Every year thousands of dollars designated to assist students in pursuing a college education go unused. The scholarship application process should be considered like a part-time job; it requires a significant amount of time and effort that results in good benefits….money! It is very important to pay attention to deadlines and ensure that you complete the FAFSA so that you may be eligible for the most amount of scholarship and grant money. The counselors have highlighted the most common scholarships for our state, but it is up to you to create accounts on the various search engines and apply for the scholarships. Remember that ultimately the place to receive the most amount of financial assistance is through the institution you will attend. If you have any questions along the way please visit with your counselor.
MILLENNIUM SCHOLARSHIP
Students in the state of Nevada graduating 2009 or later have the opportunity to obtain the Millennium Scholarship which provides financial assistance to attend approved NV state institutions. In order to qualify for the scholarships students must:
- receive a diploma with a GPA of 3.25 (weighted or unweighted) or higher; OR, have an ACT Composite score of 21 or higher and/or a combined (reading and math) SAT score of 1070 or higher.
- satisfy required state testing (End of Course Exams)
- be a resident of NV for at least two years of high school
- and complete the core curriculum (4 years of English, 4 years of math (including Algebra II or higher), 3 years of science, and 3 years of social studies.
STATE SCHOLARSHIPS
UNLV – University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- New Freshman Scholarships
- Grid Scholarships determined by GPA and test scores.
- Review Available Grants
UNR – University of Nevada, Reno
- New Freshman Scholarships $1,500 – $8,000
- UNR Scholarship Matrix
- Specific Subject Area Scholarships – explore additional scholarship opportunities based upon your major
NSC – Nevada State College
- Presidential, 3.75 GPA and higher, $2,500 per semester
- Mt. Scorpion Achievement 3.25 – 3.74 $1,500 per semeter
- Leadership – Students holding leadership positions in clubs/organizations/sports with a 2.75 GPA will receive $1,000
- Matching – NSC will match outside scholarship up to $1,000
CSN – College of Southern Nevada
Complete the CSN Scholarship Application online beginning mid-February to be considered for scholarships based upon academic achievement or special talents.
SNC
- Trustee, 3.75 GPA and higher, $15,000 per year
- Presidential, 3.25 – 3.74, $13,000 per year
- Provost, 3.00 – 3.24, $11,000 per year
- Eagle, 2.80 – 2.99, $9,000 per year
- Millennium Plus Scholars Award, if you receive the Millennium Scholarship you will also receive this award, $12,500
- Visit the SNC Freshman Scholarship website to view more scholarship opportunities.
SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH ENGINES
Use the following search engines to help you find scholarships and other financial aid. Remember to pay attention to the specific requirements and deadlines of any scholarship you may find. Also, remember that there are scholarships out there that are not based solely on academic achievement and/or financial need. Don’t be afraid to look at those too!
- Bigfuture.collegeboard.org – search for more than six billion dollars in scholarship and grant money.
- Finaid – A comprehensive source of student financial aid information, advice and tools including a month by month checklist for financial aid.
- SallieMae.com/plan-for-college – website helps create a plan to prepare for the financial componenet of going to college. The Scholarship search includes more than five million scholarships with up to 24 billion dollars to assist in paying for college.
- Chegg – Lists over 1 million scholarships and aloows students to create a social media page (like Facebook) with the goal of connecting with colleges and applying for scholarships.
- Fastweb – A scholarship search engine that contains over $3 BILLION in scholarships. Take the 15 minutes to create an account so suggested scholarships are based on your interests.
- Scholarships.com – Offers a plethora of scholarship information and searches and aims to assist students in finding ways to find money for college. Select “scholarship search” and create an account to input your information to discover scholarships available to you. When creating an account, take the time to fill in the answers as that determines which scholarships are shown to you.
- Scholarup.net – A great resource for college tips and unique scholarships, such as the Chamber of Awesome scholarship for students of Asian/Pacific Island descent that want to pursue a career in Hospitality.
- Cappex – create an account and then view more then $11 billion in scholarships.
- Big Future – search College Board’s more than 2,200 programs, totaling nearly $6 billion in scholarships.
- US Army ROTC – learn how to apply for scholarships with the US Army ROTC.
FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA)
FAFSA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | UNDERSTANDING FEDERAL STUDENT AID
Prior to beginning your FAFSA application, student and parent must obtain his/her FSA ID to submit the application online. Visit FAFSA ID Site to create your FSA ID.
Completing the FAFSA is a requirement to receive any federal assistance for attending colleges and trade programs. It is sometimes required for scholarships as well. Be sure to use the government website only as some sites are scams and require you to pay money. DO NOT PAY to file the FAFSA!
Complete the FAFSA beginning October 1 to meet college priority deadlines. Complete as early as possible for better scholarship opportunities.