Scholarships
Local Scholarships
Communities Foundation of Texas various deadlines
Texas specific Scholarships: Texas Scholarships | JLV College Counseling
FWISD scholarship page (Local scholarships highlighted. CHECK ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS BEFORE YOU APPLY!)
MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS
Please check for official requirements on your university's website.
How do I qualify?
Apply to the university before the designated deadline, and meet listed requirements.
TERRY SCHOLARSHIP (full cost of attendance)
Academics, leadership, and financial need are all considered.
DEADLINE: TBD
College Board Opportunity Scholarship
Track 6 steps on College Board, and enter yourself into a drawing for micro-scholarships of $500-2,000, and even a $40,000 scholarship!
Build your college list.
Practice for the SAT.
Improve your SAT score.
Strengthen your college list.
Complete your FAFSA.
Apply to Colleges.
Raise.Me
Earn micro-scholarships for your high school achievements, follow colleges, and output a résumé.
o Go to www.raise.me
o Click “I’m a student” then “I’m a high school student”
o Enter email and password, then start answering questions about yourself
Scholarship Guide
Apply to college first.
Merit-based scholarships (scholarships awarded based on your class rank/GPA and test scores) from a university are usually the biggest ones you will get.
Check out the university’s website:
See what the requirements are to apply for merit-based scholarships at that university. For many universities, your application to the university is your application for merit-based scholarships. In other words, once you’ve applied and submitted all of your application materials, you are all set for merit-based scholarships. If there are other requirements (separate app, essay, etc.), make sure you complete them.
See what the deadlines for merit-based scholarships are at the universities to which you are applying. Check to see if this date is when you must have applied, or when you must have been admitted.
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE! Leave yourself time in case something happens, or if the university needs time to process your application.
Submit new transcripts or test scores to the university.
If you retake the SAT or ACT and your score improves, send in your new test scores.
If your class rank/GPA improves, send in a new copy of your transcript.
Do this before the merit-based scholarship deadline, or the new scores/class rank won’t matter.
Keep your options open.
Things may change between the Fall and Spring of your senior year. Many students do not apply to certain universities because they think they will not attend, but decide it will be a good financial decision in the spring. However, even if you are a great student will high test scores, if you apply after the scholarship deadline, you will not qualify for those scholarships. Don’t miss out; apply just in case!
Do your FAFSA!
Prepare a resumé and personal statement.
Resumé = a brief account of a person’s education, qualifications, and previous experience.
Typically, your resume should be one page.
Use templates in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or canva.com to make it look more professional.
Personal statement = an essay about you, your experiences, and what makes you great!
This shouldn’t just rehash your resume; instead, it should tell a story about who you are and why you deserve the scholarship.
This should be pretty general--something you can use for different applications.
Have 2+ people proofread your resume and personal statement for errors and content.
Why should I prepare a resume and personal statement?
Many scholarship applications will ask you for resumes and essays.
You can use certain parts of your personal statement in many different scholarship essays. Check to see what the scholarship is asking; then, answer that specific question in your scholarship essay, copy-pasting any parts of your personal statement that are applicable. This is a huge time-saver.
Look for local scholarships.
Local scholarships, or scholarships specifically for students in your area, are great, because you are competing with fewer people for them.
Look for departmental scholarships from your university.
Departmental Scholarships = Scholarships offered by the university for students with specific majors.
These often go unclaimed! Check out your university’s scholarship page to see if there are any departmental or specialized scholarships that you can apply for at that university.
Keep in mind—these are specific to the university at which the department is housed. This means that if you earn a departmental scholarship at a specific university, you can’t transfer it if you decide to attend college somewhere else.
You are usually required to be admitted before you apply for these, but not always. Read the fine print!
Check out national scholarship websites.
National scholarship websites are databases for thousands of scholarships that are awarded to students for many different reasons.
Check out a few scholarship sites, create a profile, and start applying for scholarships!
This is where your resume and personal statement come in handy. The more scholarships you apply to, the more likely it is you will get one!
No scholarship is too small. Don’t shy away from scholarships that are $250-$500. These could cover books or supplies.
Some scholarship websites:
Check your email regularly.
You will likely be notified about scholarships you’ve been awarded via email. Check your email every day. Add your email to your phone.
Activate your university email address:
Once you have been admitted, your university will create a university email account for you.
Usually, universities will notify you about scholarships/financial aid using this university email address. Activate it, add it to your phone, and check it regularly.
Accept your scholarships/financial aid!
Once you have been awarded a scholarship/financial aid, there is a certain time frame in which you must accept these funds.
Check to see when the deadline is, and accept before this date!
For scholarships that are non-university-specific, let the scholarship sponsor know where you have decided to attend college--this is where they will send the check! They may ask for an enrollment verification, which you can usually request through your student portal.
Scholarship FAQs
Q: Can I only use scholarship funds for tuition? Can I use them for room & board, fees, and book/supplies?
A: It depends on the scholarship. Some scholarships allow you to use your funds for things other than tuition, while others will only let you use them for tuition. Check the scholarship description for details, or ask the scholarship sponsor.
Q: How are local or national scholarship funds disbursed?
A: The student will let the scholarship sponsor know where they are attending college, and the funder will send a check to that university. They may ask for additional documentation, like proof of enrollment.
Q: How are merit-based scholarships and university financial aid disbursed?
A: They will be added directly to your bill on your university account. They will either be applied to your account before you pay, or you will receive them as a refund, depending on the scholarship/financial aid.
Q: Can I only use scholarship funds at a certain university?
A: It depends on the scholarship. If a scholarship is university-specific (merit-based, or the scholarship description says it must be used at a certain university), it can only be used at that university. If the scholarship is local/national and in its description there is no mention of a specific university, it can be used anywhere. Read the description carefully.
Q: I got a merit-based scholarship from a specific university, but I don’t want to go there. Can I transfer this scholarship to another university?
A: No, merit-based scholarships from one university cannot be transferred to another university.
Helpful Links
Local
Fort Worth ISD Scholarship Page (Updated each month--make sure "local" scholarships aren't just for FWISD students before you apply.)
General/National
Undocumented students
Immigrants Rising (scholarships)
The Dream.US (scholarships)