Federal Financial Aid:
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, aka FAFSA, is the document that colleges use to determine the amount of financial aid to award to students. The FAFSA awards loans, grants and scholarships.
The application opens on January 2nd and the priority deadline is March 2nd. Students need to apply every year for the upcoming school year.
Students who are undocumented and without a Social Security number can apply for the California Dream Act financial aid.
Tips for filing:
Scholarships
The scholarships below are listed in order of deadline dates.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, aka FAFSA, is the document that colleges use to determine the amount of financial aid to award to students. The FAFSA awards loans, grants and scholarships.
The application opens on January 2nd and the priority deadline is March 2nd. Students need to apply every year for the upcoming school year.
Students who are undocumented and without a Social Security number can apply for the California Dream Act financial aid.
Tips for filing:
- File early: It’s easiest to file your taxes first and then use that as a reference point for filling out the FAFSA/Dream Act, but you can also estimate fields on the FAFSA/Dream Act form using your last pay stub and last year’s tax return.
- Not sure you will receive aid??? File Anyway: It’s tough to predict exactly how much money a given family will receive, but Finaid.com publisher Mark Kantrowitz estimates that households earning up to $180,000 will likely qualify for some form of financial aid. Even if you make more than that, there are reasons to apply. Students who don’t apply for aid when entering college are often banned from asking for institutional aid in subsequent years. If your family’s financial situation changes while a student is in school, it can be harder to get aid if you didn’t apply for it initially.
- Be Sure to Fill Out the Form Completely: This may seem obvious, but mistakes on the FAFSA/Dream Act can delay the processing of your application and shuttle you to the back of the line when it comes time to hand out aid awards.
- Use a Supplementary Letter to Explain Extenuating Circumstances: Though the FAFSA asks more than 100 questions, there’s no opportunity on the form to explain specific family circumstances, like a recent job loss or high medical bills. If there are more facts you think financial aid officers need to know, send in a supplementary letter explaining the situation that might necessitate more aid.
Scholarships
The scholarships below are listed in order of deadline dates.
| Name | Amount | Deadline | Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everything is Awesome Scholarship Slam | $1000 | Aug | Any student |
| Love Your Body Poster Contest | Varies | Dec | Any grade level |
| CrossLites ScholarshipContest | Up to $2000 | Dec | High school and college students |
| Poster Contest | Up to $1000 | Feb | High school students |
| College Prep Scholarship | Varies | Mar | Juniors |
| Kohl's Kids Who Care Scholarship * | Up to $10,000 | Mar | 6-18 years old |
| * student must be nominated by a parent, educator, or community member | |||
| LULAC General Award | Up to $1000 | Mar | High school and college students |
| "Frame My Future" | $1000 | Mar | Seniors |
| College JumpStart Scholarship | $1000 | Oct and Apr | 10th-12th grade |
| Scholarchiop Detective Launch | $1000 | Aug, Dec, May | High school and college students |
| C.I.P. Scholarship | $1000 | Aug, Dec, May | 17 years and older |
| Create Real Impact Contest | $500 | Jun | 14-22 years old |
| Stuck at Prom Scholarship | Up to $10,000 | Jun | High school students |
| Delete Cyberbullying Scholarship | $1500 | Jun | High school and college students |
| College Answer Scholarship | $1000 | Monthly | High school and college students |
| Gen and Kelly Tanabe Student Scholarship | $1000 | Dec and Jul | High school and college students |
| "No Essay" College Scholarship | $2000 | End of each month | Seniors and college students |
| Off to College Scholarship Sweepstake | $1000 | Every two weeks | Seniors |
| A GPA Isn't Everything | $1000 | End of each month | High school and college students |
| Insurance Scholarships | Up to $10,000 | Varies | High school students |
Check back frequently as this page will be updated with the latest scholarships!
