Scholarships
Books | Vermont Web Links | Other Web Links | The Search | What To Watch Out For | Scams | Software Resources
Books
Search our catalog online at http://www.vsac.org/LibrarySearch. Patrons may borrow books either by coming to the Resource Center in downtown Winooski, or by making an interlibrary loan request through their local school or public library.
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The A’s & B’s of Academic Scholarships (2005) |
Call # 378.3 Leider |
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The College Board Scholarship Handbook (2008) |
Call # 378.71 CEEB |
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Don’t Miss Out: The Ambitious Student’s Guide to Financial Aid (2009) |
Call # 378.3 Leider |
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Get Free Cash for College: Secrets to Winning Scholarships (2007) |
Call # 378.3 Tanabe |
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Get Paid to Play: Every Student Athlete’s Guide to Over $1 Million in College Scholarships (2007) |
Call # 378.3 Kaplan |
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Getting Financial Aid Handbook (2009) |
Call # 378.3 CEEB |
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How to Get Money for College (2009) |
Call # 378.3 Peterson |
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Kaplan Scholarships (2009) |
Call # 378.3 Kaplan |
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Peterson’s College Money Handbook (2008) |
Call # 378.3 Peterson |
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Peterson’s Scholarships, Grants, and Prizes (2009) |
Call # 378.3 Peterson |
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The Sports Scholarships Insider’s Guide: Getting Money for College at Any Division (2005) |
Call # 378.34 Wheeler |
Vermont Web Links
VSAC publishes the Scholarships Book annually that includes more than 150 scholarships available to Vermonters.
Other Web Links
Here are several sites where you can search a database of scholarships at no charge. While there may be some overlap between the databases, no two are identical.
College Board offers a feature called Scholarship Search that uses information gathered from their Annual Survey of Financial Aid Programs — http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
CollegeNet search has a database that contains more than 600,000 awards — www.collegenet.com/mach25/app
FastWEB bills itself as “the Internet’s largest free scholarship database" where you can establish a mailbox to receive scholarship updates — www.fastweb.com
Finaid has a financial aid estimator and links to scholarship searches — www.finaid.org
Mapping Your Future offers a wealth of information on paying for college — www.mappingyourfuture.org/Paying
Peterson’s Scholarship Central connects you to over 1.7 million awards — www.petersons.com/finaid/file.asp?id=806&sponsor=1&path=ug.pfs.scholarships
Scholarship Experts customizes its scholarship database for each student using an extensive questionnaire — www.scholarshipexperts.com
Student Scholarship Search offers a directory of scholarships that is updated daily — www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/Scholarships
United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) E-Scholar Web site provides all students (high school and higher), parents, and career professionals with information on different educational opportunities offered by Federal Government departments and agencies, or partnering organizations. The site includes information on scholarships, grants, internships, fellowships, cooperatives, and apprenticeships — www.usajobs.gov/StudentJobs/AdditionalOpportunitiesForStudents.asp
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The Scholarship Search
Begin your search for scholarships 9 to 12 months before the start of the academic year for which you need funds. Start close to home and branch out (local, then statewide, then national) as time allows. Here are some possible sources of information on scholarships:
- Local high school or town officials — Information on scholarships restricted to your local town, region, or school
- Your college or university — Information on scholarships restricted to the postsecondary school you attend
- VSAC's Scholarships Book
- National Web searches
What To Watch Out For
How will scholarships affect other aid?
- Before applying for scholarships, check with the financial aid office of each school you are considering to see how receiving a scholarship may affect your overall financial aid.
- Carefully consider the following:
- Will it reduce loans?
- Will it reduce work-study?
- Will it reduce grants?
- Will it reduce school-sponsored or other scholarships?
Beware of Scams
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns students to be careful in using scholarship search companies. While some firms may be legitimate, many are not. Visit the FTC’s Scholarship Scams site for more information — www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscams
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) sends reports to Congress on college scholarship fraud — www.nasfaa.org/publications/2007/gaidfraudreport052507.html
Scam tip-offs could be if the firm “guarantees" or “promises" scholarships or grants. No reputable firm can legitimately make such a claim.
Beware of the following telltale lines:
- “This scholarship is guaranteed or your money back."
- “You can’t get this information anywhere else."
- “May I have your credit card number to hold this scholarship?"
- “We’ll do all the work for you!"
- “There’s a fee to apply for this scholarship."
- “You’ve been selected by a national foundation to receive a scholarship."
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Software Resources
VT Guidance Central is a web-based, personalized, self-guided program that provides comprehensive career, college, and education planning tools
You can use VT Guidance Central as a tool to:
- explore career possibilities
- plan the training you need for specific careers
- search for colleges/universities that fit your desired criteria (e.g., location, size, programs/majors, activities, costs)
- learn about financial aid options
- and much more!
Visit the VSAC Resource Center in Winooski to utilize other assessment, career, and education planning software tools.
Updated: June 2010
Compiled by: VSAC Resource Center, 10 East Allen Street, PO Box 2000, Winooski, VT 05404
Call: 800-642-3177 toll-free or Burlington area 802-655-9602 • Fax: 802-654-3765 • E-mail: info@vsac.org
The Vermont Student Assistance Corp. was established by the Vermont General Assembly in 1965 to help Vermonters obtain the information and financial resources they need to pursue their education goals beyond high school.
