Reusable Materials 21: Part A of Your Reusable Master Application

Thursdays we discuss how reusable materials help you WOW committees and save time

Anna earned a 3.85 GPA. She excelled at math and science in which she maintained a 4.0 grade point average. A second tier private university admitted her to their nuclear physics program. She earned one scholarship. The only one for which she submitted an application. She submitted no additional applications until after she graduated. She could have earned $150,000-200,000 easily if she had applied—but she did not apply.

Research Answers from the Past in Part A

We’ve shared, in past posts, questions asked in scholarship applications. We encourage you to research, type, and perfect answers to those questions in Part A of your master application.

Some of the questions will require research to get the right answers. Fortunately, you may find most answers using search engines on the Internet. For example, you may need to find the addresses and phone numbers of:

• Former elementary, junior high and high schools
• Former employers
• Community clubs or organizations for which you gave service or leadership

You may also need to research the dates of:

• Concerts or recitals in which you performed
• Sporting events or championships in which you competed
• Service projects or disasters that generated the need for service
• Tenure in leadership positions
• Contests of creative talents in which you competed

Once you complete your master application, ask someone to review and edit it to ensure no typos or errors.

Keep Your Master Application Current

You will use your master application for more than applying for scholarships. You will use it to complete school admission, employment, housing, utilities, insurance, or other online applications (even paper ones, if they still exist). As a result, you want to keep the master application current by adding information. You may need to add:

• Questions you encounter on applications that have not been answered on your master application
• New employment, service, or leadership positions you held
• Concerts, competitions, or performances in which you participated
• New skills or additions to your themes

Saturday we share tips for completing personal profiles on scholarship search engines

Sources of Money 19: US Department of State Offers Aid to Grad Students

Tuesday's we review a source of financial aid available to help pay for college

Andrea wanted a career as a foreign service officer in the US Department of State. She received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science at a good university on the west coast. She worked for a world class humanitarian organization specializing in literacy, health, and emergency response. Harvard accepted her into their doctoral program for public policy. She needed additional money to support herself while in school. She used our techniques and earned a fellowship and research grant that paid for her personal costs during her doctoral program.

U. S. Department of State Web Page

The Student Programs: U.S. Department of State Internship Program and Pathways Programs web site (http://careers.state.gov/students/programs) “offers two programs for high school, undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students who are interested in working in a foreign affairs environment.”

• U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program (Unpaid): “This unpaid program, for students with a minimum of 60 credit hours or greater, provides the opportunity to work in U.S. Embassies throughout the world, as well as in various bureaus located in Washington, D.C. and at Department offices spread around the United States. This unpaid program is designed to provide substantive experiences in a Foreign Affairs environment.”
• Pathways Program (paid): “Pathways Program includes three paid Civil Service programs located in the United States. Specific positions will be posted here when the application window opens. Please register under Keep Me Informed to receive automatic notifications about these opportunities.

  For specific inquiries on the Pathways Internship Programs (ITEP and IEP), please contact HRSC@state.gov

  For specific inquiries on all other Pathways Programs, please contact PathwaysPrograms@state.gov.”

The site also provides links to “Other Student Programs” where you can learn more about:

• Professional fellowships
• Workforce Recruitment Program
• The Council of American Ambassadors Fellowship
• The Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellowships

Disadvantage of State Department Web Page

The only disadvantages seem to be the limited number of listings and the extremely narrow focus. No spam or tricks.

Thursday we talk about tricky answers in Part A of your reusable master application

Caveat Emptor or Buyer Beware 13: More Scholarship Scams to Avoid

Saturdays we share tip or cautions to facilitate getting scholarships or avoiding problems

Susan sought financial aid to go to school. She saw a simple scholarship offer requiring only three questions to qualify. She appreciated the brevity of the application after completing several long applications. When the page offered to link her to another brief offer, she gleefully accepted it. That one followed by another and another. Within days Susan began receiving unsolicited offers from schools that did not interest her. Soon, she received 10-20 emails a day from schools and other organization.

New Twists on Old Scams

Several of the old scholarship scams recently redressed themselves in new clothing. Some of them include:

• Rewards without entries: this old scam disguises itself for students who don’t want to complete lengthy applications. They go by different names, but the essence is “You could win our weekly award by answering three simple questions: 1) What is your name? 2) What is your email address? and 3) asks a simple question “Rate your school…” or “List 3 schools you want to attend…”
• Request for Money: Purdue shares this twist “phony grant—promises to replace loans with grant if you pay”

Sites To Help You Recognize Scams

The preponderance of scholarship scams generate many web sites to help you identify, avoid, and resolve getting caught in a scam. In addition, many sites rate and grade scholarship sources. While many of them share similar information, we’ve found the ones listed here to provide additional or well written advice. We hope you find them helpful.

• Ask.com provides advice on legitimate scholarship website
• About.com College Admissions gives a page on scholarship scams
• CollegeBoard shares ideas about avoiding scholarship scams
• The Federal Trade Commission warns about scholarship and financial aid scams
• US News & World Report encouraged don’t fall for these 5 college scholarship scams
• SchoolGuide states to be aware of scholarship scams and legislation to prevent them
• Purdue University’s Division of Financial Aid lists scholarship scams
• FinAid recommends how to investigate suspicious offers

Tuesday we review the US State Dept. a source of student financial aid for post-graduates

Reusable Materials 20: Transcripts in Reusable Master Application

Thursdays we discuss how reusable materials help you WOW committees and save time

Kinsey took a lot of advanced placement courses in high school. She also took three college concurrent enrollment classes. She maintained a 3.9 overall GPA, but a 4.0 in her advanced placement and concurrent enrollment classes. Her master application contained a copy of her high school and college (for the concurrent enrollment courses) transcripts. As a result, her scholarship applications contained excellent details on grades. She earned more than $120,000 in scholarships.

Copy Unofficial Transcripts into Your Master Application

Many high schools and colleges give students and/or parents electronic access to records of classes taken, grades received, and hours credited. Typically access to transcripts requires a username and password. The encryption tries to protect private information from falling into the wrong hands. You should have access to your own records.

The transcript lists the following information:

• Titles of classes you took in the school
• Teachers who taught the classes you took
• Credit hours for the class
• Semester or dates of the classes
• Grade assigned for the class
• GPA cumulative and for each class
• Required classes versus elective courses
• Advanced Placement (AP) or concurrent enrollment classes

You may either use the “block and copy” or “select all and copy” techniques to copy and paste answers into scholarship applications.

Uses of Unofficial Transcripts

The transcript you copied into your master application will not be official. You do not require an official transcript for the purposes we propose. Several questions on a scholarship application may be answered from an unofficial version of the transcript

• “How many hours of math (or other subjects) credits have you taken?”
• “What is your overall GPA? What is your GPA in English (or other subjects)?”
• “How many advanced placement courses have you taken and in what subjects?”
• “What required courses have you taken?”
• “What elective courses have you taken?”
• “How many credits will you have upon graduation?”

You may request an official transcript from the school for business that requires an official transcript.

Saturday we share more cautions about scholarship scams you should avoid

Sources of Money 18: School Grants Blog Provides Lists, Blogs, and More

Tuesdays we review a source of financial aid available to help pay for college

John, a 59 year-old doctoral student in oceanography, wanted to research effects of global warming on the coral reefs of a specific South Pacific island. He worked on our staff coaching people on scholarships and financial aid. As a result of what he taught others, he learned how to apply for research grants and other financial aid. He started applying for research grants and won enough money to support himself and a small research team for 3 years.

Advantages of School Grants Blog

School Grants Blog (http://www.schoolgrantsblog.com) provides useful information in both list and blog formats. The site declares

“It’s our job to point you towards all the relevant grants and scholarships to which you may be entitled. To educate you about the programs and resources that are in place to help you follow your dreams. There are, quite honestly, 100′s of grants and scholarships here for you to investigate – including our own, which you must register for before you leave (see above!).”

You will find the following options available at the site:

• Blogs, like this one, that provide hints and tips about applying for grants and scholarships from a variety of sources
• Links to FAFSA tips
• Links to lists of state-specific grants and scholarships
• Information about a variety of occupations related to the healthcare industry
• Grants available for different school types: culinary, technology, dental, trucking and more
• Lists of previous blogs showing the titles of the blogs for easy reference
• A list of 20 Popular Grants and Scholarships For Which Everyone Should Apply
• A very few videos
• Their own $500 scholarship to those who register and meet the requirements

Disadvantages of School Grants Blog

• The blog uses ads to generate income and maintain the service. We found most of the ads clearly marked and not trying to masquerade as a source of financial aid.
• Inability to search using a profile, you must look through the lists as they appear

Thursday we talk about how use copies of transcripts in your reusable master application

Sources of Money 18: School Grants Blog Provides Lists, Blogs, and More

Tuesdays we review a source of financial aid available to help pay for college

John, a 59 year-old doctoral student in oceanography, wanted to research effects of global warming on the coral reefs of a specific South Pacific island. He worked on our staff coaching people on scholarships and financial aid. As a result of what he taught others, he learned how to apply for research grants and other financial aid. He started applying for research grants and won enough money to support himself and a small research team for 3 years.

Advantages of School Grants Blog

School Grants Blog (http://www.schoolgrantsblog.com) provides useful information in both list and blog formats. The site declares

“It’s our job to point you towards all the relevant grants and scholarships to which you may be entitled. To educate you about the programs and resources that are in place to help you follow your dreams. There are, quite honestly, 100′s of grants and scholarships here for you to investigate – including our own, which you must register for before you leave (see above!).”

You will find the following options available at the site:

• Blogs, like this one, that provide hints and tips about applying for grants and scholarships from a variety of sources
• Links to FAFSA tips
• Links to lists of state-specific grants and scholarships
• Information about a variety of occupations related to the healthcare industry
• Grants available for different school types: culinary, technology, dental, trucking and more
• Lists of previous blogs showing the titles of the blogs for easy reference
• A list of 20 Popular Grants and Scholarships For Which Everyone Should Apply
• A very few videos
• Their own $500 scholarship to those who register and meet the requirements

Disadvantages of School Grants Blog

• The blog uses ads to generate income and maintain the service. We found most of the ads clearly marked and not trying to masquerade as a source of financial aid.
• Inability to search using a profile, you must look through the lists as they appear

Thursday we talk about how use copies of transcripts in your reusable master application

Caveat Emptor or Buyer Beware 12: Changes in Federal Financial Aid

Saturdays we share tips or cautions to facilitate getting scholarships or avoiding problems

Mark enrolled in one of the top 20 graduate programs in education in the country. He worked full-time as a high school teacher. The graduate program cost a lot. Mark used his own money to pay part of the tuition, but took out a federally guaranteed Stafford Loan to augment his own cash. After he received the loan, Congress changed the rules on the loan. They doubled the interest from 3.4% to 6.8%. They also started accruing the interest at the beginning of the loan rather than 6 months after graduation. His costs increased by thousands of dollars because of the changes.

Intent of Changes Enacted in 2012

Congress enacted several changes to federal financial aid for students effective July 2012. They intended to accomplish several purposes:

• Decrease federal expenditures
• Make financial aid available to people who needed it the most
• Increase the number of low-income students who could receive financial aid
• Decrease funding to people who already received an education

• Enhance student success by not funding students with high-risk of dropping out

As with many attempts to initiate social change, mixed results occurred in the past year. Many students, like Mark, had stop going to school because of the changes. Others, who qualified, failed to take advantage of the opportunities provided in the changes.

Changes Enacted in 2012

Some of the changes enacted include:

You must have a high school diploma or GED. You cannot become eligible by passing an approved test or completing six credit hours of post secondary coursework

The lower a student’s expected family contribution, the higher the student’s federal student aid eligibility

You may only receive Pell Grants for 12 semesters instead of 16. Working students going to school part-time will not receive financial aid for all their schooling

Interest accrues during the grace period 

Income eligibility for Pell Grants decreased from $33,000 to $23,000

You may learn more about the changes at the Federal Student Aid web site.

Monday we review School Grants Blog as a source of student financial aid

Reusable Materials 19: Multiple Uses for Part C for Master Applications

Thursdays we discuss how reusable materials help you WOW committees, save time

Michael learned about our concept of a master application when he attended our scholarship workshop. He desperately needed the money for his children. He had lost his job as a warehouse worker two months before. He attended the coaching with his children and saw how he could use the master application to complete the long online employment applications companies required. His master application cut the amount of time it took to complete online applications from 60-90 minutes down to 30-45 minutes. He also eliminated errors that had cost him jobs. He received not one, but two, job offers within 6 weeks.

Themes and Value Statements in Part C

Your reusable master application contains three parts (I know that I’ve covered this before, but others asked me to repeat it):

A: Answers to all personal questions about you, your family, schoolwork, work history, and more

B: Lists of recitals, performances, competitions, transcripts, awards, and more

C: 3-4 themes in your life, divided into 3 categories each, with 3 value statements each

Your life consists of themes about what you love to do and have done consistently throughout your life. Your life may center around service, leadership, athletics, academics, creative talent, ethic background, survivor, civic activist, or other. Most people possess 3-4 themes.

You divide each theme into three categories. You create 3 value statements (formerly called Home Run Statements but now called value statements because they describe value you added to companies or organizations) for each category.

Use Them for More Than Scholarships

The good news is that you use reusable master application with themes, categories, and value statements for more than just applying for scholarships. You use them throughout your career in school, work, and more. For example, you use them on:

• School admissions forms
• Online employment applications
• Resumes and cover letters
• Gas, electric, water, sewer, telephone, and other utility applications
• Work performance appraisals
• Professional profiles on LinkedIn, company documents, and professional associations

Saturday we share a caution about changes in federal financial aid for graduate students

Sources of Money 18: Limited, but Useful Help on The Scholarship Page

Tuesdays we review a source of financial aid available to help pay for college

Jenny was 53 years old. A married mother of 4 teenagers. Her children required less time. Her husband provided adequately, but not extravagantly. She wanted to go to college, but needed financial aid to do so. She attended our workshop and worked with our coaches. She earned $33,000 from scholarships in one year.

Advantages of The Scholarship Page

Jennifer Lieberman started www.Scholarship-Page.com because she was a broke student and wanted to share what she learned with others

She states “Since 1995, The Scholarship Page has provided students, parents, teachers, and guidance counselors with information about scholarships that can be used for attending colleges or universities. Many people have been helped with their tuition, books, fees, and other costs associated with getting a higher education. We generally get our information through research and direct contact from administrators…You might be surprised”

The landing page contains reminders of new scholarships, links to other scholarship links, and an online store. A simple Donate button allows users to donate funds ($1.00 or more) to maintain the site. 

The navigation bar leads you to

• The store offers test preparation, crash course, and other books for college
• Scholarships provides a rather short list of scholarships with no profile or search
• Links opens a page with 13 links to other scholarship search engines and online textbook stores
• FAQ’s gives very short answers to 5 questions about The Scholarship Page
• About us gives contact information, the legal disclaimer, and the privacy policy

The simplicity. The Scholarship Page requires only 10-15 minutes to thoroughly understand it. You also will not be hampered by a lot of ads, banners, or deceptive “scholarships”.

Disadvantages of The Scholarship Page

The biggest disadvantage of The Scholarship Page is the lack of resources listed. The Scholarship Page does not list thousands of scholarships or billions of dollars in financial aid. This privately maintained effort lacks the resources of Monster (FASTWEB), Petersons, or other scholarship search engines.

Thursday we list multiple uses for home run or value statements and master applications

Caveat Emptor or Buyer Beware 11: Compare Schools Before Your Sign

Saturdays we share tips of cautions to facilitate getting scholarships or avoiding problems

Ned had worked in construction for 11 years when he hurt his back in an industrial accident. He enrolled in a for-profit proprietary school. He studied and received a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). He found the promised tutoring and support during the education less than he expected. The school provided no training or support in finding a job. He also discovered that no medical or assisted-living facility recognized the certificate or training offered by this school. 

Talk to the School Before You Sign

We encourage you to interview various administrators at the school before you sign an admissions document: admissions counselors, financial aid advisors, and placement office counselors. The following questions will help you gather the information you need:

• Does the school charge its fees the same as other schools charge?
• What types of financial aid does the school offer?
• What percent of financial aid comes from grants, scholarships, or loans?
• How does the school choose its instructors?
• Is the school appropriately accredited and licensed and by whom?

Talk to Students and Alumni Before You Sign

In addition, to interviewing school officials, you should talk to other students and alumni of the school:

• Did you have any problems with the school, curriculum instructors, or facilities?
• How knowledgeable are the professors in your chosen field?
• How helpful was the program?
• How well did it prepare you for your career and help you find a job?
• How successful were you in transferring to another school or getting a job?

Talk to Potential Employers Before You Sign

Discuss the school with potential employers before signing an admissions contract:

• What do you think of graduates from this school?
• Do you hire graduates from this program
• How many students from this school receive promotions after they are hired?

Be wary of any school that promises a degree or certificate in a short amount of time or that overstates future job prospects or earning potential.

Monday we review the Scholarship Page as a source of financial aid to pay for college

Reusable Materials 18: 5 Steps to Prepare Home Run Statements

Thursdays we discuss how reusable materials help you WOW committees and save time

Janis worked with us to apply for scholarships. Preparing the home run statements as part of her reusable master application. The perceived complexity overwhelmed her. She tried to write them but couldn’t. She tried to create, edit, and refine them all at the same time. It proved difficult. We taught her to prepare them in 5 steps. She used that process and finished 39 of them within one week.

Purpose of Home Run Statements in Master Applications

Part C of your master application contains your themes divided into three categories. You also write 3 home run statements for each category. You want home run statements to WOW the scholarship committees. Not all home run statements require overwhelming numbers.

You use your home run statements for the questions with the larger fields for the answers. You copy and paste the statements into scholarship applications. Typically home run statements answer the following questions:

• Describe your extracurricular activities
• Describe your athletic endeavors
• Explain your leadership experience
• Explain what you have done to improve the world or society
• Describe a sacrifice you made or hardship you endured

5 Steps to Prepare Home Run Statements

Trying to generate fully polished home run statements from scratch can intimidate you. The mind does not simultaneously create and edit well. The creative process requires full expression and openness. Editing requires that you restrict and use rules. These processes conflict with one another.

You will experience more success if you separate the creative and editing process. Accomplishing each step separately increases your ability to create while decreasing the overall time required. The 5 steps include:

• Generate 3 ideas for each category (just short phrases)
• Turn each idea into a complete sentence
• Translate implied numbers into real #,$, and %s
• Refine the sentence clarifying vocabulary and translating jargon into terms everyone will understand
• Ask someone else to edit your statements and ensure common understanding

Home run statements add sparkle to your scholarship applications.

Saturday we share the caution to compare schools before you sign the contract

Sources of Money 17: Dow Jones News Fund Assists Future Journalists

Tuesdays we review a source of financial aid available to help pay for college

Bob hoped to write for a big city newspaper. His experience writing for his high school newspaper increased his passion for journalism. So, he enrolled in a prestigious journalism school in the Midwest. Paying for school would require more money than he could raise. He needed scholarships to survive. He found several on the Dow Jones News Fund Inc. web site. He won several of the scholarships dedicated to journalism students. They helped defray his tuition costs.

Advantages of Using the Dow Jones News Fund

“The Dow Jones News Fund, (https://www.newsfund.org/PageText/SchoalrshipListings.aspx?Page_ID=SclFellowship) formerly known as the Newspaper Fund, was organized in 1958 to improve the quality of journalism education and the pool of applicants for jobs in the news business.”

Their web site states

“This page contains a list of financial aid offered by organizations and foundations for the study of journalism/mass communication. For complete details, contact the person listed for each respective program or visit their Web site by clicking on the link provided.”

We found a list of more than 20 scholarships, research awards, and other sources of financial aid. The awards are given to all types of people interested in journalism including: writers, editors, photographers, and others.

The site offers information about:

• Scholarships
• Grants
• Internships
• Summer jobs
• Continuing education
• Scholastic and professional associations affiliated with journalism
• Diversity programs
• Job fairs
• Journalism workshops
• Job postings in journalism
• Articles and publications you can use as a career guide for journalists
• Downloadable forms and documents used by journalists
• News about awards

Disadvantages of Using the Dow Jones News Fund

Disadvantages include:

• The site only provides assistance to journalism students
• Login is limited to certain occupations for much of the financial aid
• The site does not offer a search engine or candidate profile to create a list of applicable scholarships. You must review the list to determine which apply to you
• Limited number of financial aid sources compared to other sources of financial aid

Thursday we list 5 steps to prepare home run statements for reusable master application

Caveat Emptor or Buyer Beware 10: Costs of For-Profit Proprietary School

Saturdays we share tips or cautions to facilitate getting scholarships or avoid problems

Sally signed a contract with a for-profit proprietary (private) college to earn her nursing degree. The school never gave her a total cost of tuition for the entire program. Instead, they told her how much it would cost per credit hour. She found that their advertisement to assist with financial aid amounted to helping apply for a Pell Grant and student loans. When it was finished she found that she had incurred a debt of $48,000 for an Associate Degree in Nursing. She did not have the money to pay off the loans and had to go to work. She never completed the second semester, but still had to pay the full loan. The contract was iron-clad.

Ascertaining the Cost of an Education

Costs of an education continue to increase. State schools need to hike tuition to cover reduced tax revenues and increasing demand for education. Private nonprofit schools also find reducing donations and returns on locus investments reducing revenues. Several studies indicate the strain placed on paying for school.

Most state and private schools publish their tuitions very clearly. They describe full-time tuitions by semester or even part-time tuitions. They also list exactly how many semesters or hours typically constitute a given degree. Many programs will tell you the total cost of the degree if you stay on track.

Unfortunately, some schools make it difficult to identify the full costs of the education. For example, while you may find tuitions costs easily on the web sites for some schools. Others schools conceal the tuition costs never advertising them publicly. instead, they force you to call a phone number or share your contact information with them.

The phone call or information begins a long protracted process of them closing on you signing a contract for admissions. Usually, you still will not understand how much money you will pay before you get the degree. Comparing other schools can save you thousands of dollars.

Tuesday we review the Dow Jones News Fund Inc. as a source of financial information

Reusable Materials 17: How to Outline Your Scholarship Essays

Thursdays we discuss how reusable materials help you WOW committees and save time

John graduated from college fifteen years ago. He worked in finances since that time. His lack of a graduate degree caused his employers to pass over him for promotions. As a result, he decided to get an MBA. He combined several sources of funding to pay for graduate school. Educational reimbursements from his employer paid for 80% of tuition as long as he earned A’s. Scholarships paid for textbooks, housing, and food. He earned a free computer from Dell. The combined income provided for tuition, books, computer, half of his housing costs, and a quarter of his food costs.

Basic Outlines for Scholarship Essays

Essays follow a standard structure or outline. We will teach the hamburger essay structure.

• Paragraph 1 introduces your theme, concept or principle
• Paragraphs 2-4 contain the meat of the essay usually 1 thought or idea per paragraph
• Highlight the concepts or principles of the essay with a story for each one
• Draw similarities between the story and the principles
• Paragraph 5 concludes the essay by summarizing the three main points (it mirrors paragraph 1)

Types of Essays You May Need to Submit

Essays may serve different purposes depending on the topic:

• Biographical essays should not focus on just the facts of the person’s life.
  • They should describe characteristics or traits worthy of emulation
• Persuasive essays outline reasons for someone to change their mind or opinion
  • What can be done to make the world better or how to improve education
  • Why you deserve to receive scholarships or the benefits of your education
• Descriptive essays explain situations, the future, or things you have done
  • What have you done recently to make a difference in the world
  • How would your education improve your life

You adapt the standard essay structure depending on the type of essay. For example, a persuasive essay

• Introduction the proposition in paragraph 1
• Presents reasons to persuade the reader in paragraphs 2-4
• Conclusion summarizes how the reasons justify the proposition

Saturday we share the caution about the costs of for-profit proprietary schools