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Treatment
of Outside Scholarships
Sources of Outside Scholarships
Tips for a Successful Scholarship Application
Links
to Outside Scholarship Search Tools
Individual Outside
Scholarships
Scholarships for International Students TREATMENT
OF OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS It is always to a student’s
benefit to receive outside scholarship funding, even if she is receiving financial
aid. For students on financial aid, Barnard’s policy is to reduce or eliminate
the loan and in-college work portion of the financial aid package before reducing
any part of the Barnard College Grant. If the outside scholarship exceeds the
amount of loan and work funds awarded, the grant then gets reduced by the remaining
balance. For example, if a first-year student receives an outside scholarship
of $5,000, this scholarship would replace the self-help portion (loan and work)
of her package which equals $4,800. Her Barnard grant would then be reduced by
the remaining balance of $200.00. If she then received the same grant in her sophomore
year, her $5,500 self help award would be reduced to $500 and her Barnard grant
would remain the same. For self-help expectations by year, please see Budgeting.
Please note that no outside scholarship can directly reduce the parental contribution
or the summer earnings expectation. Each financial aid recipient must notify
the Office of Financial Aid of all outside scholarships that she receives. Notification
should include a copy of the award certificate or letter from the scholarship
donor indicating the amount and the terms of the award. All scholarship checks
should be sent directly to the Financial Aid Office. (Back
to Top) SOURCES
OF OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS Private grants
and scholarships may be based on academic achievement, ethnicity, religious affiliation,
organizational members, hobbies, or special talents. Applying for private grants
and scholarships requires aggressive pursuit and time. Remember to meet the application
deadlines, as the funding may be limited. Below are some suggested sources to
contact regarding outside scholarships and private grants: •
Employers and professional associations
• Churches/religious groups
• Local foundations
• Civic groups
•
Community organizations
• High school guidance counselors •
Refer to the following link to access the full booklet of "Selected
Scholarships and Fellowships, 2008-2009" prepared by the Office of the
Dean of Studies. (Click on "See Listing of Selected Scholarships and Fellowships").
This booklet also provides basic references of award sources in a bibliography.
(Back to Top) TIPS
FOR A SUCCESSFUL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION Suggestions for
a Successful Scholarship Application 1. Attend to the Basics
a.
Start with what you have. Use your college essay or a paper you have written for
a course as a starting point. No need to start from scratch if you don't have
to.
b. Be careful to answer the question they are asking. Use what you have
available but be sure that you are responding directly to the questions asked.
c. Don't be sloppy. Proof read and edit. You want them to know that you care about
your application and took time to make it clean and accurate. 2. Show Who
You Are
a. Avoid generalizations, "I've always been very organized"
b. Give anecdotes, examples to show who you are. "As the manager of the drama
group, I was responsible for making sure every prop was in place and every costume
was completed."
c. Discuss an outside topic to reveal something about
yourself ("As I was watching a story on the news…)
d. Try to convey
a sense of who you are. Are you energetic, lively, serious, boring, stuffy? Does
the essay sound like you?
e. Read your essay out loud, to your self or to
a friend. It'll help you hear how you might sound to others. 3. Know your
Audience
a. Don't use the same essay for each application. Make sure
you are tailoring your response to the questions asked.
b. Remember who you
are addressing. Why is this important to them? What are their priorities? How
do you help them achieve their goal? 4. Don't List
a. Don't repeat
information that can be found in other places on the application (such as a transcript
or resume).
b. In addition to your resume, for example, what do you want them
to know about you?
c. Rather than, "For the past two years I have worked
as a volunteer at a shelter for the homeless." Try, "My experience in
the homeless shelter has really had an impact on my goals for the future,"
for example. 5. Differentiate yourself
a. They are investing in
you to help you do something you want to do (attend college, for example). How
will getting this award help you achieve that goal?
b. Tell them what the
money will help you do.
c. Be specific. Will it allow you to take an unpaid
internship one summer to enhance your understanding of a field? Will it help you
travel to another country or to forego working during the semester so you can
concentrate on a challenging semester? 6. Edit, rewrite and enlist editors
a. First drafts don't get funded. Ask a friend, or a mentor (high school
guidance counselor, teacher) to read your essay/application.
b. Pass your
draft by Dean Hilary Link or Alison Rabil in the Financial Aid Office
c. Ask
your academic advisor to read it for you.
d. Ask a Professor.
e. Take
your time. Once you have an essay you feel good about, you can tweak it for a
dozen different applications. (Back to Top) LINKS
TO OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH TOOLS The following are links
to websites, created and maintained by outside organizations, offering free scholarship
searches. The scholarships or references listed here are not endorsed by Barnard
College. Nor do we know the particulars about any financial aid offered by organizations
outside of Barnard. It is recommended that you DO NOT PAY for a scholarship search.
(One website which lists false scholarships and scholarship scams is http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/scholarship/
.) • BrokeScholar
• Club Scholarship
•
College
Answer by USA Funds
• College
Board
• CollegeNET
Mach 25
• College Scholarships
• Colleges, College Scholarships
and Financial Aid Page
• EduPass
• FastAid
• FastWeb
• GoCollege
• Hispanic
College Fund
• International
Education of Students
• International
Education Financial Aid
• International
Scholarships Online
• The One Hundred
Club Scholarships
• Princeton
Review Scholarship Search
• Scholarships.com
• Scholarship Experts
• Scholarship Hunter
•
Scholarship Resource Network Express
•
September 11 Scholarship Alliance
• Student Awards
(Back to Top) INDIVIDUAL
OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS • Thomas
G. Labrecque Smart Start Scholarship: • Purpose:
This program provides full tuition for four years to 20 graduating seniors from
New York City public and private high schools. It is a comprehensive development
program that includes paid summer internships and part-time work at JPMorgan Chase
during the school year.
• Award: Full tuition
•
Deadline: February 1
• Application: Application forms are available
online, in the student's
high school or through the Smart Start Program at 866-520-2976 or email smart.start@chase.com.
• The
Coca Cola Scholars Foundation: • Purpose: "for
young people who demonstrate, through academic excellence and leadership in their
communities, their capacity for and commitment to making a difference in the world.
Awards are based on character, personal merit and commitment. Merit is demonstrated
through leadership in school, civic and extracurricular activities, academic achievement,
and motivation to serve and succeed."
• Award: 50 Scholars
receive $20,000 and 200 Scholars receive $10,000 over a period of four years.
• Deadline: October 31 for Phase I
• Application: Application
forms are available online
or contact the organization at 800-306-2653 •
Columbus Citizens Foundation College
Scholarship Program: • Purpose: "for college
freshmen of Italian-American heritage, with financial need (income not to exceed
$30,000 per capita), academic excellence (at least 85% or 3.0 GPA), service to
school and community..."
• Award: Four-year partial scholarship
• Deadline: February 1
• Application: Application forms
are available online or contact
the organization at 212-249-9923 • Congressional
Black Caucus (CBC) Spouses Education Scholarships: •
Purpose: "to provide tuition assistance to deserving graduating, college-bound,
high school students with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher, or to full-time
undergraduate students. Applicants must reside or attend school in a congressional
district represented by a Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Member."
• Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by May 1st of each year
• Application: Application forms are available online
and must be submitted to the appropriate Local Scholarship Selection Committee.
Contact the organization at 202-263-2838 if you have additional questions. • Gates
Millennium Scholars (GMS): • Purpose: "a
highly competitive program for African-American, Hispanic American, Native American/Alaskan
Native and Asian Pacific American students who are citizens/legal permanent residents
of the U.S. of high academic achievement and leadership potential who have significant
financial need. The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is the administrator of the
GMS initiative. One thousand high-achieving students are chosen." Student
must meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria.
• Deadline:
submitted on-line or postmarked on or before January 12, 2009.
•
Application: contact toll free telephone 1-877-690-4677. •
Google 2009 Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship:
• Purpose: "to encourage women to excel in
computing and technology and become active role models and leaders. Scholarships
will be awarded based on the strength of candidates' academic background and demonstrated
leadership. Candidates must be entering their senior year in 2009-2010 as a full-time
student, majoring in computer science, computer engineering or related technical
field with a GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
• Award: $10,000
for 2009-2010
• Deadline: February 6, 2009
• Application:
application forms are available online
or contact anitaborgscholars@google.com. • The
Jewish Foundation for Education of Women •
Purpose: "a private, nonsectarian organization that provides scholarship
assistance for higher education to women with financial need in the New York City
area. Grants are awarded based on financial need, with academic merit also a consideration."
Various scholarships have different eligibility requirements.
•
Award: most grants are $5,000 per year, renewed annually if the student continues
to meet the eligibility requirements.
• Deadline: various programs
have different deadlines
• Application: application procedures
are available online or call 212-288-3931 or
email FdnScholar@aol.com. • Ronald
Reagan Future Leaders Program: • Purpose: "open
to students who demonstrate leadership on behalf of the cause of freedom, American
values and constitutional principles." Applicants may apply during their
sophomore year. Winners will receive the scholarships for their junior
year and may apply for renewal before the senior year. Merit based scholarship.
• Award: $1,000 to $7,500 per academic year
• Deadline:
January 15, 2009 for the 2009-2010 academic year
• Application:
Procedures listed online or
contact The Phillips Foundation, 1 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 620, Washington,
DC 20001, Attn: Jeff Hollingsworth, 202-250-3887, ext. 628 or email jhollingsworth@phillips.com
• The
Sallie Mae Fund Scholarships: • Various scholarships
are offered, such as: "First in My Family," "Unmet Need,"
"American Dream," "Writers of Passage," and "The Sallie
Mae Fund Comunity College Transfer Scholarships."
• Deadlines
vary
• Application: check their website in mid-January 2009 for
application forms • The
Theodore Gordon Flyfishers, Inc. • Purpose:
"...for students demonstrating excellence and outstanding dedication in a
field of study that falls within an environmental field of a school or department."
• Award: $2,000
• Deadline: April 1, 2008
•
Contact: Application available online.
Any questions may be directed to Michelle D. Land, Director, Environmental Consortium
of Hudson Valley Colleges & Universities, 914-773-3738, email EnvtlConsortium@pace.edu USA
Funds Access to Education Scholarships: • Purpose:
"...a scholarship program from USA Funds. Up to 50% of the scholarships will
be targeted to students who, in addition to demonstrating financial need, are
members of an ethnic-minority group or have a documented physical disability.
Student must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, have an annual adjusted
gross family income of $35,000 or less, as documented on a 2008 federal income-tax
return on which the applicant is listed as a federal tax exemption."
• Award: $1,500 for full-time students, may renew annually.
•
Deadline: February 15, 2009
• Contact: Application available online
or email scholarship@usafunds.org or call Scholarship America at 800-537-4180.
Submit application and required documents to USA Funds Access to Education Scholarships,
Scholarship Management Services, Scholarship America, One Scholarship Way, P.O.
Box 297, Saint Peter, MN 56082. • Xerox
Scholarships for Students (The Technical Minority Scholarship Program)
• Purpose: "...for students pursuing a career in technology...applicants
must be full-time undergraduate U.S. citizens or visa-holding Permanent Residents
of African American, Asian, Pacific Island, Native American, Native Alaskan or
Hispanic descent with GPA of 3.0 or better."
• Award: $1,000
to $10,000 (depending on tuition balance and academic excellence)
•
Deadline: September 30 of the current year
• Contact: Application
available online.
Submit applications to Xerox Technical Minority Scholarships Program, 150 State
Street, Rochester, NY 14614. The following is a partial listing
of selected scholarships for undergraduates that the Dean of
Studies has compiled: • Barry
M. Goldwater Scholarship • Purpose: "to
support students who show promise and interest in careers in the natural sciences,
mathematics, or engineering. Barnard may nominate up to a total of four students
each year, to be selected from the sophomore and junior classes. Applicants must
be U.S. citizens or permanent residents."
• Award: up to $7,500
annually. Current sophomores are eligible for two years of aid (i.e., for the
junior and senior years); current juniors, one year.
• Deadline:
Application materials are submitted to the Goldwater Foundation by Barnard. All
materials should reach Dean Schneider by January 20, 2009.
• Contact:
For further information, see Dean Schneider early in the fall semester of your
sophomore or junior year. • Benjamin
A. Gilman International Scholarship • Purpose:
"to expand opportunities for study abroad for students whose demonstrated
financial need might otherwise preclude them from such an experience."
• Award: up to $5,000 for U.S. citizen undergraduate students. Students
must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant at the time of application.
•
Deadline: October 9, 2008 for spring semester; early April 2009 for fall and full-year
programs in 2009-2010
• Contact: For additional information, students
who are Pell Grant recipients should contact Dean Young in early September or
late January, depending on their study abroad plans. Applications can be obtained
online. •
Datatel Scholarship
• Purpose: "to support undergraduate or graduate study. (Priority
will be given to applicants seeking support for undergraduate study.) In addition
to academic excellence, the Foundation is seeking students who have clearly-defined
educational and career goals, and who demonstrate a strong record of extra-curricular
achievement. Barnard can nominate no more than two students each year. (At least
one nominee can, but need not, be a student returning to school after an absence
of five or more years.)"
• Award: $1,000 to $2,400, depending
on tuition expenses, for one year.
• Deadline: late January or
early February 2009
• Contact: Interested students should see Dean
Schneider in late September or early October. •
Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics
• Purpose: "an essay contest 'designed to challenge college
students to analyze urgent ethical issues confronting them in today's complex
world.' Open to full-time juniors and seniors, who submit a 3,000-4,000 word essay
on an assigned topic, which changes each year. Entrants must be supported by a
faculty sponsor--see website. (It is permissible for students to submit essays
that they have written for courses.)"
• Award: $500 - $5,000
(honorable mention-first prize)
• Deadline: December 19, 2008
• Contact: Interested juniors and seniors should speak with Dean Schneider
during the fall semester, and/or consult the foundation's website.
• Freeman-Asia
Program • Purpose: "to increase the number
of American undergraduates who study in East and Southeast Asia, by providing
students with the information and financial assistance they will need. Awardees
will be expected to share their experiences with their home campus to encourage
study abroad by others, and to spread understanding of Asia in their home communities."
• Award: up to $3,000 for summer programs; up to $5,000 for semester
programs; up to $7,000 for full-year programs
• Deadline: October
15, 2008 for spring semester programs; early March for summer programs; early
April for fall and full-year programs
• Contact: For additional
information, contact Dean Young early in the semester prior to their study abroad
semester. Applications can be obtained online at their website.
• Hispanic Scholarship
Fund • Purpose: "to support Hispanic American
students at the post-secondary level. Selection criteria are 'academic achievement,
financial need, personal strengths, and leadership.' Applicants must be U.S. citizens
or permanent residents of Hispanic background, must be full-time students with
a minimum GPA of 3.0, and must have applied for federal financial aid."
• Award: $1,000 - $5,000
• Deadline: February 18, 2009.
Application forms are available annually from September and may be downloaded
from the Fund's website.
• Contact: For further information and
application materials, refer to the Fund's website.
• Morris K.
Udall Scholarship Program • Purpose: "to
encourage outstanding [sophomores and juniors] to pursue careers related to environmental
public policy and to encourage outstanding Native American and Alaska Native [sophomores
and juniors] to pursue careers related to health care and tribal public policy.
Candidates must be U.S. citizens, permanent resident aliens, or U.S. nationals
(if residents of American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands). Barnard
can nominate no more than six students per year."
• Award:
up to $5,000
• Deadline: February 15
• Contact:
Interested students should speak with Dean Runsdorf in the fall of their sophomore
or junior year. For preliminary information, refer to the program's website.
• National Security
Education Program David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships
• Purpose: "to provide American undergraduates with the resources
and encouragement they need to acquire skills and experience in countries and
areas of the world critical to the future security of our nation. As...student[s]
of another culture and language [students] will begin to acquire the international
competence need[ed] to communicate effectively across borders, understand other
perspectives and analyze increasingly fluid economic and political realities."
• Award: up to $8,000 for summer; up to $10,000 for a semester; up
to $20,000 for an academic year
• Deadline: on-campus deadline:
December 10, 2008; national deadline: mid-February, 2009
• Contact:
For additional information, see Dean Young early in the fall semester. Applications
can be obtained on-line. •
Truman Scholarship •
Purpose: "to support the last year of undergraduate study and up to three
years of graduate study for students who plan careers in government or elsewhere
in public service. In addition to academic excellence, promising candidates will
display leadership ability and experience, a strong record of community service,
and focused graduate and career plans. Barnard may nominate up to four students--
all of whom must be juniors --each year. Applicants must be U.S.
citizens or permanent residents."
• Award: up to a total
of $30,000
• Deadline: Applicant materials are submitted to the
Truman Foundation by Barnard. All materials must reach Dean Runsdorf by early
January, 2009 (exact date TBA).
• Contact: Interested juniors
should speak with Dean Runsdorf early in the fall semester. (Back
to Top) SCHOLARSHIPS
FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Many of the search engines above
will return scholarships available to international students as well as for U.S.
citizens and permanent residents. A few sites worthy of note for international
students include:
• IEFA
International Education Financial Aid
• Institute
of International Education
• Database
for international students wishing to study in the U.S., maintained by IIE
•
Guide for Studying in the USA
•
The
Foundation Center's Guide for International Students
• Soros
Foundation, The Open Society Institute (Back
to Top)
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