Newtown High School Lists Available Scholarships

The 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 that he or she first 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.bbg.org or 703-276-0100.

Big Y Scholarships — Big Y awards more than 300 scholarships totaling more than $250,000 to high school seniors, undergraduates, graduates, community college, and nontraditional students. Big Y employees and dependents are also eligible.

All Big Y scholarships recognize academic merit and achievement and are awarded to the most outstanding students in the store’s market area. Information is available at bigy.com and in the Career Center. The postmark deadline is February 1.

Burger King Scholars Program — Burger King will award up to 700 scholarships of $1,000 to high school seniors for use during the first year of college or postsecondary vocational/technical school.

Interested seniors must have a GPA of at least 2.5, work part-time an average of 15 hours per week for 40 weeks per year, have demonstrated community involvement and financial need. Students do not have to be Burger King employees to be eligible to apply although employees may apply. Applications are available online at bk.com/scholars. The deadline is February 15.

Gates Millennium Scholars — This national scholarship program provides an opportunity for outstanding students with significant financial need to complete an undergraduate college education. An applicant must be an ethnic minority and be a citizen/legal permanent resident or US national, have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.3 at the time of nomination, be entering a US college or university full time, have demonstrated leadership abilities, and meet the Federal Pell grant eligibility criteria.

Complete information about the application process can be found at gmsp.org. Online applications must be submitted by January 11.

AFC Giveaway Scholarship Sweepstakes — Academic Finance Corporation, a leading not-for-profit student loan provider, will award two $5,000 scholarships and 16 scholarships of $2,500 to students enrolled in college for the first time in the fall of 2008 through an online contest. The odds of winning this national scholarship contest will be based on the number of valid student entries. Interested students should go to afclending.com/50k for more information. The contest deadline is May 31.

Holocaust Remembrance Project — A national essay contest for high school students in any grade that is designed to encourage and promote the study of the Holocaust, students compete for ten first-place scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 and a trip to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., in July 2008. There are cash prizes for second and third place winners.

Essays must be no more than 1,200 words and must be submitted online by April 30. Complete information is available at holocaust.hklaw.com.

Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship — The Elks will award 500 renewable scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 per year, to graduating high school seniors who will study at four-year colleges/universities. These national scholarship awards are based on financial need, leadership, and scholarship. Applicants need not be related to a member of the Elks.

Interested high school seniors should download the application from elks.org/enf/scholars/mvs.cfm and submit it to the Danbury Elks lodge by January 11.

Governor’s Coalition for Youth with Disabilities — This scholarship recognizes the outstanding achievements of high school seniors with disabilities by providing financial educational assistance.

Candidates must be Connecticut residents who have a disability as defined by the Special Education Law or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and plan to attend a postsecondary school or training program. The three types of scholarships are: a one-time only nonrenewable scholarship of up to $3,000; a renewable scholarship for $500 per semester to each of the four State Universities; and one renewable full tuition and fee scholarship at each of the 12 Connecticut Community Colleges. Students are eligible for only one type of award.

All details and applications are available at gcyd.org. Applications are due by January 31.

Connecticut Bar Foundation James W. Cooper Fellows Essay Contest — The Connecticut Bar association sponsors a writing contest for all high school students throughout the state. The 2008 essay topic is “Mary’s Pot Luck — Students’ First Amendment Rights.”

All details are available at cbf.ctbar.org. The essay deadline is March 7.