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Scholarships/Financial Aid
Scholarships can be a part of a student’s financial aid in a post-secondary setting. The general nature of a scholarship leads it to be very individualized. One student’s approach does not have the be the same as another student’s. The main concept is to put yourself out there! You will not know what you qualify or what you’re eligible for unless you research and apply. Below you will find resources for scholarships in various forms. Some that are locally based, others that are more broad and nationally based, and then there will be links for you to create profiles on site and filter your searches.
Below you can click on the icons to go straight to the FAFSA website, FSA ID website or to the GA Student Finance Commission.
Click to view the official FAFSA website
Click to complete your FSA ID (electronic signature for the FAFSA – parent/guardian & student must have it) If you are senior student experiencing homelessness, please see your counselor immediately.
Click to view the GSFC website for any questions about state aid programs like: the HOPE Scholarship, Zell Miller Scholarship, HOPE Grant and Zell Miller Grant.
Financial aid is money that the government and other organizations give you or lend you so you can pay for college. To qualify for financial aid, you have to apply.
Grants &ndash Grants do not have to be paid back. They come from federal and state governments and from colleges. Most grants are need based, which means they are usually given based on your or your family’s financial circumstances.
Scholarships – Scholarships do not have to be paid back. Scholarships come from governments, colleges and private organizations. They may be awarded for academic or athletic ability, interest in a certain subject, or volunteer work. Some scholarships are given based on membership in an ethnic or religious group. Companies may also give scholarships to children of employees.
Loans&ndash Borrowing money from a bank, government or lending company is a loan. A loan must be paid back with an extra charge called interest. The federal government offers low-interest loans to students with financial need. Other lenders charge more interest.
- Subsidized or Unsubsidized – View more information about Direct Subsidized & Unsubsidized Loans.
Work Study – The Federal Work-Study Program offers paid part-time jobs to help students pay for part of their college cost.
Fellowship – A fellowship is an award of financial aid to a student, providing a stipend and/or tuition support. No service is expected in return for a fellowship; it is awarded on a merit or need basis to assist the student in the pursuit of a degree.
Information accessed and pulled directly from https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/financial-aid-101/financial-aid-can-help-you-afford-college
HOPE – Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally – is Georgia’s unique scholarship and grant program that rewards students with financial assistance in degree, diploma, and certificate programs at eligible public and private colleges and universities and public technical colleges in Georgia.
Find out more about the program and the scholarship and grant options.
Take a moment and look at the HOPE Scholarship and Zell Miller Scholarship Rigor Requirements:
- Academic Rigor Requirements
- Approved Courses of Rigor (Sept 2017)
- Here’s link to more information about the TCSG Hope Career Grant.
GAfuture’s application details for student’s applying for the HOPE scholarship (sign-in information is required).
School Based Search
After completing your FAFSA and applying to the school(s) of your choice, the next task suggested would be to look-up what type of Financial Aid is offered by the college you're applying to.
In some cases, an applicant will be automatically reviewed for scholarships and grants based on their application and FAFSA document. However, a lot of schools will have institutional scholarships and grants that students must apply to first in order to obtain the assistance.
Check under your school of choice's Admissions info or Financial Aid info section of their website. A lot of times there will be a Scholarships section. From here, you may need to submit an application to the college to be selected for insitiutional scholarship. Most times, there is a deadline to apply. Make sure to submit as early as you can.
After completing FAFSA, searching your post-secondary option's school site, applying for local scholarships you can expand your search even more by creating profiles on scholarship search engine sites or apps like the ones below. Usually, search engines on a national level meant to filter scholarship searches toward YOU. This process can be long, but scholarships are EARNED, some by your play/academics and a lot by the time you take to apply!
Make sure you do your research and never apply for a scholarship or grant that has you paying a fee, you should not pay for FREE MONEY! The only time you may pay is installing an app's software onto your phone or tablet.
Click the images below for scholarship information!
HOPE PROGRAM
The HOPE Scholarship program is for students who have demonstrated academic achievement and are seeking a college degree. There are several ways to become eligible for the HOPE Scholarship, either by graduating from high school as a HOPE Scholar or by earning it while in college. For more information, review the HOPE Scholarship regulations.
The HOPE Grant program is for students seeking a technical certificate or diploma, regardless of the student's high school grade point average or graduation date. For more information, review the HOPE Grant regulations.
The Zell Miller Scholarship program is for students who have demonstrated academic achievement and are seeking a college degree. Generally, to become eligible, a student must graduate from an eligible high school with a 3.70 GPA and a minimum score on the SAT/ACT. For more information, review the Zell Miller Scholarship regulations.
The Zell Miller Grant program is for students seeking a technical certificate or diploma, regardless of the student's high school grade point average or graduation date. To be eligible for the Zell Miller Grant, a student must earn and maintain a minimum 3.5 cumulative post-secondary GPA. For more information, review the Zell Miller Grant regulations.
The HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships and HOPE and Zell Miller Grants pay a certain amount for tuition. The amount of the award depends on the type of school the student is attending, the number of credit hours the student is enrolled, and the specific tuition rate for the college. View award amounts.
For more details about the program and qualifications, visit www.gafutures.org.
This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.