Frequently Asked Questions

• 1. Go online - Take advantage of free online scholarship searches, such as www.fastweb.com or use your favorite web search engine by including the word “scholarships” with your search keywords.
• 2. Search your community - Many different organizations may offer scholarships, such as Rotary Clubs, Chamber of Commerce, Department Stores, national Discount Retailers, Banks and Credit Unions, Auto Dealers, local Grocery Stores, VFW, Booster Clubs, etc.
• 3. Cultural organizations - Provide awards based on ethnic background or heritage, such as Celebrating Our Elders Scholarship, Citizen Potawatomi Nation or Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Institute of Hispanic Culture, Scottish Brigade, SPJST, etc.
• 4. Places of Worship - There may be multiple organizations (men, women, and youth) within your Church
• 5. Your or your parent's employers - Some employers offer scholarships and/or reimbursement to employees for higher education expenses.
• 6. The College of your choice - Every College has scholarships in varying amounts for specific fields of study and/or general studies. Find out the deadlines early so that you will not be disqualified for incomplete paperwork. If the application has recommendation letters required that must be submitted to the college, check with appropriate advisors often to see if the documentation has been submitted. It is the student's responsibility to ensure a complete application.

• 1. Get organized - Understand what the provider is asking for, brainstorm to generate some good ideas, and create an outline to help you organize your essay.
• 2. Demonstrate originality and creativity - Find a hook that will interest the reader right away and capture the attention of the scholarship judge. Possible topics include your personal achievements, plans for the future, someone who influenced you, or current events. If you choose to address a controversial topic, do so with sensitivity.
• 3. Show, don't tell - If you are describing an activity you participated in, don't describe it in general terms. Be specific. What duties did you perform or what effect did it have on your life and/or the lives of others?
• 4. Develop a theme that fits the scholarship - What sort of student is the sponsor hoping to find? Include elements in your essay that complement the sponsor's expectations but don't pretend to be someone you are not.
• 5. Turn in a professional-looking essay - Write a second draft to catch mistakes and better organize your thoughts. Check spelling and grammar. Do not depend on your computer's "spell check" feature. Have someone proof read your essay for visual, oral, and listening qualities.

• 1. Do you qualify? Sounds simple enough but student’s waste time by applying for funds they are not eligible to win.
• 2. Is your application presented well? If you have an option, always type your essay and other necessary information. Have someone else check for bad grammar and spelling errors.
• 3. Did you include all required documentation? Frequently forgotten items include transcripts, references, and letters of recommendation. Don't include extra information or documentation that the sponsor doesn't need. To avoid confusion, write your first and last name on each page.
• 4. Did you keep a back-up copy? Save a copy of your application in case the sponsor asks you to resend it.

The Scholarship Department WILL NOT forward letters that are poorly written, fail to include a signature, or contain the wrong scholarship donor name. Thank you letters faxed or e-mailed are not acceptable. In these cases, we may ask you to rewrite your letter before the scholarship funds will be released. If you have any other questions while writing your thank you letter, please contact the Scholarship Department at 281-351-3311. Preparing a neat, grammatically correct and well-organized letter reflects your skills and abilities. Therefore, if you need assistance with grammar, punctuation, or would like someone to critique your thank you letter, you may visit the writing center in the ELC and a writing specialist will gladly assist you. Remember, you are not only representing yourself, but Lone Star College–Tomball as well.

• 1. Submission of renewal application: Scholarships may require a new application each academic year.
• 2. Grade Point Average (GPA): You may need to maintain a minimum GPA to remain eligible.
• 3. Satisfactory academic progress: You may be required to fulfill academic requirements, such as completing a certain number of credits or courses.
• 4. Designated field of Study: Will you lose the award if you change your major?
• 5. Full-time enrollment status: Scholarships frequently require you to be a full-time student. If there is any question whether your scholarship is renewable, talk to your school or scholarship sponsor as soon as you've won the scholarship.

• 1. Fees: You shouldn't have to pay to search for or apply for scholarships. Checkout the free scholarship search at: www.fastweb.com.
• 2. Credit card or bank account information needed: You should never have to give a credit card account or bank account information to the award providers.
• 3. Scholarship Guarantee: No one can guarantee that you'll win a scholarship because no one can control the scholarship judges' and/or scholarship committees' decision. Also, be wary of "high success rates" - they usually do not refer to actual award winners. 4. No work involved: Legitimate scholarship applications require time and energy.
• 5. No contact information: Legitimate sponsors should provide contact information upon request. If the sponsor does not supply a valid e-mail address, phone number and mailing address (not a P. O. Box) upon request, that could be the sign of a scam.
• 6. Unsolicited scholarships: If you are called to receive an award for which you never applied, be alert - it's most likely a scam.
• 7. Pressure tactics: Don't allow yourself to be pressured into applying for a scholarship, especially if the sponsor is asking you to pay.
• 8. Claims of "exclusive" scholarships: Legitimate sponsors won't restrict knowledge about their award to a single search service.
• 9. An official-sounding name or endorsement doesn't automatically mean legitimacy: A sponsor may use words like "national," "education" or "federal" or have an official-looking seal, but might still be a scammer. Also, the federal government and the U. S. Dept of Education do not endorse private businesses.
• 10. Your questions aren't answered directly: If you can't get a straight answer from a sponsor regarding their application or what will be done with your information (e.g., if it will be sent to a third party) or other miscellaneous questions proceed with caution.

• 1. If you must pay money to get money, it might be a scam.
• 2. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• 3. Spend the time, not the money.
• 4. Never invest more than a postage stamp to get information about scholarships.
• 5. Nobody can guarantee that you will win a scholarship.
• 6. Legitimate scholarship foundations do not charge application fees.
• 7. If you are suspicious of an offer, it is usually with good reason.

• 1. increasing the penalties for people who perpetrate scholarship scams
• 2. eliminating a loophole in bankruptcy law that allowed the scam artists to retain their ill-gotten gains by exploiting the homestead exemption, and
• 3. requiring the US Department of Education, in cooperation with the Federal Trade Commission, to publish information about scholarship scams on its web site.

2. Take notes during any seminar or phone conversations: Record the date, time, phone number and the person's name with whom you spoke. Also include a detailed account of your conversation.

3. Report the suspected scammer to any of the following organzations: