Alabama's CollegeCounts 529 Scholarship Program

Alabama State Treasurer, Young Boozer, announced on November 28, 2012, the creation of a state-wide scholarship program for Alabama students who plan to attend Alabama colleges or universities.  Boozer said the program is aimed at helping "gap" students.  These are good students who have financial need but are often left out of the scholarship awards because they do not have high standardized test scores.  Boozer stated, "Not every student makes a 30 or higher on the ACT or has parents who can afford to write a check for tuition.  But there are thousands of bright young minds in our state who work hard and deserve help achieving their dream of a college degree."

The CollegeCounts Board of Directors and the Alabama State Treasury are providing the CollegeCounts Scholarship, a one-time award of $4,000 to qualified recipients enrolling in four-year colleges or universities and $2,000 to those enrolling in two-year community or technical colleges. This scholarship will provide funding assistance to Alabama high school students with demonstrated financial need to attend college for the betterment of the student and state.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:  Students must meet all the following requirements:

• Be a high school senior or first-time college freshman.
• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Be an Alabama resident.
• Be enrolled or planning to enroll in an Alabama eligible educational university, college, community college,  technical college, etc.  These colleges must be accredited institutions, and students must be enrolled as full-time students.
• Demonstrate financial need.
• Have a minimum 2.75 GPA.
• Have a 26 or BELOW ACT score.  (Applicants attending a two-year college will not be required to submit ACT scores.)

This scholarship is a one-time, nonrenewable award.  It can be used for tuition, fees, books, supplies, or equipment.

The scholarship application will open on JANUARY 2, 2013, and will close on MARCH 7, 2013!  DO NOT MISS THIS DEADLINE!

For more information, enrollment deadlines, and to apply, go to CollegeCountsAlabama.com.

Jacksonville State University Scholarships

Many of our students attend JSU and are eligible for scholarships.  This year, JSU has made some scholarship policy changes, as follows.

JSU's scholarship application opened on October 1, 2012, and closes on March 1, 2013!  In order to be considered for any scholarship, students must be unconditionally admitted to JSU and MUST COMPLETE THE ONLINE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION by the deadline!  The qualifications and restrictions of each scholarship can be viewed by clicking on the name of the scholarship.  The JSU  Scholarship site is located at http://www.jsu.edu/finaid/scholarships/types.html.  Student must list each scholarship for which he/she wants to be considered on the online scholarship application.

IMPORTANT:  Students need to be aware that all correspondence sent from the JSU Scholarship office will be emailed to the students' JSU Gamecock email account.  The student's logon information is found in the JSU Admissions letter.  You must reply to your offer of a scholarship within a certain number of days, so it is imperative that you check your JSU email account daily.

Here is a list of some of the ACT/SAT academic scholarships offered by JSU:

Elite Honors Scholars - Requires a 30 ACT or above; 3.5 GPA; renewable 4 years, up to 128 hours.  Candidates will be selected from the Elite Scholars recipients and will be contacted and required to submit an essay and resume.  Includes 16 in-state tuition hours per semester, housing, meal plan, books, and laptop computer.

Elite Scholars - Requires a 30 ACT or above; renewable 4 years, up to 128 hours; Includes 16 in-state tuition hours per semester, housing, and meal plan.

Faculty Scholars - Requires a 26-29 ACT; renewable 4 years, up to 128 hours; Includes 16 in-state tuition hours per semester and books.

Gamecock Scholars - Requires a 24-25 ACT; renewable one year, up to 36 hours; Includes 9 in-state tuition hours per semester.

Gem of the Hills Scholars - Requires 22-23 ACT; renewable one year, up to 24 hours; Includes 6 in-state tuition hours per semester.

Valedictorian - Scholarship is offered to incoming first-time freshmen who are declared Valedictorian their senior year of high school; renewable one year, up to 64 hours.  Includes 16 in-state tuition hours per semester.

Leadership - Requires a 2.5 academic GPA or above; a 20 ACT or above; based primarily on offices held in extracurricular activities, leadership roles, and community involvement.  Paper application with resume and official high school transcript are required.  Renewable one year, up to 64 hours, based on continued leadership role.  Includes 16 in-state tuition hours per semester.

Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund

Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) administers a number of scholarship programs for children of federal employees.  Applications are available January-March of each year and range from $500 to $2,500.  For information on these, go to http://www.feea.org/programs/scholarships.

University of Montevallo Department of Theatre Scholarships

The University of Montevallo will hold its auditions for Theatre scholarships and also the Musical Theatre Program on February 9 and 16, 2013, beginning at 12:00 p.m. in Reynolds Theatre.  All applicants for scholarships and/or the Musical Theatre program will be notified of awards and/or acceptance by the end of February.

For more information about scholarship auditions/interviews and the Musical Theatre Program auditions, contact Pam Lucas at (205) 665-6210.

University of Mobile Honor Band Auditions

The University of Mobile Honor Band will hold its auditions on February 21-23, 2013.  For further information, contact the UMobile Center for Performing Arts at 251.442.2420; email mbennett@umobile.edu.  Go to www.umobile.edu for further information.

BigSun Athletic Scholarship 2013

The BigSun Organization wants to help young athletes succeed in their academic pursuits.  All student athletes are eligible to apply for this award, regardless of the sport they are participating in.

To apply, you must send a short essay answering the following 3-part questions:

1. What are your most important extracurricular or community activities?
2. What made you join these activities?
3. What made you continue to contribute to them?

All essay submissions should be sent to:  athleticawards@bigsunathletics.com.  Application Deadline: June 21, 2013!

Auburn University Montgomery School of Business Scholarship Bowl

Students interested in majoring in Business at AUM who have a minimum 23 ACT score and a 3.2 overall GPA will be eligible to compete for the top scholarship.  To compete for this scholarship, you will need to do the following:

• Submit an Admissions application to AUM at http://www.aum.edu.
• Submit a Scholarship Bowl application to Shae Robinson, Student Services Coordinator for the AUM School of Business (email to shaw.robinson@aum.edu or fax to 334-244-3792.
• Calculator - Cell phones will not be allowed to substitute for calculators.
• Knowledge - The short exam will focus on general business areas such as economics, accounting, finance, and management.  Once your application is received, Ms. Robinson will send you a detailed list of study areas.

Application Deadline for School of Business Scholarship Bow:  January 10, 2013!

School of Business Scholarship Bowl - January 26, 2013 

See Ms. Knight for the AUM School of Business Scholarship Bowl application.

Auburn University/Auburn University Montgomery Seamless Admission

Seamless Admission provides an alternative for those students who have their hearts set on attending Auburn University but who have lower GPAs and ACT scores.

To meet the general criteria for admission into the Seamless Program, students must have the following:

1. A 2.3 or higher GPA
2. An 18 ACT Composite or 860 SAT Composite
3. Must have applied to AU as a freshman for the fall of 2013.

So, if you meet the above criteria, all you have to do now is to apply for admission to Auburn University.  You will then receive an invitation to the Seamless Program with your AU decision letter.  You will indicate your interest in Seamless Admission through an online interest form.  Auburn University will then forward the application and educational information to AUM.  In February, Seamless Admission will send out more information about the program and how to reserve your space in the Program.  Invitations will be mailed out on a rolling basis in November and through early Spring as admissions decisions are made by AU.  As a participant in the Seamless Program, you will be able to participate in AU activities and will take many courses on the AU campus.

See Ms. Knight if you have any questions.

Auburn University's Departmental Scholarships

Each of Auburn's twelve Colleges and Schools awards scholarships separate from those awarded by the Office of University Scholarships.  The criteria for these scholarships vary and include but may not be limited to academic major, geographic location, academic achievement, and financial need.  A separate application may be required.  Contact the following College or School you plan to major for departmental scholarships, as follows:

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE - Application Deadline:  January 15, 2013
Contact:  Ann Gulatte, 334-844-2345
gulatam@auburn.edu
ag.auburn.edu/scholarship

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS - Application Deadline:  February 1, 2013
Contact:  Jake Williamson
334-844-7891
willijt@auburn.edu
business.auburn.edu/students/scholarships

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION - Application Deadline:  January 31, 2013
Contact:  Becca Grace
334-844-9144
gracerc@auburn.edu
education.auburn.edu/edustudents/financialaid

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
College-wide engineering scholarships to not require a separate application.  Students who apply for admission to Auburn by December 1st will receive automatic consideration.  Some Departmental Scholarships do require a separate application.  Any department within the College of Engineering not listed automatically considers eligible students pursuing a major in that discipline for scholarships:

College-Wide
No additional application required.
Contact:  Mary Lynn Saidla
334-844-2249
saidlml@auburn.edu
eng.auburn.edu/students/schfi

Biosystems Engineering - Application Deadline:  January 15, 2013
Contact:  Dr. Mark Dougherty
334-844-8939
doughmp@auburn.edu
eng.auburn.edu/bio

Chemical Engineering - Application Deadline:  January 15, 2013
Contact:  Jennifer Harris
334-844-2030
harrijm@auburn.edu

Civil Engineering - Application Deadline:  January 15, 2013
Contact:  Kathryn Storey
334-844-6262
storeke@auburn.edu

Computer Science and Software Engineering - Application Deadline:  January 31, 2013
Contact:  Barbara McCormack
334-844-6313
mccorba@auburn.edu

Industrial and Systems Engineering - Application Deadline:  January 15, 2013
Contact:  LuAnn Sims
334-844-1430
simslua@auburn.edu

Materials Engineering - Application Deadline:  January 15 2013
Contact:  Dr. Jeff Fergus
334-844-3405
ferguje@auburn.edu

Polymer and Fiber Engineering - Application Deadline:  January 15, 2013
Contact:  Ashley Winfree
334-844-5457
sandeaa@auburn.edu

SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE SCIENCES
Application Deadline:  January 15, 2013
Contact:  Dale Dickens
334-844-1001
dfd0003@auburn.edu
sites.auburn.edu/academic/sfws/newstudents/Pages/Scholarships.aspx

COLLEGE OF HUMAN SCIENCES
Application Deadline:  January 15 2013
Contact:  Jan Casson
334-844-4790
cassojc@auburn.edu
humsci.auburn.edu/scholarship

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Application Deadline:  January 31 2013
Contact:  Lee Anne Caudle
334-844-2188
lwc003@auburn.edu
cla.auburn.edu/cla/student-services/scholarship-information

COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS
Application Deadline:  January 15, 2013
Contact:  Glenelle Lindsay
334-844-4555
lindsgl@auburn.edu
auburn.edu/cosam/scholarship


The following Colleges and Schools consider students for scholarships once accepted into the professional program:

• College of Agriculture, Design, and Construction
• School of Nursing
• James I. Harrison School of Pharmacy
• College of Veterinary Medicine

The American Legion "Need a Lift?" Scholarship

The American Legion's "Need a Lift?" college scholarship and financial aid handbook is now available online.  Go to www.legion.org/needalift for further information.

Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway Contest

To be considered for the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway Contest, you must create and submit a video sharing your reasons of why you think you would be an excellent recipient of Dr. Pepper's tuition prize.  The winners have a chance of getting either $100,000 or $2,500 award to put toward their tuition expenses.  For more information and requirements for your video, go to www.drpeppertuitiongiveaway.

College Merit or Academic Scholarships

Remember, the December 1st scholarship deadline for many colleges is fast approaching.  This means that you must have applied, submitted all required documents, and been admitted to the college BEFORE you can be considered for scholarships.  This includes the following colleges:  Auburn; The University of Alabama; UAB; UAH; USA; the University of Montevallo, etc.  Be sure to see Ms. Knight if you have any questions or concerns.

Scholarship Search Websites

Remember, a FREE scholarship search is the best way to look for independent scholarships.  Just in case you have not been searching, here are some sites for you to research.

www.studentaid.ed.gov - This website gives a great overview of federal financial aid.

www.fastweb.com - You will need to create a user ID and profile.

www.brokescholar.com - This website searches over 2.6 million scholarships, grants, fellowships, and contests to help students gain money for college.

www.collegeboard.org/scholarships - College Board produces the SAT, and this website discusses where to look for scholarships, how to apply, and gives important dates.

www.scholarships.com - This website provides several scholarships in an easy format and has a database of over 2.7 million.

www.blackexcel.org - This is a great resource of underrepresented students (students of color; women; first-generation college students) and a list of over 200 scholarships with a variety of opportunities.

www.scholarshipexperts.com - This website has an extensive database, and it is updated regularly.

www.scholarshipandgrants.us - This website divides scholarships into majors and interests.

www.schoolsoup.com - This website claims to have the largest scholarship database.

www.princetonreview.com - This is another good scholarship website produced by The Princeton Review.

www.legion.org/needalift  - The American Legion provides scholarship and financial aid information on this website.

www.weeklyscholarships.com - This is a free site where at least one to five scholarship notices can be emailed to you each week.

www.uncf.org/scholarship - UNCF/The College Fund lists scholarships available in students who want to attend historically black colleges who are members of UNCF/The College Fund.

www.srnexpress.com - Scholarship Resource Network is a database that features mostly private, portable, non-need-based scholarships.

www.collegenet.com/mach25 - The CollegeNET site features over 600,000 scholarships from 1,500 sponsoring organizations.

www.CSOCCollegeCenter.org - This site offers free college search guidance, support, and scholarships for first-generation, low-income, minority students.

www.hsf.net - This is a Hispanic Scholarship Fund website.

www.scholarshipsme.com - This site has millions of scholarships and college grants listed.

www.EducationConnection.com - This site matches you with online universities with scholarships for minorities.

www.collegedata.com - At this site, you can search over 400,000 scholarships - search by ethnicity, residence, major, GPA, and more.

www.invent.org/collegiate - This is a student inventor scholarship site.

www.christophers.org/vidcon2k - This is a student video scholarship site.

www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships - This is a sports scholarship site.

http://scholarships.hispanicfund.org/applications/ - This is the Hispanic College Fund's scholarship website.

www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/medical-conditions.htp - This site discusses scholarships available to those students with medical conditions.

www.cancerforcollege.org - This site provides information on college funding to cancer survivors.

http://www.collegefund.org/ - This is the American Indian College Fund scholarship site.

www.inlikeme.com - This is a college-admissions, scholarship-search website.

Other Sources for Scholarship:
College Financial Aid Offices
National Merit Scholarship
National Honor Society
American Bar Association
American Medical Association
Large companies, corporations, etc.
Labor unions
Non-profit organizations
Religious organizations
YMCA
4-H Clubs
Chambers of Commerce
Girl and Boy Scouts
Rotary, Kiwanis, and Jaycees Clubs
Military Education Assistance Program
Public libraries
Bookstores
Sororities/fraternities

Pepsi Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Program

PepsiCo has partnered with the Hispanic College Fund (HCF) to promote higher education among Hispanic students. PepsiCo usually offers around 30 scholarships to assist with undergraduate education.  Go to www.construyetudestino.com.  Application deadline is usually in early February!

KFC Colonel's Scholars Scholarship

This scholarship is for students with financial need and students with entrepreneurial spirit.  Awards are up to around $20,000 for tuition, fees, books, room and board.  Eligible students must earn a minimum 2.75 GPA; enroll in a public college or university within his/her state of residence; plan to pursue a bachelor's degree; be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; and, demonstrate financial need.  The online application usually opens December 1st.  Go to www.kfcscholars.org. Application deadline is usually February 1st!

Jimmy Rane Foundation Scholarship

This scholarship is for need-based students.  Recipients are honored at the Jimmy Rane Golf Tournament Banquet each May.  Students are chosen based on academics, school and community involvement, and financial need.    The application is available through December.  Go to www.jimmyranefoundation.org.  Application deadline is usually in early February!

Burger King Scholars Program Scholarship

Student must be actively involved in community service and extracurricular activities.  Student must demonstrate financial need and plan to enroll in college. Awards must be used for educational expenses, such as tuition, fees, books, etc.  Go to www.haveityourwayfoundation.org.  Deadline is usually in early February!

Best Buy Scholarship

Student must be entering college, university, or vocation school in the fall following his/her high-school graduation.  Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, volunteerism efforts and/or work experience.  Application must be submitted on online.  Go to www.bestbuy-communityrelations.com/scholarship.htm.  Deadline is usually in early February!

Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen Competition

 If you are interested in competing in the "Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen," the only teen program associated with the Miss America System, go to their website at www.outstandingteen.homestead.com, or you may call (205) 223-5127 for more complete details.  Deadline for entry:  December 10, 2012!

Templeton Press Essay Scholarship

The Templeton Press is sponsoring an essay contest for seniors who plan to enter college in the fall of 2013.  There are no special requirements; however, students must write a thoughtful essay about his or her life's purpose.  The quality of the students' ideas and their ability to express themselves will be judged.  Go to http://lawsoflifecontest.com/ to enter.  Deadline:  December 31, 2013!

"No They Can't" Essay Contest

John Stossel of TV wrote a book by the above title.  In the book, he writes that free people and free markets do a better job of solving problems than government.  Do you think he's right?  Why or why not?  You must write a 500-1000 word essay on this topic.  You must also illustrate your position..." using a recent example of a problem private individuals solved where an attempted government solution failed OR a problem government solved where private individuals' attempts had failed.  You must include at least one reference to John Stossel's "No They Can't" book or TV special.  Go to http://stosselintheclassroom.org/freedvd/.  Deadline:  February 13, 2013!