2.5 cumulative unweighted GPA in high school
- 2.5 on a 4 point scale
- 83 on a 100 point scale
- Be a first-time freshman when entering college
- Students obtaining dual enrollment credits in high school are still eligible to apply
- Plan to attend any of the following Nebraska public institutions:
- Nebraska Community Colleges - Central, Metropolitan, Mid-Plains, Northeast, Southeast, or Western Nebraska;
- Nebraska State College System - Chadron State, Peru State, Wayne State; or
- University of Nebraska - NCTA, UNK, UNL, UNMC, or UNO
- Be in need of financial assistance in order to attend school
- Note: Students do not need to be Pell Grant eligible to qualify
- Students must have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) below $10,000 in order to apply
- To calculate your EFC, use the College Funding Estimator
- You can also refer to your Student Aid Report if you have already completed the FAFSA
All eligible applications are reviewed and scored. Selection is based on the following criteria:
- Financial need
- Academic merit
- Personal essay
- Strength of recommendations
Every applicant who completes an application receives a decision notification via email by May 1st
Upcoming Events
ACT Deadline
This is the last day to register for the December ACT without a late fee.
College Visit Week
Nov 8 - UNO College Visit
Nov 9 - Criminal Justice Career Day
Big Scholarship Day
Several scholarships including RHOP, RLOP, Hagan, and many honors program deadlines are this day.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are often part of scholarship applications. Below are some tips for getting recommendations:
1. People to ask for letters of recommendation can be school teachers, counselors, administrators, church leaders, coworkers, bosses, or community organization leaders. Remember this is a professional recommendation. Family and friends probably know you well but they are not usually considered a professional recommendation. It is highly discouraged by scholarship committees to have a recommendation from family or friends.
2. Collect around 3 general recommendations and put them in your scholarship folder. When a scholarship requests letters of recommendation, these can easily be tweaked depending on scholarship criteria.
3. Provide the person recommending with a copy of your resume and the scholarship information. This will allow them to write a more specific recommendation for you.
4. Give the person recommending at least 2 weeks notice to get the recommendation completed.
5. Follow correct instructions for the submission of the letters of recommendation. Some have specific requirements to keep the recommendation confidential.
VFW Scholarships
The following scholarship opportunity are for local High School students. Please see the following information and the attached links for the applications. Please submit all applications through your Local VFW Post by October 31, 2018.
Voice of Democracy
Established in 1947, our Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 40,000 9-12 grade students from across the country enter to win their share of $2.1 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program.
The national first-place winner receives a $30,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school. A complete list of other national scholarships range from $1,000-$16,000, and the first-place winner from each VFW Department (state) wins a minimum scholarship of $1,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.
NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing
This award honors high school (grades 9-12) women who are active and interested in computing and technology. Each National Award winner receives cash and a trip to the National Award Celebration in March 2019. Winners of the national or affiliate NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing will also be eligible for University of Nebraska scholarships if they select a computing-related major ( $1,000 at UNL, $3,000 at UNK, and $1,000 at UNO).
Eligibility:
- Any US high school woman in grades 9-12.
- A US citizen or permanent resident who attends school in the US
- Has a US Tax Identification or Social Security Number
- Not an NCWIT employee and has no immediate family relationship with employees
- Has an outstanding aptitude and interest in computing, proven leadership ability, academic performance, and plans for post-secondary education.
For more information and to apply, go to https://www.aspirations.org/user/register to create an account. Deadline is Nov. 5th.
RHOP/KHOP
The Rural Health Opportunities Program is offered at all three colleges of the Nebraska State College System (Chadron State College, Peru State College, and Wayne State College) and the University of Nebraska Kearney (KHOP) to high school seniors in rural schools (Norfolk Senior High is considered a rural school). The is a partnership between the colleges and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The main opportunities of the scholarship program are:
- Full tuition scholarship at the state college
- Guaranteed admission to UNMC
Students then commit to working in a rural are in Nebraska after they graduate. The application process includes an interview at the college. This is a competitive application program. Below are summaries of programs offered for the specific colleges. Click on the College Title to go to the websites.
1. Wayne State College (Deadline to Apply is November 8th)
2. Chadron State College (Deadline to Apply is November 15th)
3. Peru State College (Deadline to Apply is November 15th)
4. University of Nebraska Kearney (Deadline to Apply is November 15th)
The Hagan Scholarship
The Hagan Scholarship is a nationwide need-based merit scholarship. The purpose of the Hagan Scholarship is to provide each recipient with the opportunity to obtain a four-year college education and graduate debt free, and to provide a practical understanding of important life skills not typically taught as a part of the school curriculum. These skills are taught via Workshops, Schwab Brokerage Accounts, and Study Abroad. Over 300 scholarships are awarded each year. Students receive up to $6,000 each semester for 4 years plus additional financial awards. Click here for a list of the many colleges that participate.
Eligibility:
- Must be a U.S. Citizen.
- Must attend an Eligible Public High School.
- Must be a student in the 2019 high school graduating class.
- Must have achieved a high school CGPA of 3.50 or higher.
- Must have scored 23 or higher on the ACT (Composite Score) or 1,200 on the SAT.
- Must enroll at an eligible four-year college the first semester following high school graduation.
- Must work 240 hours in the twelve months prior to the start of college; from August 2018 to August 2019.
- Must complete the FAFSA in 2018 using 2017 tax return information; the EFC must not exceed $6,500.
- Must apply for eligible Federal and State grants.
- Must not have been convicted of a felony.
The intended recipient of a Hagan Scholarship is a high achieving self-motivated student in need of financial assistance in order to attend college.
If you meet the eligibility requirements, I encourage you to apply for a scholarship by November 15th.
Elks Most Valuable Student
The 2019 Most Valuable Student scholarship contest is open to any high school senior who is a US Citizen.
Applicants will be judged on scholarship, leadership, and financial need.
Eligibility:
- Current high school seniors, or the equivalent, who are citizens of the United States are eligible to apply.
- Applicants need not be related to a member of the Elks.
- High school graduates are not eligible to apply.
- Applicants must be citizens of the United States on the date their applications are signed; permanent legal resident status does not qualify.
Awards:
- The Elks National Foundation will award 500 four-year scholarships to the highest-rated applicants in the 2019 competition.
- Male and female students compete separately.
- Ranging from $1,000 per year to $12,500 per year, Most Valuable Student scholarships are for students pursuing a four-year degree, on a full-time basis (minimum of 12 semester hours), in a U.S. college or university. All scholarships are in the form of certificates of award conditional upon the full-time enrollment of the winner in an accredited U.S. college or university.
Go to https://www.elks.org/scholars/scholarships/mvs.cfm to apply by November 15th!
Norfolk Senior High Counseling Center
Brandi Bartels E-K
Heather Marots L-Ri
Kendra Marshall Ro-Z
Connie Ingram - Administrative Assistant
Website: https://www.norfolkpublicschools.org/schools/norfolk-high-school/counseling/
Location: 801 Riverside Boulevard, Norfolk, NE, United States
Phone: 402-644-2534
Twitter: @NHSGuidanceNews