This month

All about scholarships

• Feature — Important definitions related to scholarships
• Web quest — Find a scholarship online
• Stay on track — A checklist of "to-dos"
• Take notice — Important dates
• All about AIEmail — Subscribe, suggest, review

Feature

Important definitions related to scholarships

When you apply for scholarships, you may run into terms that you don't understand. It's helpful to call the organization or business offering the scholarship and ask for assistance. However, in the meantime, here are some general definitions you might find helpful:

• Community service — An activity you perform, usually on a regular basis, without pay to benefit your community. Some scholarships may ask you to describe some of the community service activities you have been involved in to gain a better understanding of your interests, your commitment to your community, and your accomplishments.
• Departmental scholarship — An award specifically meant for a recipient who plans to major in a specific program of study.
• Full-time student — Generally, one who is taking a minimum of 12 semester or quarter hours per academic term (often about four classes) in schools with standard academic terms. Some scholarships are only available for students who are enrolled full-time; others are open for both full-time and part-time students.
• Military scholarships — Usually refers to the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships available from the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force at many colleges and universities throughout the United States.
• National Health Service Corps scholarships — A program for students who pursue a full-time course of study in certain health profession disciplines and are willing to serve as primary care practitioners in underserved areas after completing their education.
• Student contribution — An estimate of a student's ability to contribute to college expenses based on income and assets.

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Web quest

Find a scholarship online

There are lots of resources on the Web to help you find scholarships. Here are a few:

• Adventures In Education Scholarship Search
  The Web site that brings AIEmail to you every week also features a scholarship search.
  www.AIE.org/Scholarships
• NCAA Scholarship Search
  The NCAA provides links for students interested in athletics-related scholarships. More than sports are included — the NCAA even offers scholarships for students interested in writing about sports.
  www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
  The HSF provides the U.S. Latino community with college scholarships and educational outreach support programs.
  www.hsf.net
• United Negro College Fund Scholarships
  The UNCF Web site contains information on thousands of scholarships and grants, some of which are administered by the UNCF.
  www.uncf.org/scholarships

You can also find more scholarship-related Web sites in AIE's "Internet Resources" (www.AIE.org/Links/Paying).

Watch for next week's issue of AIEmail for more scholarship resources!

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Stay on track

Checklist for this week

For freshmen

• Ask your counselor or school registrar for information about how your grade point average and class ranking are calculated — it's important to know now!
• Talk to your counselor or visit your state education organization's Web site to find out about various scholarships and financial aid programs available to students. Visit AIE's State Education Resources (www.AIE.org/Portal) to start your search.
• Ask for a copy of your student transcript and student file. Although there may not be a lot of information available, it's important to know what your record contains.

For sophomores

• Reading is important — it will become more important as you go through high school and head to college. Read as much and as widely as possible for fun, as well as for school.
• Ask your English teacher to provide you with a reading list. If you have favorite school subjects that you think you may want to study beyond high school, ask those teachers for reading lists as well.
• Find time whenever possible to read. Whether you read news articles, items in your favorite magazines, novels, or news Web sites, much of the information you gather may help you well into the future.

For juniors

• Now is the time to really start working with your counselor. Set up a 30-45 minute appointment with your counselor to talk more about your life and future plans.
• Some topics to discuss with your counselor include course selection, good sources for exploring colleges and careers, future events and activities you should attend, test studying and preparation, and timelines for applying to college and for financial aid.

For seniors

• Keep up with your testing schedule. If you haven't taken the ACT or SAT, take it soon. If you have, consider taking it again to improve your scores.

For parents

• Grade reports will be coming home soon. Check in with your child to find out if there are issues that may be affecting his or her grades and discuss how to deal with them.
• Remember that for students, grades are a big part of their lives. If the grades are good, offer positive reinforcement. If the grades are not so good, find out why and offer to help your student find ways to improve them.
• If grades are low for more than one grading period, your intervention at a deeper level is required. Set up an appointment with the teacher, visit with your child's counselor, and arrange for tutoring if necessary.
• Observe how your child balances his or her time. Is he or she spending too much time socializing with friends and not enough time studying? Are they so obsessed with studying that they are ignoring breaks or time for less stressful activities? Remember, the most successful students (and those who end up becoming successful adults) are those who know how to balance the two.

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Take notice

Important dates

Mark down these dates.

To get more information on the SAT or SAT Subject Tests, access useful tools, or register, visit the College Board's Web Site(www.collegeboard.com) or call (609) 771-7600.

To get more information on the ACT, access useful tools, or register, visit the ACT Web Site (www.act.org) or call (319) 337-1270.

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