Scholarships & Financial Aid

Important: The most up-to-date information on scholarships can be found in the email newsletter (tcrhs.studentservices@bcsemail.org), Remind, Google Classroom, and at the link below.

Click Here for Scholarship Tips

Click Here for a Financial Aid Planner

2023-24 FAFSA Updates

Create an FSA ID without a SSN

FAFSA Day Info -1/27/24

Scholarship Tips

Senior year is a balancing act. Use the following information to help you find financial resources for college. Many scholarship applications are available in the TCR counseling office. Scholarship lists are also sent via email and Remind as soon as a list is complete.

Helpful Hints:

Observe all deadlines and notice if the scholarship has a "postmark" deadline or "received deadline." Postmark means you must get all materials in the mail when the post office is open to meter it.
Proof read, proof read, proof read
Make sure you address the essay prompt if an essay is required.
If the scholarship is handwritten, be neat and use black or dark blue ink
Make sure to ask for recommendations in plenty of time in advance of your deadline
Verify that links / email requests have reached your recommender
Pay careful attention to the list of attachments and include everything that is required.
Never pay for a scholarship. Be careful of scams. Be cautious about companies that say they will find you scholarships.

Scholarship Lists

If you need a transcript for a scholarship, please email your school counselor for a digital copy.

Click on the boxes below to access the individual scholarship applications, criteria, and deadlines.

https://bit.ly/TCRScholarships12-24

Lists from 23-24 School Year

January Scholarship List 2024

February Scholarship List 2024

April Scholarship List 2024

Stay Informed

Sign up for important Class of 2025 updates:

Join the Email Group:

Email updates about scholarships, college information, & other senior news; email TCRHS.StudentServices@bcsemail.org

Join the Class of 2025 Remind Group:

Text the following message to 81010 according to your student's last name to join the Remind.

@tcr2024AG

@tcr2024HO

@tcr2024PZ

Tips for Finding Scholarships & Completing a Strong Application

* Check Prospective Colleges - Look for scholarships at the colleges you are applying to. See if there are early deadlines that you must meet. Don’t assume that by applying for admission, you’re applying for scholarships.

* Go Local - check with your church or local chapter of a national club. Are either of your parents a member of a union or civic group? Does their workplace offer scholarships? Check out local foundations. There’s often less competition for these since they must be awarded locally.

* Carve out Time - It takes time to research scholarships and prepare a strong application.

* Know yourself - think about your assets. There are a variety of scholarships. Some are tailored to academic interest, talents, extracurricular activities, career goals, community service, financial need, academic merit and many more factors

* Review TCR Student Services List each time it’s published and put deadlines in your calendar.

* Apply, Apply, Apply - to win, you must apply. Apply to big and small scholarships. Apply to local and national.

* Beware of Scams - A common one asks students to pay a small fee to apply. The other common one is for a company to say they will match you with a scholarship if you pay them. Avoid both.

* Use scholarship matching tools like US Dept of Labor, Fastweb, Unigo, Chegg, Sallie Mae, Scholarships.com, and Hispanic Scholarship Fund

* Polish your online presence

* Submit a Strong Essay - make sure your essay addresses the

scholarship prompt. Have someone read your essay for grammar and spelling as well as making sure that you are selling yourself. Be truthful.

FAFSA

Check out these short videos, tools and resources on financial aid for NC.

Resources & Videos
North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority

The FAFSA
(Free Application for
Federal Student Aid)

All college-bound seniors (2 year or 4 year) should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after it opens in December for the following Fall. Don't miss out on money because you didn't fill it out! Some funds are first-come, first-served - once they are gone, they are gone. Here is where to start:

Create your FSA ID. Also, at least one parent needs to create an FSA ID as well.
Complete the FAFSA on the Web. The FAFSA will determine if you are eligible for any federal, state, or institutional aid. Financial Aid Offices at your selected colleges/universities will use the data from your FAFSA to determine your eligibility for financial assistance and will send you a financial aid award letter in the spring.
If you are entering college in the fall of 2025, you will complete the 25-26 FAFSA.

Resources for Hispanic and Undocumented Students

Apply for the Dream scholarship: https://thedream.us/scholarships/opportunity-scholarship/

Due: 1/31/2025

Resources for Hispanic Students and database of scholarships.

https://www.hsf.net/

Some scholarships are available by paper application only, and can be found in the TCR Counseling Office. Please stop by the counseling office and pick up any applications that you cannot access through the links provided.

Attention Student Athletes!

Check out the NCHSAA Site for a variety of Endowed Fund Scholarships:

www.nchsaa.org/students-parents/nchsaa-endowed-fund-scholarships

AB Tech Scholarships

Steps to apply:

To be considered for financial aid at AB Tech (Including grants, loans, work-study, and scholarships), follow these basic steps:

Complete the A-B Tech Enrollment Process if you have not already done so.
Create your FSA ID. Also, have your parent(s) create an FSA ID if they need to sign your FAFSA.
Apply for financial aid yearly by completing the FAFSA on the web. The FAFSA will determine if you are eligible for any state, federal, or institutional aid. Note that A-B Tech's federal school code is 004033. After you submit your FAFSA to the federal processing center, you will receive a notification called a Student Aid Report (SAR) via mail or email. You should review the information contained in the SAR for accuracy. The Financial Aid Office will use the data from the SAR to determine your eligibility for financial assistance.
If interested in loans, you must complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling Session at studentaid.gov (log in with your FSA ID) and watch the Financial Aid Matters video. Be sure to email the Financial Aid Office letting us know that you watched the video. We award loans based off the email confirmations that we receive. Once these steps are completed, the college will award you loans, if eligible. You will be able to see the total amount for which you are eligible to receive in your Self-Service account. If you would like to reduce the amount of your loans, or decline your loans entirely, complete the Direct Loan Adjustment Form. Submit the completed form to the Financial Aid Office.
To apply for scholarships, you must also complete a scholarship application through the Scholarships page.

You may now complete your FAFSA on October 1 of each year. The FAFSA will request income tax data from two years prior to the academic year of which you are applying. For example, the 2025-2026 FAFSA will request your 2023 income tax data.

College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC)

CFNC.org is a great resource for information about North Carolina scholarships and grants, FAFSA, and other tips for paying for college.

Check out this great CFNC Webinar!

Live webinar on finding grants and scholarships. This webinar is now posted on the CFNC YouTube Channel and can be found at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AzG57S-liQ&feature=emb_title It focuses on tips and best practices for finding and applying for scholarships.

CFNC FAFSA DAY

The annual FAFSA day program takes place in October, with programs planned in every North Carolina county! Students can find a convenient location and register to get free help completing their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) by visiting the CFNC website early Fall. They can also be contacted at 1-866-866-CFNC (2362)

UNC-Asheville and AB-Tech also offer additional assistance to families filling out the FAFSA. Please see their websites or call them to find out more. Members of the State Employees Credit Union of NC can also visit their local branch for assistance.