Have you ever wondered what scholarships you’re allowed to apply for? A scholarship is a grant or payment made to support a student’s education, awarded on the basis of academic or other achievement. Some scholarships have different requirements and deadlines. This article will inform you on scholarships like FAFSA, EARN Indiana, Big Future, and 21st Century Scholars that you are able to apply for in the fall and winter. I will cover different types of scholarships such as need-based financial aid, high-value certificate funding, and military and public safety officer scholarships.
Need-based financial aid can be defined as financial aid you can receive if you have financial need and meet other eligibility requirements. A specific example of a scholarship you can apply for under this category is The Gates Scholarship. This scholarship is aimed towards minority high school seniors from low-income families. To apply, you must be a high school senior; from one of the following ethnicities: African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian & Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American; pell-eligible, U.S citizen, national, or permanent resident, and in good academic standing with a calculated GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. Big Future offers scholarships through their website that requires no essay, no minimum GPA, no test scores, or citizenship requirements. They have drawings monthly for $500 and $40,000. To qualify for these scholarship drawings, all you have to do is complete six easy steps on the Big Future website, such as creating a career list, scholarship list, and college list. If you don’t win, your entry rolls over to the next month. Families who earn less than $60,000 have more scholarship opportunities.
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Once you fill out your FAFSA, they will use it to determine the amount of aid you’re eligible for. There are five steps you can complete throughout the application process. Step one is planning early, so you will find out how you’re going to pay for college before you start. Consider prepaid tuition and education savings, be sure to meet application deadlines, ask school counselors, and find out what grants and scholarships are available to you. Step two is filling out your FAFSA form. Before each year of college, apply for grants, work-study, and loans with your FAFSA. Step three is to review your aid offer, for it explains the types and amounts of aid a college is offering you. It also shows you your expected costs for the year. If you’re accepted into multiple colleges, accept the offer from the school that’s the best fit for you. Step four is actually getting your aid. Your financial aid office will apply the aid to your funds and send you the remaining balance to spend on other college expenses. To keep aid eligibility, you must make academic progress every year. You also must complete the FAFSA form each year. Step five is to graduate and start repayment. You have to be ready to repay your student loans once you graduate. Federal student loan borrowers have a six-month grace period before you begin making payments. A good idea would be using this time to get organized and choose a repayment plan. If you happen to fall behind on payments, contact your loan servicer to discuss repayment options.
High value certificate scholarships are EARN Indiana, 21st Century Scholarship, and Frank o’ Bannon Grant. EARN stands for Employment Aid Readiness Network, and this scholarship is the state’s work-study program. To apply for this, students must make an account on Work and Learn Indiana and check the “EARN Indiana” box. The Commission will approve your eligibility, and once you’re approved you can start applying for EARN positions. The requirements for a high school EARN Indiana internship are that you must be an Indiana resident, you have to be enrolled at an accredited secondary school, and you have to meet all other requirements from the Commission. To be eligible for a college EARN Indiana internship, you must be an Indiana resident, file your FAFSA, be enrolled full or part time at an eligible Indiana college, have a Student Aid Index of no more than 24,570, not have a bachelor’s degree prior to the term in which you’d like to work, and meet any other requirements from the Commission. In seventh and eighth grade, you are eligible to apply for 21st Century Scholars. The 21st Century helps you to be able to afford college in Indiana. This scholarship pays up to 100% of public colleges in Indiana and part of private or independent universities. The scholarship doesn’t cover the costs of books, room and board, parking fees, lab fees, and any other fees that aren’t assessed to all students. The Frank o’ Bannon Grant includes the Higher Education Award and the Freedom of Choice Award. If you’re eligible for the grant, you can use it toward tuition and regularly assessed fees. Your eligibility is based on the FAFSA. There are requirements for this scholarship. You must be an Indiana resident by December 31st prior to the year you’re applying, for example, December 31st 2023 for the 2024-2025 school year, and you must remain a resident throughout the academic year. You must be a US citizen, you must be a high school graduate or hold a GED, attend or must plan to attend an eligible postsecondary school, must be enrolled or plan to enroll in a study that will lead to an associates or first bachelor’s degree, must abide by credit completion requirements, and file the FAFSA. To apply for the Frank o’ Bannon Grant, you have to file the FAFSA by April 15th.
Military and Public Safety Officer Scholarships offer benefits to students who have lost a guardian on the line of duty. Three scholarships that are available under this category are Children of Purple Heart Recipients, Children and Spouse of Indiana National Guard, and Children of Disabled Veterans. Children of Purple Heart Recipients covers up to 100% of tuition and regularly assessed fees. They cover up to 124 semester credit hours at public Indiana universities at the undergrad resident tuition rate. The program requirements are that you must be a person who’s a child or adopted child of someone who: served in the armed forces of the US, received the purple heart decoration or was wounded from enemy action, received any discharge or separation from the armed forces other than a dishonorable discharge, and either listed Indiana as home in a time of enlistment or resided in Indiana at least five years before you first apply for this scholarship. The requirements for the students are that if you were adopted, it must be before you are 18; you must first apply for this fee exemption before turning 33 years old; you must be eligible for the resident tuition rate at the public Indiana college you attend; you must be pursuing an undergrad, graduate, or professional degree eligible for Title IV federal student aid; and you must be a US citizen or eligible noncitizen. Children and Spouse of Indiana National Guard offers 100% tuition and regularly assessed fees for students who are the child or spouse of a member of the Indiana National Guard who suffered a connected death while serving active duty. The requirements are that you must have a father, mother, or spouse who died during state active duty; you must be eligible to pay the resident tuition rate at an eligible Indiana university, and you must have the requisite academic qualifications. The last scholarship I will be covering in this category is Children of Disabled Veterans. This scholarship also provides up to 100% tuition and regularly assessed fees. The student must be a child or adopted child of someone who: served in the armed forces of the US during a war or something equally dangerous that was recognized and rewarded, suffered a service connected death or disability, received any discharge other than dishonorable discharge, either listed Indiana as home in a time of enlistment or resided in Indiana at least five years before you first apply for this scholarship. Requirements for the student are you must be adopted before 18 years of age, you must apply for this before the age of 33, you must be eligible for the resident tuition rate at the public Indiana school of your choice, and you must be pursuing an undergrad, graduate, or professional degree eligible for Title IV federal student aid.