GEAR UP Newsletter December 2016

GEAR UP

December 2016

! e r u t u F r e t h g i r B a for

Winning private college scholarships can certainly help make college more affordable, but you need to know the realities of competing for college cash. Before you start hunting for private scholarships, here are seven facts about these awards that you need to know: December 10 ACT Test December 21 Christmas break begins - Carbon school district December 22 Christmas break begins - Emery school district and Pinnacle High School January 6 ACT registration deadline for test on 2-11-17

1. Private scholarships don’t represent the biggest source of college cash. Many families believe that private scholarships, which students can earn from organizations like the Rotary Club or by creating a clever prom outfit out of duct tape, is where most of the money for college is hiding. Not true. The biggest source of scholarships and grants is the federal government and then the colleges themselves. Private scholarships represent the puniest source.

GEAR UP is always 2. Full-ride scholarships are extremely rare. While many parents dream that their children will receive full-ride scholarships, they accepting new participants. should definitely not count on it. There are less than 250 private To enroll, contact the GEAR scholarships that provide enough money to pay for all college UP advisor at your school costs. Among full-time college students, a mere 0.3% receive a full or through any of our social ride to college from any sources. media sites.

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GAINING EARLY AWARENESS AND READINESS FOR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

7 Things You Need to Know About Private Scholarships

Southern Utah College Tour

7 Things You Need to Know About Private Scholarships, continued

From October 19-21, USU Eastern GEAR UP teamed up with the Weber State University GEAR UP program to take students on a Southern College Tour. GEAR UP students from Lighthouse, Carbon, Pinnacle, Green River, and Emery high schools attended and had the opportunity to visit several colleges and universities including Utah Valley University, Southern Utah University, Dixie State University, Snow College, and Brigham Young University where they learned about the various programs offered at each school.

Students also had the opportunity to learn about different careers on sight at the St. George Regional Airport.

Overall, the trip was a great success as it helped several students make more informed decisions on where they would like to attend college along with the type of careers they want to pursue. In the spring of 2017, GEAR UP will continue to host various college tours each month for 11th and 12th grade GEAR UP students so be on the look out!

3. Scholarships can reduce your financial aid award. If a teen wins a private scholarship, the college could shrink his or her financial aid package by the amount of the award. So if a child wins a $3,000 scholarship, the college could cut the aid package by $3,000. Why is a student penalized for winning a private scholarship? Federal rules require that a college consider outside scholarships when calculating a financial aid package. Ideally you’d want the college to reduce the loan portion of a student’s financial aid award and not grant money. You need to ask schools about their policies.

4. You should apply to less popular scholarships. Many students don’t want to apply for scholarships that are worth less than $1,000, but these scholarships can be easier to win. Students also tend to dismiss competitions requiring the submission of art, poetry, or writing.

5. Some majors are more lucrative than others. Students who major in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) are more likely to win a scholarship. In one survey, 23.2% of math/statistics majors and 17.6% of engineering students earned a scholarship, while only 9.5% of business majors won one.

6. You’ll have better luck with local scholarships. There can be less competition for local scholarships. Ask your GEAR UP advisor or your guidance counselor about local scholarships and also check out the jobs and career section of your local library. You need to do the footwork because some local scholarship sponsors don’t want their listings in the national scholarship databases.

7. Do some volunteer work to increase your chances. Many scholarship providers include a requirement that recipients be engaged in volunteer activities. Sponsors would rather see a student who sticks with one volunteer activity for a long time than one who hops around to various charities.

Pinnacle High FAFSA Night

Keynote speaker “Supaman” at GEAR UP West Conference in Spokane, WA

Southern College Tour at SUU

Scholarship Spotlight Washington Crossing Foundation Scholarship Type: • Application/Essay Eligibility: • Competition open to all high school seniors who are U.S. citizens and are planning careers of service to the United States in local, state, or federal government.

All awards are for one year.U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals, U.S. Permanent Residents.

Winners receive an all expenses paid weekend, including transportation and housing, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to attend the Scholarship Awards Ceremony. All winners must attend the Scholarship Awards Program on Saturday, April 29, 2017 in order to win their scholarship.

Award: $500 - $5000 Deadline: Postmarked by January 15, 2017 http://www.gwcf.org/

Make Your Scholarship Application Stand Out in a Crowd You need money for college, and the scholarship application is inevitable.

It’s tempting to get discouraged and avoid applying because you think to yourself, “There are already so many applicants. They’re never going to pick me.” Don’t sell yourself short. There’s plenty you can do to help secure the scholarship money you want and need. Check out these quick tips.

Make sure you’re qualified for the scholarship - Whether you’re attending a specific university, plan to study a particular subject, or have an affinity for a unique hobby, there’s more than likely a scholarship out there tailored to your unique qualifications.

Read the directions carefully - Whether the scholarship requires you write an essay, fill out a form, or a combination of both, make sure you completely understand what the institution awarding the scholarship is asking of you and follow those instructions explicitly.

Develop a plan of attack - Before you even begin filling out the scholarship application or writing the required essay, make sure you have a good sense of exactly how you wish to proceed. Laying out everything you wish to cover in outline form will help you to avoid mistakes on the application.

Don’t be afraid to let yourself shine - On scholarship applications, you want to be honest, but avoid being too modest. While you want your confidence to shine through, you don’t want to come off as too cocky either.

Have someone else review your application - Whether it’s a teacher, a parent, or a good friend whose writing skills you trust, always have at least one other person read your application documents before sending them in for consideration.

Practice makes perfect - Keep applying! You can always use more free money for college.

Student’s of the Month Grace Zamantakis is a senior at Lighthouse High.

Grace has been chosen as one of our GEAR UP students of the month because she has made great improvement and has worked hard throughout the 1st quarter. She has displayed a desire to be a successful student and has committed herself to that success. Grace is an intelligent young lady that has the ability to complete any task she dedicates herself to. Grace will graduate and continue on in the military where she plans to not only serve her country, but to obtain an education while doing so.

Tyson Giles is a junior at Green River High School.

Tyson has been chosen as one of our GEAR UP students of the month because of his determination to complete high school and continue his education in college. After Tyson attended the Southern Utah College Tour, he decided that after he graduates high school he would like to attend Dixie State to become a Fish and Game officer. Tyson loves to hunt and be with his family. Tyson displays a great desire to learn and will succeed in anything he does.

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Visit our website for a lot of useful information at: http://usueastern.edu/price/ gearup

Upcoming ACT® Dates Test Date December 10, 2016 February 11, 2017 April 8, 2017

Registration Deadline November 4, 2016 Januarry 6, 2017 March 3, 2017

(Late Fee Required) November 5-18, 2016 January 7-20, 2017 March 4-17, 2017

Score Release December 20, 2016 February 22, 2017 April 18, 2017

The ACT® is an important college entrance exam. Scores can affect college entrance and scholarships.

All Utah eleventh-grade students will take the ACT® in March or April at their schools.

Students who want to take the test again can visit the following ACT® website to register for the test: www.actstudent.org/regist/dates.html GEAR UP students may contact their GEAR UP coordinator to obtain an ACT® test fee waiver. (GEAR UP cannot pay for or waive late fees.)