exams

Scholarship Opportunities

Posted on by patweso

scholarshipScholarships are the best way to make college affordable! The largest scholarships are generally the academic scholarships which are determined by GPAs and test scores received from college exams such as the ACT, the SAT and now the CLT. Being awarded multiple scholarships is an opportunity for high school students to make college affordable without the stress of having to take out huge loans or requiring students to work several jobs while in college. Below are links to independent scholarship opportunities as well as articles that are subject appropriate.

Raising Scores to Earn More Money: When students take college exams seriously then raising their scores in order to earn higher scholarship amounts is a goal that can be reached. Take early tests such as the PSAT and the CLT10 because they come with scholarship potential (and, generally, the more times a student takes a test the more relaxed they will be and they will perform better)! There are multiple free tutorials on-line as well as practice tests available. Two programs that many homeschooling families use are 36 University (register with the code word Bryan and save $3 per month, reducing the price from $15 to $12) and College Prep Genius. Many families have found it worthwhile to invest in preparing their students for these tests by hiring private tutors, or by taking part in test prep classes.

There are several types of scholarships, as follows:sharon-mccutcheon-552616-unsplash

  • State
  • Federal
  • College
  • Independent

State Grants:  Before (or when) your students enter high school, research the grants and scholarships offered by the state in which you live and compare them to the scholarships and grants in the state where the college is located that your students may want to attend (if outside of your state of residence). These scholarships are based on test scores, GPA and/or community service. Students will usually only qualify for state money if they have been a resident of that state during the students’ senior year (or for a year prior to attending college). For some, moving to the state where a college is located in order to qualify as in-state residents and to receive state grants is worth relocating! Knowing ahead of time what is offered will give families time to jump through required hoops or to make a move! We moved back from Florida to Tennessee before my 7th child’s senior year so he would qualify for scholarships specific to the county and to the state. (Bryan College offers a large scholarship to local seniors who attend Bryan and when we coupled that with state and federal grants his tuition was covered.)

Federal Grants: Every student (and their parents) should fill out the FAFSA in October of the senior year. The amount of money a student is eligible for is determined by the EFC (expected family contribution). Some money is limited and distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis so filling out the FAFSA as soon as possible is advised.

boy at boardCollege Scholarships: Almost every college offers a variety of scholarships. Some stack and some do not. Research the scholarship possibilities at the top colleges of your choice to find out what your students might be able to receive. At some colleges the academic and athletic scholarships do not stack. A word of advice: If your student can earn an equal amount with an academic scholarship as with an athletic scholarship, take the academic scholarship. Athletes get injured or dropped from the team and there goes the scholarship. At Bryan College the athletic and academic scholarships stack so students do not have to choose between the two. You might be surprised at some of the scholarships offered by colleges. Because Bryan College is a Christian college, they offer scholarships for students whose parents are in full time ministry. In addition there are scholarships for children of alumni, homeschooled students, and more. Bryan also has a full tuition scholarship for students living in Tennessee whose parents make less than $35,000 a year. Bryan College has scholarships related to music, theater, martial arts, the honors program and more! This is another reason to have your top college choices narrowed down, in order to compare apples with apples once you are familiar with the scholarship possibilities from each school.

Work Scholarships: Many businesses will reward high school students with financial aid for college. If a student is going to have a steady job during high school then finding a company that will help with college would be a bonus. In the past I have heard that Chic fil A, Publix and UPS have such programs, but I have not confirmed that information. If you know of businesses that do this, send me a message or comment on this post!

Independent college scholarships: Before you even begin applying for independent scholarships, set up a separate email address. Why? Because you will be bombarded with emails and offers and your contact information will be shared with other organizations. Is it worth applying for independent scholarships? Absolutely! Every little bit helps. Below are links to get started, but be sure to research your area for local scholarship opportunities that might not be offered anywhere else. Ask friends and family members if they are aware of any local businesses that offer scholarships. It may take some time and effort, but the payoff could be huge. And this article includes a list of independent scholarships. Below is a list of additional links as well as some articles to consider. michael-longmire-689531-unsplash

Scholarship Search Guide

State Scholarships 

Home Education Scholarships

Graduating Debt Free

Scholarship Sharing

Tuition Funding Source

Fast Web

Wells Fargo

Additional Outside Scholarships (Scroll down this page to see numerous additional scholarships.)

bc_9x12Added Bonuses: Check with the colleges you are considering to see if they have any  offers unique to their schools. Bryan College offers students the possibility of earning a tuition free Masters Degree if they come to Bryan after high school and graduate with a 3.5 GPA.

By the junior year in high school students should have a few top choice colleges in mind so that they will be aware of scholarship potential, both from the college as well as the state where the college is located (assuming they will reside there during their senior year). It is okay to apply to several colleges so that one can better compare the offers that come from the financial aid departments. Remember to ask about any specific scholarship opportunities available to seniors. Pursing each and every opportunity available could pay off big time. As we tell our children, “Work hard and sling mud because some of it is bound to stick.” Go get ’em!

 

College Testing: All You Ever Wanted to Know, but Never Thought to Ask

Posted on by patweso

test takingAfter homeschooling my nine children for more than 32 years, I am finally finished!  One of my regrets is not acknowledging the importance of college entrance exams and/or CLEP and AP credit for those heading to college.  For years I was convinced that:

  • College tests are not very good indicators for how well a student will do in college (that opinion has not changed, by the way).
  • Some students who are amazing students may not test well so a great GPA coupled with an impressive portfolio should be adequate for acceptance and scholarship purposed (wishful thinking, but not true for the most part).

Reality hit when several my children were not offered the scholarships that I felt like they deserved (yes, I am one of those mothers) because, whether I agree with this or not, the highest scholarships awarded to incoming college students are usually academic scholarships and those scholarships are almost always tied to test scores.  (When discussing anything related to college policies and practices, one must use terms such as “generally,” “usually,” and “it depends” liberally.)

coffee and calendar

As embarrassed as I am to admit this, I was not aware that the PSAT test is tied to the National Merit Scholarships and, as a consequence, I never had my children take this test.  The PSAT can be taken by students (whether homeschool, private school or public school students) as early as the 8th grade (depending on the school administering the tests). The only year the score counts toward the National Merit Scholarship is the student’s junior year.  The test is given in October of each year (several test dates available) and it is a very affordable test.  My advice would be to have your students begin taking this test as soon as they are allowed.  In the county where Bryan College is located (Rhea County), the public high school will only allow sophomores to take this test early.  In some counties the schools will allow younger students to sign up for the test.  It is a good idea to find a location for test taking in September of each year because some schools run out of test booklets.  Schools may require that your student has an official ID.  If  your student does not yet have a drivers license he/she can obtain an official ID from the DMV for a small charge.  Passports are acceptable forms of ID as well.  By the way, the difference between a National Merit semi-finalist and a finalist is not determined by scores, but rather by jumping through hoops after a student becomes a semi-finalist. The CLT (new college entrance exam, described further below) also has a CLT10 which is free for students to take on-line in April and details regarding scholarship opportunities for this exam are forthcoming. From the CLT website: The CLT10 is an alternative to the PSAT. In terms of academic rigor it is scaled back from the regular CLT (ie, no trigonometry, few level 5 questions). In addition, the CLT10 is free for all students. Although it is free, students who score above a 108 are still eligible for $2,500.00 in scholarship money through CLT’s partnership with the National Association of Scholars. 

Research shows that many students’ scores increase each time they take a college entrance exam. Part of the reason for this is because the student becomes more relaxed with experience.  Students who are intentional about preparing for (and practicing) these exams increase their scores as well.  Some colleges super score, taking the highest score of specific sections from multiple test dates.

CLT logoThere are now 3 college entrance exams: the ACT, the SAT and the CLT (new test).  Some areas of the country encourage the ACT while others encourage the SAT.  Most colleges will accept either score for admission and scholarship purposes.  The newest test, the CLT (Classic Learning Test) is now accepted at more than 70 Christian colleges.  Bryan College offers the CLT on site with admission and scholarship amounts awarded according to scores earned.  The CLT is taken on-line (no more bubbles), students can sign up without late fee penalties within a week of the test date, and the test scores are received the same day. A comparison article on the SAT vs the ACT is provided by College Prep Genius here. A comparison article of the 3 tests is provided at the CLT site is located here.

Preparing for the Tests!  There are quite a few free options for improving test scores including videos (search Youtube) and practice tests from the official test sites of each test. The books we found most helpful in preparing for the ACT and the SAT are Princeton Review’s Cracking the (SAT) or (ACT).  36 University is a very affordable on-line tutorial for the ACT.  It cost $15 per month with no contract.  When registering if you use the code “Bryan” you will save $3 per month!  College Prep Genius is a program used by many homeschool families and it is a prep site for the SAT and the new CLT as well.  I was amazed at what I learned in five minutes standing at the College Prep Genius table at a college event listening to Jean Burk give tips on the college exams. Although 36 University and College Prep Genius tutor to a specific test most of what they teach applies to all three of the college exams. The CLT has a guide for their test as well.

element5-digital-352048 (1)When should students begin testing?  That depends on the student and on the direction your student is headed.  Many students begin taking practice tests as early as 8th or 9th grade.  Because the tests are not inexpensive ($49+) most parents wait until the junior year to begin taking official tests.  Some schools require a college exam test score for dual enrollment purposes.  At Bryan College a student can begin dual enrolling after the sophomore year without a test score (transcript required showing 3.0 GPA or higher), unless they are taking a math class in which case the student would have to provide a college exam math score of ACT 22, SAT 540, or CLT 22.

Should you have your student’s test scores sent automatically to colleges?  It depends.  (Get use to this phrase because there are no die-hard, set in stone, rules and regulations that apply to anything college.)  In order to encourage my children to be more relaxed and less stressed about taking a college entrance exam for the first time, I told them that no one would see their scores.  The downside to this (at least with the ACT and SAT) is that there is a fee to have the scores sent in at a later date.  These are considerations you need to weigh and the answer may vary depending on each student’s situation.

What about CLEP and AP test credits? Although this blog is primarily addressing college entrance exams there are a few facts about CLEP and AP that you will want to know, such as:

  • Not all colleges accept CLEP and/or AP credits so check with colleges of interest
  • To receive college credit one must pass the exam (pass or fail are the 2 options)
  • Grades are not assigned to the credits earned by testing for credit so GPAs are not affected (although I did have a parent shared with me that one college assigns a “C” grade to CLEP credits and this would be a huge disadvantage to a student striving for a high GPA so, again, ask  registrars these specific questions).

In order to prepare well for your student’s high school years do not make the same mistakes I made. Begin early with preparations for success with the college exams if your students are headed to college. Even if you are not sure if college is in your students’ future, it is better to be prepared even if they do not go to college than to not be prepared and discover, at the last minute, that college is the next step.  Feel free to email me if you have specific questions I can attempt to answer:  pat.wesolowski@bryan.edu

After 32 years of homeschooling I am now the Homeschool Specialist at Bryan College and I have put together a free resource to help parents plan for the high school years and it can be downloaded here.  TheJourney-Social (2) (1)