LA Local Scholarships 2021
Deadline: MOST Local Scholarships EXTENDED to Fri., March 5
Release of Local Scholarship Materials
This is the local scholarship packet in a virtual world.
The first attachment below is the directions sheet and the list of local scholarships with information on who should apply and what is required. If it says Local Scholarship Essay and nothing more, then you only submit the Local Scholarship Essay that is detailed in the directions.
The next attachment is the Recommendation Request Form. PLEASE read directions for that and follow closely. You must give your teachers at least ONE full week to complete a recommendation letter for you. Some teachers will be writing dozens of letters; most teachers are working more hours than ever to educate both LIVE and virtual students during this pandemic. Please give them plenty of time so that they can write a great letter for you!
An * indicates that there is a separate application or information page that is attached; we have attached those as editable PDF files so that you can easily type into them then print off. You can open, complete and print off only the ones you plan to do. If you don't have a printer at home, you can print these in the library at LA. Just save them to your LA student OneDrive or such and log in on a library printer to print what you need.
NOTE: You do not have to have Adobe to use these PDF files; they should open in a browser so you can edit them and then save or print off as needed.
I will be in your HEH's during the next week to answer any questions you may have about the local scholarship process. Some things you should know:
1. These scholarships are sponsored by clubs, businesses and individuals throughout our community who have chosen to support the future on LA graduates.
2. Each scholarship sponsor has its own selection process. LA simply collects these scholarship apps and delivers to the sponsors. In most cases, we are not on the selection committee. We do know that most committees very first step is to discard applications that did not follow directions; most don't even look at those!
3. Most LA students have need for $$ for college. It doesn't necessarily mean that your family is in poverty (or not). Need simply means that there is a GAP between the costs of you attending college and the aid/scholarships you have received plus what can reasonably be expected from your family. Don't be shy about describing your specific need! The more information you can provide the better!
To give yourself the best chance of winning:
1. Enter--you can't win if you don't enter!
2. Follow Instructions EXACTLY--if in doubt ask your senior seminar teacher or myself; the HEH teachers will ask me if they aren't sure--they won't steer you wrong. I literally had one provider tell me that only one student out of their 20 applications followed directions last year so that student is who won!
3. Don't procrastinate--LATE entries are not accepted. We give you a month (more this year); so we expect you to anticipate all the things that could go wrong if you wait to enter the last day or 2 (SNOW, COVID issues, computer issues, etc).
4. Don't plagiarize--I promise that the scholarship committees can tell if this is your own work or that of someone else. Parents--feel encouraged to proofread for your seniors but make sure it is the seniors work. In our quest to help as parents, we can help so much that the scholarship looks more like parent work than student work! I don't want to sound "preachy" and truly know how much we as parents want to help but I have seen our helping too much end up hurting this process.
5. Be honest in your applications! If it asks your future plans, be honest. Every year, I see a FEW students who change their plans to meet the qualifications for each scholarship (they write that they plan to be nurse for the medical focused scholarships, then they write that they want to be a teacher for the future teacher scholarships). The scholarship selection committees see this and you end up loosing both ways. If you are uncertain of your future plans, be honest about that and apply for scholarships that don't focus on one career area.
6. Fill in every blank on applications and again BE HONEST. You are asking for scholarships to HELP you with college expenses; this means that you will often be asked about family income and FAFSA data. Just be honest; know that the committees are very confidential with this information!
Parents: seniors have already began working on these during HEH. Their seniors success/HEH teachers are great to help them complete this process if they will just work with them. Most teachers are happy to proof local scholarship essays and help students with any technical issues during the local scholarship process!
Teacher Recommendation
This is designed to make sure LA Staff writes the best recommendation letter possible for you. By having all your info on this short form, teachers and staff can write more detailed letters that help you stand out as individual.
Please allow teachers at least a full week to write your letters! If you procrastinate and ask the day before these scholarships are due, we simply won't have time to write letters for you. This year is more demanding that ever on our teachers; please give them at least one full week to complete letters for you. You have this form now; you can go ahead and ask the staff you want to be writing these recommendations for you! You are welcome to email this completed form to teachers/LA staff!
Scholarship Applications and Handouts
Questions and Answers
SAR stands for Student Aid Report. You will log into your FAFSA account. You should see the option to view/print your SAR.
2. How do I get my transcript to use with one of these apps? You can email rlivingston@oc-sd.com or vfarris@oc-sd.com and request that we email to you for use with local scholarship applications.