MERVELLE A. SAGE SECOND ANTI-BASILEUS “Generating Timeless Opportunities through Scholarships”

Happy New Year and Happy Founders Day Sorors! We made it to another blessed year. The Miss Teenage Tampa Advisory Committee continues to work dutifully to put on the 50th Anniversary of the scholarship pageant. I know you have seen our AKAmazing committee members tabling at the chapter meetings seeking your support. Committee members are still needed to serve on the Heritage Scholars/ Scholarship Reception committee and the Poetry Jam committee. Please contact me if you are interested and willing to serve on those committees. We will be asking for the names of our Heritage Scholars soon. Please keep your eye out for more information to come in the Tea Rose. We will also be featuring our 2022 Heritage Scholars in the February Newsletter. The committee wants to share where they are now!

As we are well into scholarship season, here are seven tips for those soon to be graduating seniors.

1. Start searching early: As soon as you begin applying for college you should begin the search. It is also good practice to look for scholarships throughout the course of high school so that it becomes second nature. There are a lot of different scholarship options that come in a variety of places.

2. Use your school counselor: School Counselors and academic advisors often will be able to suggest unique scholarships based on your individual talents, extracurricular activities, ethnicity or athleticism.

3. Check with the Financial Aid Office: The colleges or universities you apply or have been accepted to have scholarship opportunities as well and valuable tools you can use.

4. Pay attention to deadlines: Add them to a calendar and set reminders. Do not miss out on valuable funds because you missed a deadline.

5. Do an online and community search: Look at foundations such as our own, community organizations, and religious groups. Ask around at local businesses to see if they have any community scholarships –if they don’t have one, they might be inspired to create one. Parents, you can also inquire about scholarships with your employer to see if your company offers financial assistance. Some organizations will have the information posted on their websites but others may not be explicit

6. Apply to as many as you can: You should apply for every scholarship you’re eligible for and no amount should be too small or too large to deter you from applying.

7. Beware of scams: There is scholarship information that for-profit organizations solicit. According to the Federal Trade Commission, every year several hundred thousand students and families are conned by scholarship scams. Another form of a scam is when an organization charges a fee to match students with other scholarship organizations. You should never pay a company or organization to apply for free money.

Sorors let’s continue to be sisterly while being supreme in service to all mankind. I look forward to Soaring to New Heights in Scholarship and Service!

Always in service,

Soror Mervelle A. Sage 2nd Anti-Basileus MTAT Scholarship Chairman