Guidance Counselor - Joy Cooper

Scholarship Updates

 Call or email Joy Cooper, Guidance Counselor, for more information.  jcooper.mc@mcbe.net or 468-3378

List below are scholarships and awards presented at graduation on May 27, 2010.  Congratulations to the Class of 2010

Scholarship Newsletter #1

Class of 2010

From Mrs. Cooper

September 1, 2009

Updated September 11, 2009

 This is the first in a long line of updates you will receive this year concerning scholarships.  Hopefully, you will carry this home for your parents to see and it will provide you with helpful information concerning college admissions and scholarships.  The newsletters will appear on the website as well.    Preparing for college and the “real world” is hard work.  You must become organized and stay on top of deadlines.  Scholarships are out there, but they do not just appear, you must earn them.  Please feel free to ask any questions that you might have.  I encourage your parents to ask questions as well.   

 College Fair – Birmingham – held at the BJCC – Huge college fair!  Sunday, September 20  from 1:00 – 4:00.   I have been, this is great.  Great workshops as well.

 ACT TESTING - seniors need to take the October Test.  The deadline to register is September 18 and registration packets are in my office or you may register online at www.act.org.  Our school code is 011-330.

 Bevill State – scholarship deadline around March 1 – ACT score has become important for scholarships.  A resume’ and essay is required for the Ambassador Scholarship.

 University of Alabama – admission and scholarship deadline – December 1.  YOU MUST COMPLETE TWO DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS!  You should go online to www.ua.edu for admissions and www.scholarhsips.ua.edu for the scholarship application.    If you plan to attend UA next fall, urge your parents to join the UA Alumni Association as soon as possible.  Great scholarship opportunities exist just from joining.    You should visit a school you plan to attend and University Days this year those dates can be found at ua.edu

 Auburn University – Priority Admission is December 1.  The number for financial aid info (this includes scholarship info) is 334-844-4367.  Information from Auburn is very limited.  Scholarships to Auburn are hard to come by!  Your ACT score must be at least a 27 and your high school resume’ must look great.  They are offering a Future Leaders scholarship now and you will need an ACT of 27 and be admitted by the end of September, so apply now!    War Eagle Days are great visitation days but required an invitation.  You should apply early to receive and invitation.

 University of North Alabama – Academic scholarships are based on ACT scores and leadership scholarships are based on the student’s resume and ACT score.  UNA will offer full tuition scholarships to students with 29 ACT scores.   Valedictorian and Salutatorian Scholarships – ACT score of 18 - $3200 per year.  Leadership scholarships – Based on Resume’ - $1200 to Full tuition.  Charles N. Martin, Jr. Scholarship – ACT of 18 – 25. 

 University of  South Alabama -  Scholarship start with an ACT score of 24 – Deadline December 1

 The Wendy’s High School Heisman 2009 application is now available. All athletes should apply at www.wendysheisman.com.  The website states the registration deadline is October 1, but our school deadline will be Friday, September 24.  I am required to check all information and certify each application and I need time to complete that information.

 If you plan to apply at Samford – do so now.  The Dwight Moody and Lucille Stewart Beeson Exceptional Scholars Program – Samford University -  Must be nominated by the school – ACT 28+ required to be nominated.

 Troy University – admission and scholarship applications can be found at http://troy.troy.edu/admissions.  The Millennium Scholar’s Award – Full Tuition, room and board – Act of 31 required.  The chancellor’s Award – Full tuition – ACT 27 required.  Excellence in Leadership Award – Award amount varies – ACT 22 – January 1 deadline. 

 Better Business Bureau of North Alabama Scholarship – juniors or seniors from North Alabama may apply.  Essay required – 400 word essay on the importance of ethics in business and our community.  I have a copy of the application. 

 Horatio Alger Association Scholarship – www.horatioalger.org – national scholarship opportunity – financial need, community activities, and a GPA of 2.0 or higher needed to apply.

 Coca-cola scholars scholarship – register at www.coca-colascholar.org.  Deadline to register is October 31.

 United States Senate Youth Program – Washington Week  2010 -  essay required – see me for details – Deadline – September 19

 The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards – based on community service hours – deadline October 31 – register at www.prudential.com/spirit

 John F. Kennedy – Profile in Courage Essay Contest – grades 9 – 12 – essay required – deadline January 9, 2010 – More information at www.jfklibrary.org

 2010 United States Senate Youth Program – William Randolph Hearst Foundation.  Deadline September 21, 2009 – Test required.

 Please note that many colleges and scholarship organizations are now posting applications on the web, so I do not receive as many paper copies as I did in the past.  I will post all I know and keep you updated.  However, you are urged to contact all colleges you are interested in as soon as possible and register with a scholarship search like fastweb.com.  We will go into the computer lab in September and conduct a search for scholarships and colleges.

 ALL SENIORS WILL NEED TO HAVE AN UPDATED RESUME’ TO ME BY SEPTEMBER 24.  You will need to save these to a disk and keep copies for yourself.

Senior Scholarship Update

January 12, 2010 

1.     The Smith Foundation Scholarship – all should apply – deadline this Friday, January 15^th

2.     The Wal-Mart Scholarship – apply online @ January 29^th – www.act.org/walmart/community

3.     The Alabama Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program – Funds available for foster youth and former foster youth to attend Alabama colleges, Universities, and Vocational Training.  Students may receive up to $5,000 a year for four years to pursue higher education. – Visit www.statevoucher.org to apply or gain more information.

4.     Alabama Nursing Scholarship Program – Alabama resident enrolled in nursing in state, must work 1 year in Alabama – The amount varies. Applications at financial aid offices at all colleges.

5.     American General Scholarship – must be ranked in the top half of the class. - $500.00 to $1500.00 – January 25^th deadline – Request application from American General Scholarship Program – PO Box 22492, Nashville, TN 37202 or call 615 – 320 – 3151

6.     The Stonewall Jackson Memorial Fund – Repayable Scholarship Program – no interest loans – essay required – deadline, April 1, 2010

7.     ALCARH -  email savannah@alcarh.org for more info

8.     UNA – All scholarship deadlines are February 1, 2010

9.     The University of Arkansas @ Pine Bluff – full tuition scholarships for Aquaculture

10. TEACH Grant – Federal student Aid program that provides grants of up to $4,000 per year to students who intend to teach in a public or private school. http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/TEACH

11. ATRIP(Alabama Teacher Incentive Program) – 100, four year, $20,000 scholarships Awarded for high school seniors seeking a degree in education – www.atrip.alabama.gov

12. Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year – Outstanding Athletics, academics history – March 1 deadline – www.whymilk.edu

13. AXA Achievement Scholarship Program – Feb. 10 – www.axa-equitable.com/axa-foundation/community-scholarships.html

14. KFC – www.kfcscholars.org – Feb. 10

15. Electric Cooperative Foundation, INC  - parents must be a member of the co-op – March 1 – deadline

16. Bevill State – Dance Team – pick up packet from Mrs. Cooper – Try-outs in March

17. Bevill Scholarship Applications – Deadline – March 1 – MUST INCLUDE YOUR RESUME – FAFSA information must be received by March 15 – YOU MUST APPLY FOR FAFSA. ESSAY REQUIRED for AMBASSADOR APPLICANTS

We will attend a scholarship day at Hamilton – you may want to bring your resume’, application, and essay with you that day.  They will direct you on how they want it done.  You may then turn it in to them directly. We will take the compass test that day as well – DATE TBA

Federal Financial Aid – do a quickly as possible – mom and dad/guardians will have to be involved –

·        Make sure your go to www.fafsa.gov – no .coms – you are at the wrong spot if you do – they will charge you – the FAFSA is free

·        Student and parent must have pin #’s

·        005733 - # for all Bevill campuses

·        no college will award aid without you being admitted – so go ahead and apply – most online now

·        untaxed income like social security, disability does not count.

·        Please read the packet that has been put together for you and go to www.fafsa.ed.gov – for detailed information about financial aid – many scholarships require you complete the FAFSA before you apply.

·        Your priority deadline to have the FAFSA completed is MARCH 1 

Free on-line ACT Practice at https://march2success.com/index.cfm

Free on-line ACT Practice at www. act.org

Free scholarship info @  www.scholarships.com or www.fastweb.com

Marion County High School Testing Program and Guidance Activities 2009 – 2010

Watch for updates throughout the year.