Scholarships Available

The Newtown High School Career Center publicizes all scholarships of which it is notified.

A few of the scholarships, typically national ones, request that money be enclosed with the application. The Career Center believes that students should not have to pay to apply for scholarships. If a student chooses to apply for a scholarship that charges a fee, however, the Career Center strongly advises parents and students to check its authenticity through the FTC Consumer Response Center, www.ftc.gov or 877-FTC-HELP; the National Fraud Information Center, www.fraud.org or 800-876-7060; or the Better Business Bureau, www.bbb.org or 703-276-0100.

Full details on all scholarships are available at the high school Career Center.

Connecticut Power & Energy Society Scholarship Award Program — The Connecticut Power and Energy Society will award up to $5,000 in scholarships to deserving Connecticut students who show interest in the technical or engineering-related fields, with special consideration given to those students interested in energy industry-related study. High school seniors may apply on the basis that they will receive the award after the completion of the first semester of college with a GPA of 2.3 or higher. Applications and full details are available from www.ctpower.org and are due by May 11.

Miss Connecticut Teen USA — Girls between ages 14 and 19 are eligible to compete for $1,900 in scholarships in the 2010 Miss Connecticut Teen USA pageant to be held in November in Farmington. Interested girls should go to www.missconnecticutusa.com for complete details. Applications must be postmarked by June 1.

Newtown High Nurses Scholarship — This scholarship will be awarded to one graduating senior from Newtown High School who would like to pursue a career in the nursing field. The only requirement is a typed short essay on, “Why you would like to be a nurse”. Applicants should bring their essays directly to the school nurses’ office by May 15.

Mouse Hole Scholarships — Two scholarships for $1,250 will be awarded to graduating high school seniors through this program. Applicants must be legally visually impaired or be a sighted student with a parent or parents who are legally visually impaired. An applicant must be a high school graduate or equivalent and be graduating by the summer of 2009 and not have been previously enrolled in any college. An essay is required. Proof of visual impairment may be requested before awards are presented. Also, the top four essayists will receive an ASUS Net Book computer. Students should go to www.blindmicemart.com for complete details. The application deadline is May 25.

HRSA 2009 Nursing Scholarship — This national scholarship program is for future nursing students. Detailed information and application materials are posted on the web. In exchange for at least two years service at a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses, the Nursing Scholarship Program pays tuition, required fees and other reasonable costs, including required books, clinical supplies, laboratory expenses, etc, monthly stipend (Approximately $1,200 for the 2009-2010 academic year). Applicants must be US citizens or nationals. Preference is given to qualified applicants with the greatest financial need who are enrolled full-time in an undergraduate nursing program. All details are online. Apply online at www.bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/scholarship by May 14.

Society of Women Engineers National Scholarships — The Society of Women Engineers offers renewable scholarships to female high school seniors who plan to study engineering or computer science at an accredited college/university. The minimum GPA is 3.5 out of 4.0. The award range is $1,000 to $10,000. Specific application requirements and procedures are available at www.swe.org/scholarships. The SWE encourages the application process to be completed online at www.swe.org/scholarships. The deadline is May 15.

Winning Characteristics Scholarship — One $5,000 national scholarship and five $1,000 regional scholarships are available in this contest program for high school seniors. Students must give a presentation in school on the winning characteristics of college and careers. A 600-word essay is also required. Complete details are provided at www.makingitcount.com/scholarship. The application deadline is June 12.