Coca-Cola Scholarship

Coca Cola Scholars Foundation - awards range from $10,000-$20,000.  Students must be a high school senior; must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident; must have a minumum 3.0 GPA by the end of junior year.  www.coca-colascholars.org

3 Scholarship Search Engines you should use TODAY

Take a minute to login and create an account with these TODAY if you haven't already....
Fastweb - www.fastweb.com
Scholarships.com - www.scholarships.com
Merit Aid - www.meritaid.com
****Use an email address that you check frequently.  If you do not have a professional sounding email address, ex. yourname@gmail.com, go ahead and create a new email account before signing up.  Use your new professional email for all applications, etc.  :)

Senior Chilton County College Fair - Sept 9th

VHS Seniors will be attending the Chilton County College Fair on September 9th at 8:00 AM.  Our time to visit the schools/vendors will end at 9:30.  Permission forms will be going home this week.  Dress is Business Casual...no jeans or flip flops please.  *If you purchased a binder, it would be good to bring along to keep anything that the schools/vendors give you - scholarship info, business cards etc.

Here are some questions that you may want to ask (from NACAC) - make a personal list of what is important to you!!!

Admissions:
What are the admission requirements?
What qualities should prospective students have?
Which standardized test scores do you require?
What majors are offered?
What’s the most popular?
What are the application deadlines for admission?
Are interviews required?
Are there group or individual interviews?
How can I arrange a campus visit?
How long should I expect to wait for an answer once I submit my application?

Financial aid:
How much will it cost?
What financial aid options are offered?
When is your financial aid deadline?
Estimate the percentage of work study, loans, grants, and scholarships awarded in your financial aid packages.

Classroom:
What is the average class size?
How accessible are professors outside of class?
Will professors or graduate students teach my courses?
When must I choose a major?
Do I need a computer?
What student services are offered (tutoring, career counseling, study workshops)?
How are the libraries, computer labs?

Housing:
What type of housing is available?
Is student housing guaranteed for four years?
Would I have a roommate or live alone?
How are roommates selected?

Student life:
What special interest groups, activities, fraternities/ sororities are available?
What’s it like on campus on the weekends?
Are any programs offered to help students adjust to the college life?
Are intramural, club, and varsity sports offered?
How are the sports facilities?
What types of meal plans are available?

Just the facts:
What is the school known for?
What are recent graduates doing now?
How many freshman return for their sophomore year?
How safe is the campus and its surrounding neighborhoods? Time Saving Tip Print address labels to paste on the College Information cards. Include your name, address, e-mail, phone, high school, year of graduation, intended major(s), and extracurricular activities.

Career Search and Scholarship Search Tool from the Dept. of Labor

From Mr. Gaston, Education Services Specialist at Montgomery MEPS:
One of the career resources we use is CareerOneStop [http://www.careeronestop.org/], maintained by the US Dept of Labor. One page on it you and your students may find very useful is a Scholarship Finder. That link is [http://www.careeronestop.org/FindTraining/Pay/scholarships.aspx]. 

            - To get there from the homepage, you hover on "Find Training" (a purple box in the middle of the homepage), then click on "And More...". 

            - That will take you to the "Find Training" page. In the lower, middle part of the page, you'll see a purple "Find Training at a Glance" banner with 3 columns of information. The middle column is "Pay for Training." The 4th link under "Pay for Training" is "Scholarships"

            - Clicking on "Scholarships" will get you to the "Scholarships" page [http://www.careeronestop.org/FindTraining/Pay/scholarships.aspx 

College Visits at VHS - UA and Huntingdon

The representatives from the University of Alabama and Huntingdon will be here on the following dates to meet with Juniors and Seniors:
Sept 16th - Jared Twitty, U of A, 11:00
Sept 29th - Jenny McDavid, Huntingdon, 11:00

Mississippi State Scholars and Preview Day

Auburn College of Agriculture Events and Scholarships

Tuskegee Open House Sept 19th

Quest Bridge National College Match

Time and time again we hear this: "I heard about QuestBridge from my teacher or counselor...and it made all the difference."

We know that educators like you have the power to transform lives and to give high-achieving students the confidence they need to apply for the QuestBridge National College Match, which connects students with admission and full four-year scholarships to top colleges.

The application is open now and is due on September 28, 2015. 

Here are some additional resources to help you understand who we are looking for and our application process:

• Why Apply | Who Should Apply | How to Apply
• Profile of 2014 College Match Finalists
• Application Process Flowchart 

Remind! Sign up now! :)

Thanks to the 19 folks who have signed up for Remind.  Once 30 have joined, I'll have another prize drawing!  Click the link below to join.

https://www.remind.com/join/ccblog

$5 Scholarship Binders

Students,
Don't forget to bring $5 for the 2016 Senior Binder!  Make sure you check the Big Scholarship post on the blog - you may have to scroll down to find it.

Wendy's Heisman Scholarship

INSPIRING POTENTIAL AND CHANGING THE LIVES OF SCHOLAR ATHLETES EVERYWHERE

Since 1994, Wendy’s High School Heisman has honored more than 395,000 of the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors in partnership with the Heisman Memorial Trophy®. The leadership award-honorees are well-rounded young men and woman who excel in learning, performing, and leading in the class room, on the field and in the community.

Like The Heisman Memorial Trophy, Wendy’s believes in the pursuit of athletic and academic excellence with integrity. And in addition to honoring student accomplishments, Wendy’s High School Heisman inspires all future high school students to pursue their higher education goals.

Every year, Wendy’s High School Heisman and The Heisman Trophy Trust team up to recognize more than 5,000 of the best high school seniors and rewards $120,000 to schools across the country. The culmination of this process takes place in December in conjunction with the National Heisman Memorial Trophy presentation during Heisman Weekend in New York City.

Click Here to Learn More

ACT Registration Deadline for Sept 12th Test

Registration Deadline: August 21*  Test Date: September 12

Last chance for students to take the September ACT®test! Remind them to register today! Did you know . . . The ACT is the only college entrance exam with a September test date—the earliest testing opportunity for the school year. A student's ACT score can be used for applying to ANY US college or university, including Ivy League institutions and other highly selective schools. Not all colleges and universities require a writing test for admission—the ACT writing test is optional, saving students time and money. The ACT test score is based on the number of correct answers, with no points deducted for guessing. www.actstudent.org

Scholarship Tracking Tool!

Check out this article about how to stay organized while applying for scholarships!  At the end of the article is a link to an excel spreadsheet if you are interested.
Stay On Track With A Scholarship Application Organizer

University of Virginia Sept 2nd

BIG Scholarship Listing AND Book Checkout

Here is a listing of scholarships that you can start with - if a link is broken, search the title in Google. I have double checked the links - but make sure you pay attention to deadlines.  They may change from what I have listed.  A good idea is to keep a list of scholarships you applied for and deadlines in a binder.  I will have a Senior Binder available for purchase soon.  The cost will be $5.

If you would like to check out the large Scholarship Book (made by the College Board), come by the office.  You can check it out for 1 week.  :)

SCHOLARSHIP	AMOUNT	DEADLINE	DESCRIPTION
Alabama G.I. Dependent Scholarship	Tuition, books, and fees	60 days prior to enrollment	For children of parents with military experience
SunTrust Sweepstakes	$1,000	Link Begins Sept 14th!	Winners will be drawn every two weeks. You can enter each drawing.
Stokes Educational Scholarship	Up to $30,000	November 15	Introduces students to careers in national security
DefensiveDriving.com	1,500	November 21	Submit brief video about your biggest  pet peeve with other drivers
BBG Communications Youth Volunteer Scholarship  Award	$500	November 29	Requires 50 hours of community service in past 2 years and essay on how volunteering has impacted you
George W. Jenkins Scholarship	Over $50,000/year	December 1	The University of Miami seeks high achieving applicants  that have overcome adversity & have financial need.
Dr. Pepper	Up to $100,000		Tell your story and let others vote for you.  Final event at various football conference championships games
Alabama Cattlemen’s Association	Varies	December 1	Multiple scholarships available to the families of  ACA members
Elks Lodge Most Valuable Student	$1,000-$12,500/year	December 5	Scholarships given by local, state and national levels
Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen Pageant	Varies	December 5	Compete for the honor of representing the state at the national pageant
AXA Achievement Scholarship	AL  winner $10,000	December 15	Stresses motivation for success and respect for self, family and community
Burger King Foundation	$1,000 - $50,000	December 15	Awards for employees and non-employees. Based on academics and involvement
Odenza Marketing Group	$500	December 30	Requires a minimum of 50 volunteer hours
Imagine America	$1,000	December 31	Given to students pursuing career/technical education
National Eagle Scout Association	Varies	October 31	Honors the scholastic, scouting and service efforts made by members
Alabama Student Assistance Grant	$300-$2500	Connected to FAFSA (opens Jan. 1)	Provided to eligible Alabama residents that study at public college within the state
GE-Reagan Foundation Program Scholarship	Varies	WILL OPEN CHECK BACK	Exemplary leadership is rewarded through numerous awards.
Linly Heflin	$3,000	January 9	Female seniors only
The Gates Millennium Scholars Program	Full cost of college	January 14	1,000 talented minority students will be selected to study any field at any university they choose.
Dell Scholars	$20,000 and other resources	January 15	Students participated in a college readiness program (Upward Bound) are rewarded
Google Generation Scholarship	$10,000	January 15	Open to minority students interesting in studying computer science or engineering
Smith Scholarship Foundation	Last dollar	January 16	Award given to students that have overcome difficulties and hardships
Ronald McDonald House Charities	Varies	January 20	Offers four scholarship programs; RMHC Scholars, RMHC African American Future Achievers, RMHC Hacer, and RMHC Asia
1-800-wheelchair.com	$500	Sept	Write a poem and essay about overcoming some type of hardship
Ten Words or Less	$500	January 29	In ten words or less, tell why you deserve the scholarship
Navy ROTC	Tuition & stipend	January 31	Limited to participating schools
UA First Scholars	$20,000 over 4 years	February 1	Assistance from the University of Alabama to first generation college students
Dixie Youth Baseball	$2,000	February 1	Played Dixie Youth Baseball before the age of 13
Playing With Purpose	4-$2,000 20 - $300	February 1	Award is given to Christian High School student-athletes competing on the varsity level.
USDA 1890 Scholars Program	Tuition, books, room/board	February 1	Students interested in studying Agriculture related field at a HBCU
Max 4 Kids Foundation	$2,500	February 13	Given to graduating seniors holding a MAX account opened prior to Oct. 10, 2014
Alzheimers Foundation	$500 - $5,000	February 15	Write essay detailing how Alzheimers has impacted you or your family
Jackie Robinson Foundation	$24,000 total	February 15	Assist minority students with education finances
Daughters of the American Revolution	Varies	February 15	Awards offered for those planning to study Social Science, Nursing, Law, Music, and other fields.
Rise Scholarship	$2,500	February 15	Students with a documented learning disability receive financial assistance to further their education
BIG FUTURE	VARIES	VARIES	SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH TOOL (COLLEGE BOARD)
Buick Achievers	Up to $25,000	February 27	For students planning to attend 4yr school and major in an engineering related field
Inheritance of Hope	Varies	Varies	Series of cancer-related scholarships
Alabama College Scholarships	Varies	Varies	Exclusively for Alabama residents
Lake Mitchell HOBO Scholarship	$2,500	March 1	Must participate in Nov. 2 Lake Mitchell clean-up day. Application available in guidance
Jefferson State Community College	Full tuition	March 1	Requires 3.0 GPA and 22 ACT and two page essay. Application available in guidance office.
State Farm Good Neighbor Scholarship	$2,500	REOPEN IN JAN	GPA  2.5 – 3.2. Will only process first 700 applications.
Jefferson State Community College Ambassador	Full tuition	March 6	Selected students will serve as representatives of the school. Requires an interview for selection. Application available in guidance.
Alabama College Counts Scholarships	$2,000 for JC $4,000 for 4yr	March 19	Must have minimum GPA of 2.75 and ACT score of 26 or below. Wants to give at least 1 per county; 150 total
Alabama Baptist Foundation	Varies	REOPEN IN JAN	Alabama resident, member of Baptist church in Alabama Baptist State Convention
FASTWEB	VARIES	VARIES	SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH ENGINE
Future Educators Association	Varies	April 1	Given to students planning to major in education
Schoolsoup.com	Varies	Varies	Scholarships are from a wide variety of sources
College-Scholarships.com	Varies	Varies	Scholarships are from a wide variety of sources
Big Sun	$500	June 20	Available to all student-athletes