At Scholarships 101 for NSPA in New Orleans: The Scholarship Lady, Mrs. Haynes, and Ms. Bates of the University of New Orleans Classic Upward Bound Program

A few weeks ago I was a speaker and participant at the National Scholarship Providers Conference in New Orleans.  I met scholarship judges, administrators and donors, guidance counselors, scholarship database company reps, and precollege advisors.  I’m still tired (yet inspired) from that week.

Over the next few weeks I’ll share what I learned (it’s too much for one post) but here’s a few quick pieces of scholarship advice:

(1) as scholarship providers allow online applications, the number of applications goes up (more competition) but the quality of applications, overall, seems to go down (less competition?)  Think about that when you apply online.  I’m guessing if you proofread one extra time and take greater care in answering the questions you will stand out.

(2) in scholarships that are based on hardships or challenges, your survival of the hardship is not the primary criteria on which you are judged it’s how you overcame the hardship and went on to thrive afterwards that is more compelling to a judge (at least the ones I talked to).

Right on the heels of meeting scholarship providers I was also a speaker at College Explosion, a half-day event that was held at Marquette University.  About 500 students attended and my session had 100 people.  Even though I was the speaker, I learned a lot from the audience:

(1) ask questions and press for answers until it makes sense to you.  If no one else in your family went to college, a lot of the terminology that people use could be difficult for you to comprehend.  It’s OKAY to ask people to explain, especially when a scholarship (f r e e money) is involved.

(2) it’s okay to share your private pain.  Some students approached me afterward with very personal issues about cancer, disabilities, etc. wondering if there are scholarships available related to those issues.  The answer is YES!  You can find them on national and local search engines or through word-of-mouth in your community.

More later…

I’ve been thinking a lot about the debate around merit-based vs. need-based scholarships.  For centuries, students have been rewarded with scholarships based on attaining high levels of academic achievement.  Sure, colleges and sponsors would help  the “less fortunate,” but as of 2007, the majority of private scholarships (about 75%) used “merit” as their main qualification.  However, as more college access programs have opened the doors of academia to a broader population, students of modest means have had a chance that historically was reserved for people with money.  Should these cash-strapped students pay their own way like their more-advantaged counterparts or should some of this “merit” money be re-directed to the people who actually need it?  What if you are an exemplary student but you’re not considered low-income?  Should the money that would have been allocated to you go to someone who doesn’t possess 4.0 gpa but they are only held back my limited financial resources? 

I’m already noticing a shift among people that would probably not have considered themselves “low-income” a year ago but may consider it now based on how they have fared during the recession.

What do you think?

Busy month.  In the last few weeks I have done boot camps for girl scouts, Stein scholars, and Cardinal Stritch’s ACT prep group.  So, what did I learn from these students? 

1. The quiet students in the back that I thought might be texting were really absorbed in the class and listening.

2. That the new “thanks-a-lot” Girl Scout cookies are really yummy and kept me sugared up during boot camps. Thanks girls!

3.  That students who have guts and creativity are all around…Check this out:  A young man in one of my boot camps completed the “Dream Letter” assignment that is part of the scholarship boot camp.  (Learn more in Scholarships 101.) Instead of writing the letter to himself or to someone he loves, he wrote the letter to the mayor and the common council.  His letter described his dream of going to college, his lack of funds and how HE is important to the economy as a future college graduate…Apparently, they were wowed because he is going to meet with some big wigs down at City Hall to talk about his ideas and his aspirations.  We’ll see what happens from here but I can guarantee that this student is going to have an excellent story to tell on college and scholarship applications because he took this assignment seriously and added his own twist. 

Sometimes students only look at “extra” assignments or out-of-school studying as more work instead of looking at it as an opportunity.  The students who took the ACT prep class on a Saturday were definitely doing more work but their higher scores are going to translate to more opportunity.  Opportunities to be considered by more selective colleges, opportunities to qualify for more merit-based scholarships, opportunities to meet other college-bound students, etc. etc. The same goes for all of the students I met this month who are taking the extra steps to improve their future.  Good luck!

Last week on The Scholarship Lady Show I was able to interview Kevin Ladd of Scholarships.com.  It was a great interview with tips on how to use Scholarships.com to improve your odds of finding scholarships.  Kevin also announced that they will again sponsor the Resolve to Evolve Essay scholarship competition (starts in May).  I asked him for tips on winning scholarships and here’s a few pieces of advice:

1.  Realize that everything gets noticed.  Everything.  Your spelling, language, neatness, etc.

2.   Your effort is evident.  If you throw it together at the last minute just know that you are competing with students who spent a great deal of time perfecting their applications.

3.  Be genuine.  You need to stand out and using cliches or generic essay material won’t put you ahead of the competition.  (Being genuine and memorable will)

Listen now or download the podcast to hear trends in the scholarship world and the advice Kevin gives to students:  Inside Scoop from Scholarships.com

Since this is peak season, I’m providing this uber-rich resource reminder.  Some of THE BEST scholarship advice is provided at my Blogtalkradio show in interviews with the experts.  It’s all free for download or you can listen to the archives. 

Past Shows: (click on the link)

Summer of Scholarships – how to use your summer to become scholarship-worthy - “Between the beach and the ball field is there any time left for preparing for college?”  Advice direct from The Scholarship Lady

Surfing for Scholarships with Guest Christopher Penn  – Learn how you can use Google to maximize or enhance your scholarship search. Guest is a financial aid expert, blogger, podcaster and representative from the Student Loan Network

Opportunity Knocking -   Joe Tavares from Center for Student Opportunity talks about their new book for low-income, minority, and first-generation students and which colleges treat them well.

Getting in without freaking out -  Stop the Stress!  get tips from Arlene Mathews, college planning consultant, about the admissions process

Free Help with Finanical Aid – Filling out the FAFSA – Director of College Goals Sunday shares her advice and places you can go to get help

College Matchmakers:  Zinch.com – Why wait for colleges to respond?  Get recruited by colleges that are looking for students exactly like you.  Here about this new free service for students.

Coming up – Interview with Kevin Ladd of Scholarships.com – Mark your calendar for Tuesday, February 17th at 3 pm CST at my radio show.

Do you want to know how to blow past your competition on the scholarship trail?  Go beyond the Internet!Last night I co-presented a Scholarships 101 workshop for parents and I shared my four strategies for scholarship searches:  online, in print, word-of-mouth, and self-promotion. 

Most students will look at a few websites or log into a scholarship search site, perhaps even tack on a trip to the counselor’s office to grab “the list of scholarships” but that’s it.  The problem with that approach is that all of your competition is doing the exact same thing.

Yes, start on the Internet but to craft a better list of matching scholarships, you should do extensive keywords searches in multiple categories.  For instance, yesterday I found eight scholarships awarded by restaurants.  (see my post at the blog www.morethanatestscore.com) You could also search department stores, sports teams, etc.  Think of any major retail segment and chances are they award scholarships.  Think beyond the Internet, though.

Next, really look at printed resources.  Why?  Because your competition isn’t!  Have you dug up last year’s graduation bulletin?  Sometimes they list which students won which scholarships.  Have you read the local newspaper?  That’s where small civic groups will make their application announcements and showcase picutres from their fundraisers.  Those fundraisers are often for scholarship programs! The small local scholarships aren’t likely to appear on the evening news and they aren’t on MySpace, Facebook or Twitter.  Check newspapers, graduation bulletins, old school newsletters, community boards at the library or grocery store, etc.  Paper is your scholarship friend.

Don’t stop there, we’re just getting started! Did you ever “hear about” that scholarship for grocery store workers?  Caddies?  Duck calling?  Word-of-mouth can be a very powerful tool in opening up opportunities that are specific to your personal profile and experiences.  Most parents like to brag about their kids so this would be a good time to let folks know that you need money for college.  In my former job I helped research more than 700 local scholarships and today, even though I thought we uncovered them all, I still hear about new ones.  The only problem with word-of-mouth is consistency and quality of information.  Did you hear about that scholarship for the children of left-handed authors with brown eyes who are scholarship experts?  For real.  Sara’s mom’s trainer told her about it…    With word-of-mouth always find the original source!

Yes, I gave you permission to brag but as I mention in my book, do so with a dose of humility – especially if you are going to engage in blatant self-promotion.  Self-promotion means that you are actively providing your teachers, mentors, coaches, neighbors, employers, family members, friends, and faith leaders with your scholarship resume so they can be aware of your scholarship-worthiness.   You might think that everyone knows how fabulous you are but maybe they don’t.  Or maybe they don’t have specifics.  If they know a little bit more about you, they are more likely to help you or think of you if they are connected to scholarship sources or information.

Searching for scholarships can be time consuming but contrast that with how long you might be paying off student loans and those hours are a bargain!  More later.  Happy searching,

The Scholarship Lady

P.S.  Get all my tips here: Scholarships 101:  The Real-World Guide to Getting Cash for College

Do you want to know what breaks my heart?  When highly qualified students contact me  – in a panic – in August and ask me if I know of any scholarships because their tuition is due in a week.  ugh.  I can feel the pain.

If you are not aware, NOW is the time to apply for most scholarships if you need money for fall college enrollment.  January, February and March have more scholarship deadlines than other times of the year.  Why?  Because the scholarship providers need time to review the applications and make their decisions before school’s out.  Students want to know before they head off to college how much money they have to help pay the bills.  This timing also coincides with preferred financial aid deadlines at many colleges.

If you haven’t started applying for scholarships yet, don’t wait or you will miss out on the money!

If you need a tool to help you, please get my book, Scholarships 101:  The Real-World Guide to Getting Cash for College.  It’s full of street-smart advice, organizational tools and time-saving tips.  C’mon, all the cool kids are doing it. 

Starting Monday I’m doing a book giveaway to celebrate National Scholarship Month! There is a lot to celebrate.  I was reminded of this when I did a scholarship boot camp for the Nehemiah Project’s  MUSEL program earlier this week.  One of the students asked, “Where does the money come from?”  Of all my boot camp questions this is my favorite question.  The money comes from charitable, generous people who on their own, or through another organization, give away their own money so that others can have a chance at college.

In our money-hungry debt-laden world we often forget that scholarships are an act of charity.

Stay tuned to learn about how the Scholarship Lady gives back and will be giving away free books.

Whew.  I’m tired.  I was in Indianapolis last week at the National Scholarship Providers Association where I gave two presentations:  “Scholarships 101 for Counselors” and “More Than Money:  Creating Value-Added Scholarship Programs.”  While I was on the agenda to share information from my book and from my consulting work I LEARNED so much from all of the other professionals there.   I had personal conversations with Mark Kantrowitz from www.Finaid.org, Kevin and Dan from www.scholarships.com, Mick and Dave from www.zinch.com, and dozens of other professionals.

Here is what you should know:

• The student loan market is volatile right now and several lenders have pulled out or created more stringent lending guidelines.  This will affect people with lower credit scores more than people with high credit scores.  Read a good explanation at www.finaid.org/creditcrisis and go to the bottom of the article for a real-world summary.
• The best scholarship search sites have strong relationships with funders and they actively recruit scholarship sponsors to post on their site, instead of relying on a generic database.  This is a lot of extra work for them but it provides better information for you the student.  Scholarships.com has done this.
• Getting colleges to understand the full background of a student is very difficult through a typical paper or online application.   Using photos, pdfs, audio or videos can provide colleges with a glimpse of the real you.  Through the online profile functions at www.zinch.com you can upload all of your details and then colleges (more than 600 of them) can check you out.  The bonus?  It’s free to you, with little-to-no ads, except ads for scholarships!

I learned much more that I will share in another post.  Good luck!

The Scholarship Lady