Seneca Valley Guide to Scholarships & Grants



The four basic types of financial aid include scholarships, grants, work-study awards and loans. This information addresses scholarships and grants.Scholarships and grants award money that is tax-free and doesn’t need to be repaid. They are available in categories such as financial need (determined through financial aid forms such as FAFSA and CSS/Profile), academic talent (merit-based), athletic talent and special attributes such as community service and leadership. Other scholarship criteria may be based on religious affiliation, heritage and ethnicity or community groups.**DUE TO COVID CHALLENGES, THE CLASS OF 2021 CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TEST-OPTIONAL EXCEPTIONS FOR SOME SCHOLARSHIPS**The best sources of free money are campus-based awards, college department scholarships, local and regional scholarships and national scholarships:Campus-based scholarships and grants provide the most “free” money whether they are private, state, state related or out-of-state institutions. You must research each college and/or university to find these opportunities and determine if you meet the criteria. In some instances, private colleges and universities may offer enough scholarship and grant money to make the cost of a private school comparable to a state school or an out-of-state school over an in-state school. An example of a campus-based scholarship is:The Ohio State University’s National Buckeye Scholarship for non-Ohio residents is a 4-year renewable $13,500 award worth 54,000. Criteria includes ranking in the top 25% of your graduating class (if available) and achieving an **ACT composite score of 29 or **SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing + Math score equivalent: 1330 or higher.College department scholarships typically become available once you apply to a specific college or university and indicate a major. Students should research the departments of their intended major and consider applying with an admissions application. An example of a departmental scholarship is:Gannon University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science is offering their Scholars of Excellence in Engineering and Computing Science (SEECS) scholarship awards. SEECS provides need-based academic merit scholarships to students of engineering or computing sciences at Gannon University. Through funds from the National Science Foundation, Gannon University awards approximately 25 scholarships per year, each renewable for up to four years. Each recipient can be awarded up to 10,000/year, depending on awardee's unmet financial needs and available funds. The selection criteria include: acceptance to Gannon in an eligible major, high school GPA of at least 3.0 and **1170 on the SAT or **24 on the ACT, demonstrated financial need and the submission of the scholarship application.Local and regional scholarships are typically awarded based on a student application that demonstrates one or more of the following: academic merit, community service, essay, leadership skills and face-to-face interviews with the scholarship committee. Seneca Valley students are strongly encouraged to visit Naviance Student to research the Scholarship List located under the College Tab and the drop down menu Scholarships & Money for these opportunities which could change weekly, and seniors should also access the Seneca Valley Local Scholarship Packet in February, which includes over 30 local scholarships awarded to Seneca Valley exclusively. Seniors are required to return the local scholarship application and required materials by a given date to be considered. Additionally, Seneca Valley’s largest local scholarship, the Ruth Varner Otto Scholarship, is a need-based merit scholarship. This scholarship is also available in February and requires the filing of the CSS/Profile through the College Board website. An example of a Seneca Valley local scholarship is: Zelienople Rotary: The “Doc” Viola Scholarship: A $1,500 scholarship for a student who lives within the 16037 or 16037 zip codes, has demonstrated a sincere commitment to community volunteerism and who plans to further his or her education. Applicants must have at least a 2.5 GPA and submit a 500-word essay on the topic, “How community service and volunteerism have shaped my character.”National scholarships are difficult to win. There are many qualified applicants nationally so you must have a stellar application that matches the criteria required. To find national scholarships you can use the database in Naviance Student (under the College Tab) to search for National Scholarships and register with dynamic scholarship search engines such as , , and/or . Opportunities through these scholarship engines matching your interests, experiences and college major will be automatically emailed to you with application dates and instructions. An example of a national scholarship is:Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship is an achievement–based scholarship awarded to graduating high school seniors each year. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, and their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected each year to receive this 20,000 scholarship. Applicants must be a current high school senior, planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S post-secondary institution.Students should visit Naviance Student regularly for all types of scholarship opportunities under the Scholarship List. Students should also research community organizations and places of student and parent employment, scholarships available at institutions of interest, and use national search engines. It is never too early to start. Good Luck with your search! ................
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