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Scholarships & Financial Aid

Scholarships  |  Financial Aid  | General Tips about Both 
Helpful Internet Links

Scholarships
To be eligible for MMSD scholarships, a student at La Follette must have attended a minimum of six full terms, one of which must be the 16th or final term.  GPA for scholarships and eligibility for honors are calculated using the seventh semester or 15th term GPA.  ACT and SAT scores used for scholarship consideration must be on record no later than December 1 of the student’s senior year.

La Follette High School is fortunate that a variety of state and local organizations give annual scholarship monies to Memorial High School graduating seniors. Each agency or organization sets the criteria, which must be met for the money to be awarded. The criteria vary widely, but most often relate to grade point average, service to school or community, leadership, character, participation in extra-curricular activities, or some combination of the above. Two scholarships that people frequently inquire about are the Wisconsin Academic Excellence Scholarship and the Wisconsin All-State/Byrd Scholarship, which is given to the person with the highest GPA.  Often schools will have as many as 25 to 30 students tied for number one in class rank, all with cumulative GPAs of 4.0.  Effective with the 2004-2005 school year, top rank for those with 4.0 GPAs will be determined by using the highest composite ACT score (or the highest converted SAT score) from a student’s best single test date (tests taken no later than December of a student’s senior year).  If after using this test score approach, a tie still exists (i.e. six students all share composite ACT scores of “35”) our committee declares that a deadlock exists.  In this event, there exists no further method that would fairly and objectively separate one outstanding candidate from another.  At this point the names of the students tied at each test score level would be entered in a random lottery.  The lottery would be supervised by one of the high school principals, to yield a final rank ordering.

General Advice About Scholarships

Thousands of students seek scholarships every year. The fact is, there are lots of scholarships for students going on to school; however, most of these scholarships have very specific eligibility criteria (i.e., academic performance, athletic achievement, financial need, minority status, gender, career choice, community service, leadership, test scores, etc.)

When it comes to academic scholarships, students generally must have an outstanding GPA, high test scores, excellent recommendations, and be involved in extracurricular and/or community activities. To receive an athletic or talent scholarship, a student must truly be outstanding. Even though it's not easy to obtain academic or talent scholarships, students and parents who are willing to invest the time and energy may find that their efforts pay off handsomely. When looking for scholarships, keep the following in mind:

1. Start early. Begin looking into possibilities during your junior year. Be ready to locate and complete applications early in the senior year.
2. Finding and applying for scholarships takes time, energy, and persistence.
3. The larger scholarships are usually awarded by the college you plan to attend. Contact the college's financial aid office to learn about any scholarships they may offer.
4. Private colleges are often more generous in awarding scholarships, thus making private schools competitive in price with public schools. Don't rule out a private school until you've received their financial aid package.
5. Apply! Apply! Apply! The more scholarships you apply for, the greater the chance of receiving any.
6. Follow directions. Make sure you don't disqualify yourself by filling the forms out incorrectly, missing the deadline, or failing to supply important information. Type your applications if possible and have someone proofread them. Applications should look neat and carefully thought out. Students that get scholarships take the time to submit a neat and thorough application.
7. Be aware of DEADLINES. Scholarship applications become available throughout your senior year and are sometimes due only weeks after being publicized.
8. Network. Check for scholarship opportunities with your school web site, your employer, your parents' employers, your religious community, your college admissions office, organizations to which you belong, etc.
9. The Internet has a great deal of information on scholarship opportunities. You can also find books such as Peterson's Scholarships, Grants & Prizes and other resource guides and computer programs in the Student Services Office and at local libraries.
10. Remember that students who aren't able to get scholarships often are able to get need-based financial aid.
11. Community service has become much more important in the process. It is a good idea to create a resume of activities, community service, etc., to go with your transcript. Many scholarship donors look for students that have academic promise and are involved in the school and community.
12. Resumes are a great way to put all of your activities into an organized form. Reference writers and counselors love to have a resume to check over before writing a recommendation. The more information you can give people, the better prepared the writer will be. Don't assume everyone remembers everything about you.
13. Be wary of scholarship searches that charge a fee.

What Kinds of Financial Aid Exist?

A variety of financial assistance for post high school education/training is possible. There are three main types of financial aid: (1) Scholarships and Grants: money that you don't have to repay, usually based on financial need, (2) Loans: money that you can borrow at low interest rates, then repay after college, and (3) Work Study: part time jobs offered to you on campus.

How do I Apply for Financial Aid?

1. First, as you fill out a college application, be sure to check any box showing that you want to be considered for financial aid.
2. Next, in January, get all of your tax return information organized early, because you will need it to accurately complete the FAFSA form. The FAFSA form is required by all colleges to determine if you'll qualify for federal aid and some state aid. This form is available on-line (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov) or in paper version from the student services office. Regardless of the number of schools you apply to, you'll only need to fill out one FAFSA. The federal government encourages you to apply online as the process is speeded up and corrections can be made online. Aid is generally awarded on a "first come first served" basis, so you don't want any delay in the processing of your application. Even if you feel you will not qualify for any need-based aid because of your income, you probably should still complete the FAFSA. Colleges and organizations often want it verified that students are not eligible for federal or state aid before they award institutional and/or private funds. Note: Some loan programs also require completion of the FAFSA. Also remember to make a copy of your completed FAFSA before you send it in, to save for future reference. And obviously, be sure to keep a copy of your tax return forms.
3. Also in January, apply for LOCAL AND STATE SCHOLARSHIPS. All seniors will receive a letter about this in late December, with a brief application attached. There are 15 to 20 scholarships each year, from a variety of local sources (see below). The La Follette Scholarship Committee will review these applications and award the local scholarships by May.
4. February-March: Approximately 3-10 weeks after you've mailed in your FAFSA or submitted the FAFSA online, you'll receive a SAR (Student Aid Report). A copy of your SAR is also sent to the colleges you designate on your FAFSA. Your SAR will tell you if you are eligible for a Pell Grant and it will also inform you of your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). Your EFC is the amount determined that parents can afford to pay for their son/daughter's education the following year. If the cost of the college is more than your EFC, you have a financial need and should be eligible for financial aid. This aid, however, may come in the form of loans.
5. March - April - May: You should ultimately receive a document called an "offer of financial assistance" from each college you have applied to. There will be a very important due date for your reply. Once you've compared colleges, respond to all by the due date.
6. In some cases, in addition to the FAFSA, some private colleges also require submission of the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE. The PROFILE is not an application, but a supplemental need analysis document that is used to determine eligibility for private funds and institutional aid (aid made available by the individual colleges). PROFILE forms are available in the Student Services Office. Only complete this if the college you're applying to requires it.
7. While you're at it, consider using free search services like FASTWEB on the internet. (This Guidance Department strongly recommends that you never pay money for a scholarship search service).
8. Take a look at our favorite financial aid web links under HELPFUL INTERNET LINKS below.

General Tips for Financial Aid & Scholarships

These 10 tips could give you a better shot at financial aid -

1. Don't pass up the chance to apply for aid just because you think your family income may be too high. Income rules vary from program to program and are subject to change, so it takes an expert to judge your eligibility.
2. Parents: Finish your taxes early. Almost every financial aid application requires this information.
3. Apply for aid each school year. Changes in aid regulations or your family's financial picture could make you eligible for new sources of assistance.
4. Apply for as many aid alternatives a possible. You can't qualify or win if you don't apply. Visit the schools you're interested in and talk with their financial aid officers.
5. Investigate corporate-sponsored tuition plans. Many employers will invest in the education of their employees.
6. Use scholarship search engines like www.fastweb.com to help you find the private sector assistance you need.
7. DEADLINES ARE IMPORTANT. Apply in time to meet financial aid deadlines. Sounds basic, we know. But timing can be crucial in being considered for awards - and prompt submissions may give you quicker answers.
8. Students are encouraged to use the online version of the FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov). FAFSA on the web shortens processing time from weeks to days, reduces errors, and helps you complete the information.
9. Before you send in a financial aid application, double check to make sure you've read the instructions properly. (Tip: don't leave blanks, even if you mean zero or not applicable). Sad but true: 50% of all applications are sent back to the applicant because they're incomplete. This can delay the whole process by 2-4 weeks or more.
10. Keep a copy of every form you fill out. The information may be useful on other applications. And although things seldom get lost in the mail, what if it happened to your only copy of a painstakingly prepared aid request to your favorite college?

Helpful Internet Links

1. FAFSA Form Help:  On-line help with this all-important form.
2. Financial Need Estimator:  Estimate your likelihood of receiving financial aid.
3. EDVEST:  Wisconsin's own state sponsored college savings plan.
4. US Department of Education:  Great "how to" site by the U.S. government.
5. Salliemae: College planning and financial aid site.
6. Educational Loan Information:  Sallie Mae site.
7. Fastweb Financial Aid Search:  A free service searches for scholarships for you.
8. Finaid:  Calculators and resources to help demystify the financial aid process.
9. XAP.com: Comprehensive site, including an "expected family contribution" estimator
10. Collegeboard.com: Very comprehensive site for all financial aid issues.
11. How to Compare Financial Aid Awards: Helpful tool.
12. College Saving Plan Network: How to start a 529 plan for college savings.
13. Collegmoney.com: Help with planning how to finance college.
14. Schloarships.com: A new (2004) comprehensive site: free searches and more.
15. Scholarship Resource Network Express: A free scholarship search service.
16. Gocollege.com: Comprehensive site.
17. Scholarshiphelp.org: New (for us!) site: Very helpful! Designed with parents in mind.
18. Scholarships Regarless of Immigration Status: Mexican American Legal Defense
19. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute: A site geared toward developing leaders in the Latino Community
20. ASPIRA Assocation of Colleges & Institutions: A list of scholarships available.
21. Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities: A comprehensive resource list for Latino students.