Scholarship Information

My kid and my money go to Rome University.

Studies show that the average cost of raising a child from infancy to age 18 will cost approximately $220,000. Then, there is college. Costs at some of the more expensive colleges/universities will exceed $300,000 for four years. It makes buying those hideously pricey au courant shoes look pretty reasonable, doesn't it?

Most occupations require some type of education or training. You can learn a trade at CNM and work toward licensure in a variety of areas. For those of you looking at obtaining a bachelor's degree, you will want look at a four-year college or university. Truth be told, you can get a great education at any college or university--the quality of education depends on how much time and effort the student invests in learning. Yet, even if you get a scholarship for tuition, you will need money for fees, housing, meals, books, transportation, and supplies (like really pricey shredded jeans that make you look like a homeless person).

Most students finance their post-secondary (after high school) educations with a combination of grants, scholarships, and loans. Obviously, the less money you have to pay back, the better off you will be. More than anything, when in doubt, wait. Do not start college, accumulate a lot of debt in the form of student loans, then drop-out. Student loans cannot be discharged, even if you file for bankruptcy.

Scholarship Websites are great, but a lot of work. Most of them require you to complete a questionnaire to target scholarships you might qualify for, then you have to look through them to determine if you actually meet the requirements, then you have to apply. Here are some general sites to get you started:

The College Board has a section titled "Big Future" and offers college search and scholarship search features https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/grants-scholarships
FastWeb has scholarships, internships, loan information, and a list of deals (discounts) for students https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/grants-scholarships
Niche is a great tool that can help you find colleges AND money. It’s organized into categories that make it pretty easy to find what you’re looking for — allowing users to search by interest, career, major and other areas.

Niche also has some occasional contests to enter. https://www.niche.com/colleges/scholarships/?niche=niche-scholarships
Scholarships.com hosts one of the largest scholarship databases out there and it’s updated on a daily basis. According to the site, “With more than 3.7 million scholarship and grant opportunities worth more than $19 billion, just about everyone is bound to find something.” It’s easy to browse by category, but the best way to take advantage of what the site has to offer is to create a personal profile, which will allow you to find the most exhaustive lists of opportunities available to you. https://www.scholarships.com/
Moolahspot isn’t as robust as some of the other scholarship databases but in the search for a college scholarship, it’s another option to help you find extra money. The simple search engine contains more than 3.2 million scholarship and grant opportunities for students of all ages. It includes both need-based and merit-based opportunities, which means nearly anyone can find some extra help here. http://www.moolahspot.com/scholarship/
SallieMae is a well-known education and student loan provider. The site’s College Planning page has a scholarship portal where you can search based on your field of study, hobbies and other parameters. Create a personal profile in order to get the most accurate matches that fit your needs. https://www.salliemae.com/college-planning/college-scholarships/
Scholarship Monkey allows you to search for scholarships and grants a few different ways. You can search by keyword, browse scholarship lists (various categories/topics) and see lists of the latest and featured scholarships. This site also allows you to create a personal profile for more accurate results. http://www.scholarshipmonkey.com/
Cappex hosts a database of more than $11 billion in scholarship opportunities. Once you create a personal profile, you can search for opportunities that directly match your strengths and skills. Plus, Cappex has a tool that will calculate your odds of getting into a certain college before you even apply. https://www.cappex.com/
Chegg is widely known for its online textbook store that allows students to either rent or buy textbooks for cheap. But Chegg is also a great resource for finding scholarships — more than 25,000 of them. To search for available scholarships, click on the menu stack at the top right of the homepage and select the “scholarships” in the drop-down menu. Once you create a personal profile, you can search for available opportunities that match your criteria. Chegg also has a “top scholarship picks this week” category that highlights some options you may have missed. https://www.chegg.com/scholarships
Unigo hosts millions of available scholarships and makes it easy to search by type, including athletic scholarships, college-specific scholarships, company-based scholarships, minority scholarships, major-specific scholarships, state-specific scholarships and more. You can search by category or create a personal profile to get more specific results that match your needs. Unigo also offers scholarship contests and sweepstakes. https://www.unigo.com/scholarships
Peterson’s hosts $10 billion in scholarship opportunities and provides information to help you in your search. Once you fill out a short survey, you can filter your search results so they’re tailored to your specific needs. The site also allows users to search by a variety of different topics, college types and personal details — in order to give you the best results. https://www.petersons.com/scholarship-search.aspx
CareerOneStop is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor has a According to the official Student Aid website, this free tool is a great resource for students to search more than 8,000 scholarships, grants and other various types of financial aid award opportunities.https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Training/find-scholarships.aspx

Scholarships for Your Consideration. One of these days, I will organize this list by due date, but here are some scholarships to get your started.

The Atlas Fellowship: The Atlas Fellowship is a $10,000 scholarship and a FREE 11-day program held in the San Francisco Bay Area for high school students under the age of 19. The goal of this program is to help students understand how the world works and to change it. This summer's focus is on the current state of artificial intelligence research and will include topics like: Fermi estimates and forecasting, lessons from China's history about ending poverty, introduction to machine learning, cognitive biases and how to counteract them, and the pitfalls of the scientific method. Applications are open and due on April 30, but late applications (because you all procrastinate) until May 14. Here's the link to apply: https://atlas-2023.paperform.co/.
The Daniels Fund provides full coverage of tuition and fees at a partner university (and partial coverage at non-partner schools). The application opens 9/15. This is a needs based scholarship. They are looking for values that Bill Daniels had: entrepreneurial spirit, strength of character, leadership, service, well-rounded, and emotional maturity. https://www.danielsfund.org/scholarships/overview
The Gates Scholarship is for minorities with need. This scholarship is annual and covers just about everything you would need. The minimum GPA requirement is 3.3. https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship
Nike HSI Scholarship Program This is the Hispanic-serving Institution Scholarship based on need. You must have Hispanic heritage and show leadership skills. This scholarship is DUE by 9/15. https://nike-hsi-scholarship.hsfts.net/
The Coolidge Scholarship is an annually awarded, full-ride, presidential scholarship that covers a student’s tuition, room, board, and expenses for four years of undergraduate study. The Coolidge may be used by recipients at any accredited American college or university. Anyone of any background, pursuing any academic discipline of study, may apply to this non-partisan, need-blind, program. Students apply for the Coolidge Scholarship during their junior year of high school. Finalists are flown in for a finalist weekend at the Coolidge Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, Vermont where they interview with the Coolidge Scholars Finalist Jury. Applications open in October and close in mid-January. https://coolidgescholars.org/about/
Stuck at the Prom Scholarship requires students to make their prom wear out of duct tape. Grand prize winners earn $10,000 for either dress or tux. You simply create your prom wear out of duct tape, take a picture at prom, and upload the picture with the application forms. The trick is wearing it long enough to capture the moment, but before your dress or tux start to fall apart as your body heat melts the adhesive. https://www.duckbrand.com/stuck-at-prom
James Ledwith Memorial Scholarship offers one or two $2,000 scholarships for an Albuquerque area high school senior pursuing a professional or educational goal despite facing extraordinary life challenges. Applications are due in April. http://www.jamesledwith.com/
Kiwanis Club Scholarships are $1,000 awards for seniors who engage in a lot of community service. Key Club membership is preferred. https://www2.kiwanis.org/childrensfund/impact-and-programs/scholarship-opportunities#.XmWqnahKiUk
NM Manufactured Housing Association Scholarship provides a $1,000 award to a graduating high school senior living in a mobile or manufactured home. http://www.nmmha.com/scholarship-fund.html
Woodcock Family Education Scholarship offers two to three awards of $10,000 to an Albuquerque-area high school senior with strong math and/or science credentials and who plan to enter a STEM field. Good academics are a must. Applications are due April 2. http://albuquerquefoundation.org/woodcock-family-education-scholarship-program.aspx
Sussman-Miller Educational Assistance Award provides between $500 to $2,000 for high school or college students with the intention of closing the gap between financial aid packages and what families are expected to contribute. Applications are due April 14. http://albuquerquefoundation.org/sussman-miller-educational-assistance-award-program.aspx
Honeywell Opportunity for Prosperity through Education Scholarship - New Mexico provides talented high school students who are economically challenged with a funded path to a post secondary degree focused on a career in a manufacturing trade or technical profession. Applications are due March 6. https://gkccf.academicworks.com/opportunities/3250
Andrew Piech Memorial Scholarship provides one award up to $2,200 to an Albuquerque area high school senior planning on pursuing an automotive or vocational career. http://albuquerquefoundation.org/andrew-piech-memorial-scholarship.aspx
SWIDA College Scholarships offer up to $4,000 to students diagnosed with a Specific Learning Disability (dyslexia) and who will be taking a minimum of 12 credit hours in pursuit of an Associates, Bachelors, or Masters degree at an accredited post-secondary institution. Alternatively, students taking 9 credit hours in pursuit of a career-technical associates degree also qualify. Applications are due April 1. https://sw.dyslexiaida.org.
New Mexico Credit Union Foundation offers scholarships from abandoned funds to NM seniors planning to attend a post-secondary institution in New Mexico. Applications are due February 28. https://www.cuanm.com/scholarships/
American Fire Safety Association Scholarship offers 10 $2,000 scholarships for high school seniors and 5 $1,000 "second chance" scholarships for students pursuing trade schools. This is an easy scholarship to apply to. Simply reading their Fire Sprinklers essay and correctly answer 10 multiple choice questions. You can then enter to win the contest. Must be a US citizen or legal resident. High school seniors must enroll in college in the fall to qualify. For American Fire Sprinkler Association Scholarship Program information and online application see www.afsascholarship.org.
Aging Matters Scholarship provides a $1,500 scholarship to a selected college student that currently cares for an aging loved one, works within the senior community, or intends to pursue a career that will have an impact on the elder population. Any existing student (or incoming freshman), in good academic standing, at a 2 or 4 year accredited college can apply for this scholarship. And the recipient will demonstrate a unique and admirable understanding and desire to show us that "Aging Matters" to them. Applications are due May 15. https://www.seniorcare.com/scholarship/
StarFleet Scholarship. Are you a member of StarFleet? Have you been a member for at least one year? Did you know you may be eligible for a scholarship? I don't know if these are still available, but it is worth exploring. http://sfi.org/Backup/scholarships/
Elks National Foundation offers $500 grants for service projects, as well as scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $12,500 for children of eligible members. Obviously, your parents or grandparents need to be a member of an Elk's Lodge. https://www.elks.org/scholars/scholarships/guidelines.cfm
Society for Women Engineers has several scholarships for women entering STEM fields and attending a New Mexico college or university. Awards vary and applications are due April 15. http://nmef.net/programs.html
Los Alamos Employees Scholarship Fund (LAESF) offers four-year college/university scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 (up to $5,000 per year for four years). The applications open in October and close in January. These LANL Scholars also receive internship opportunities, mentorship, as well as opportunities for community engagement. They also sponsor Career Pathways Scholarships for scholars pursuing a two-year technical degree. This is a $1m500 annual scholarship award that may be renewed for a second year. This application opens in January and closes in March. https://lanlfoundation.org/our-scholarships/
NMEF offers a variety of endowed and pass-through scholarships sponsored by private contributors and professional organizations that may be used by student attending any ABET-accredited program. These scholars are awared directly to scholars and can be used in any capacity. https://nmef.net/scholarships.html