Outside Scholarships-How to Use This Brochure Information

Congratulations! By viewing this ebrochure, you have taken the first step in your search for scholarships. The Office of Financial Aid Services strives to provide students, prospective students, parents and administrators with information about the alternatives that exist for financing an education. This internet site is designed to help you begin your research into the subject of "Outside Scholarships and Loans".

Many scholarship myths revolve around the premise that there are thousands of scholarships available in the United States. Other common scholarship myths claim that millions of dollars in scholarship money goes unclaimed each year because students simply are not aware of their existence. However, the reality of outside scholarships is that very few scholarships go unclaimed each year. This is due to either poor publicity on the part of the award organization or narrow eligibility restrictions of the scholarship. With use of the Internet and other technological services, very few scholarships are not advertised.

The Internet is a useful tool in searching for scholarships. According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, more than 300,000 people are cheated by scholarship scams each year including those that are advertised on the World Wide Web. Although there are some reputable scholarship search firms out there, many students have access to information to search for scholarships at little or no cost. For more information about scholarship scams, you may contact your local better business bureau or the federal trade commission via the Internet at http://www.ftc.gov.

To help assist you in your scholarship search, here are a few tips to keep in mind when trying to determine what scholarships are available to you:

1. Read through this ebrochure.

2. If you find a scholarship that may be applicable to you, contact the scholarship foundation to review the eligibility criteria of the scholarship.

3. Contact your individual college of study for information about institutional scholarships. You may also review the MUSC homepage via the Internet at http://www.musc.edu in which some of the academic colleges list institutional scholarships and their eligibility criteria.

4. Contact any civic, social, or church organizations in which you or a relative is a member. Many of these organizations try to assist students at the local level.

5. Research scholarship information at your local library. There are scholarship books and guides available in the reference section.

6. Professional and student organizations in your area of study can be of great assistance to helping you finance your education.

7. Veterans may qualify for educational benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill and other Veterans assistance programs. Contact your local VA Coordinator or call the Veterans Administration at (800) 827-1000. You may also obtain VA information via the Internet
at http://www.va.gov.

8. For students who are working full-time, check with your human resources officer to see if your company offers tuition reimbursement, scholarship or loan programs.

9. A variety of fellowships are awarded to students from various hospitals. Contact the Human Resources Department of your local hospitals for information about these programs. Many offer tuition benefits in exchange for a service commitment from the student after graduation.

10. Obtain the application of scholarships of interest. Some organizations allow the Office of Financial Aid Services to distribute their application materials while others prefer that applicants contact them directly. If you have to write for materials, be aware that you may have to enclose a self-addressed,stamped envelope with your request. Some scholarship applications may also be downloaded from the Internet.

11. Fill out all forms completely and accurately. Send in applications before the deadline. Pay close attention to deadline dates as these vary each year.