Four Steps to Financial Aid
<<< STEP 1: WHAT IS FINANCIAL AID?
Scholarships
What this section covers:
Types of Scholarships
| Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship |
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| Eligibility: | Current Alabama high school senior whose name is submitted for consideration by the school guidance counselor. Recipients are judged solely on ACT or SAT scores and grade point average. |
| Awards: | $1,500 each year for up to four years of undergraduate work. |
| Application: | None |
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| American Legion Auxiliary Scholarship |
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| Eligibility: | Alabama resident who is the son, daughter, grandson, or granddaughter of a veteran of World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Beirut, Grenada, Panama, or Desert Storm. |
| Awards: | Tuition, fees, and room and board at a public four-year, state-supported college in Alabama. Awards are restricted to students who attend schools having on-campus housing. |
| Application: | Write to the American Legion Auxiliary, 120 North Jackson Street, Montgomery, AL 36104 or call (334) 262-1176. Please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Application deadline is April 1. |
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| American Legion Scholarship |
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| Eligibility: | Alabama resident who is the son, daughter, grandson, or granddaughter of a war veteran. |
| Awards: | $850, renewable yearly. Awards are restricted to students who attend participating schools. |
| Application: | Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Department Adjutant, The American Legion, P.O. Box 1069, Montgomery, AL 36102 or go to www.alabamalegion.org. Application deadline is May 1. |
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| Junior and Community College Athletic Scholarship |
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| Eligibility: | Full-time student enrolled in an Alabama public junior or community college. Awards may be renewed on the basis of continued participation. Renewable awards are based on athletic ability determined through tryouts. Limits on various sports apply. Awards are not based
on financial need. |
| Awards: | Tuition and books. |
| Application: | Contact the coach, athletic director, or financial aid officer at the school you plan to attend. |
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| Junior and Community College Performing Arts Scholarship |
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| Eligibility: | Full-time student attending an Alabama public junior or community college. Awards are based on demonstrated talent determined through competitive auditions. Awards are not based on financial need. |
| Awards: | In-state tuition. |
| Application: | Contact the financial aid office of the school you plan to attend. Competitive auditions will be scheduled as part of the application process. |
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| Two-Year College Academic Scholarship |
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| Eligibility: | Student accepted for enrollment at an Alabama public two-year college. Renewable awards are based on demonstrated academic merit as determined by the school's scholarship committee. Awards are not based on financial need, and priority is given to in-state residents. |
| Awards: | In-state tuition and books. |
| Application: | Contact the financial aid office of the school you plan to attend. |
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| Alabama Works Technical Scholarship |
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| Eligibility: | Alabama resident who is planning to enroll in a Workforce Investment Act-approved
Alabama institution; holds a high school diploma or GED; enrolls in one of the
technology target areas in which Alabama needs skilled workers, including information
technology, manufacturing technology, automotive manufacturing technology, and
aerospace/aviation technology; develops a two-year training plan with employment
goal; and is continuously enrolled until program completion. |
| Awards: | Maximum of $1,500 per semester or similar training period for documented costs of
tuition, fees (except late fees), books, and tools required for the training program. |
| Application: | Contact the financial aid office where you plan to attend; write to Alabama Works
Technical Scholarship Program, 15 Technology Court, Montgomery, AL 36116-3200;
call (866) 855-1916 or (334) 280-4449; e-mail scholarship@alabamaworks.org; or
visit www.alabamaworks.org/scholarship.html. |
Scholarship Scams
Don't fall prey to a con artist
Most information about scholarships you may qualify for is available for free on the Internet, from your guidance counselor, or the financial aid office of the college you plan to attend. Be careful about spending any money trying to track down sources of college financial aid.
Scholarship search companies may charge hundreds, even thousands of dollars to give you a list of scholarships. That's money better spent paying for college. With a little detective work, you can find financial aid sources yourself.
Your guidance counselor should have a copy of Affording Higher Education, an Alabama Student Loan Program-KHEAA publication that lists some 4,000 financial aid sources for Alabama students. After talking with your counselor, contact the financial aid office of each college you're interested in to discuss financial aid programs.
You should also attend any free financial aid workshops sponsored by your high school, local colleges and universities, or the Alabama Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (AASFAA). Don't confuse free events with events sponsored by companies offering services for a fee.
The internet can also be a valuable resource tool for free scholarship sources, but beware of sites that ask for a credit card number.
Remember: Web sites are not regulated by anyone. A scam artist can set up a great-looking site, rake in money, and then shut down.
Common Cons
The Federal Trade Commission cautions students to be especially skeptical about scholarship search companies and Web sites that claim:
"The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back."
Read the fine print. To get a refund, you may have to receive a letter of rejection from every source on your list. That may be impossible to do if a scholarship on your list is no longer offered. Some companies have even been accused of providing fake sources to make sure you can't get a rejection letter. The fine print may state that all types of student financial aid are included, so if you get a loan but no scholarships, you can't get your money back.
"You can't get this information anywhere else."
Nearly all the information can be found by working with your guidance counselor and college financial aid officer, visiting your high school or public library, or doing your own free online scholarship search.
"I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship."
Never give these numbers to a person or company you're not sure about. Someone with your credit card number can charge something to your card, and someone with your bank account number can make withdrawals — without your knowledge.
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Scholarship Search 