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 scholarship. 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).

Fairleigh Dickenson University – Metropolitan Scholar Awards — The Metropolitan Scholar Awards are full-tuition scholarships offered for four years at the New Jersey campus. A student must have a grade point average of 3.5, rank in the top 10 percent of their class, have a minimum SAT score of 1300 of 1600, or ACT score of 29 and enroll full time at Fairleigh Dickenson University. Students are required to fax or mail a nomination form, completed by NHS Guidance, by January 15. Nomination forms are available in the Career Center. Contact Mrs Latowicki in the Career Center prior to the due date if interested. The Fairleigh Dickenson University admissions application and supporting documents are also due by January 15.

Weller Medical/Health Sciences Scholarship — The Weller Foundation encourages and financially assists one local high school senior who has chosen a course of study in the field of medical/health sciences. Applicants must be full-time students at Joel Barlow, Masuk, Newtown, Shelton or Trumbull High Schools. Healthcare careers acceptable under this program are nursing, therapy, medical technology, paramedics and other licensed healthcare workers who provide one-on-one healthcare to people. Programs leading to MD or PhD degrees are not eligible. The scholarship requires a 500 to 700 word essay titled, “Why I Have Chosen A Career In Medicine (Medical/Health Sciences).” Students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 out of 4.0 and minimum SAT score of 1460 or ACT score of 20. Applications may be obtained in the Career Center. All completed applications must be submitted to Mrs Latowicki in the Career Center by February 20. Applicants must attend a brief interview with the judges on April 2 and are required to attend the Awards Banquet on Wednesday, May 1, at Fairfield University. Please note, it is the responsibility of the student to report SAT/ACT scores; NHS does not report scores with the transcript.

Weller Education Scholarship — The Weller Education $4,000 scholarship recognizes and financially assists an eligible senior planning to pursue a career teaching in public or private elementary or secondary schools. Applicants must be full-time students at Joel Barlow, Masuk, Newtown, Shelton or Trumbull High Schools. An essay of 500 to 700 words in length titled “Why I Have Chosen A Career in Education” must be submitted with the application. Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.5 or a class rank in the top 20 percent at the end of grade 11 and a minimum SAT score of 1710 out of 2400 and/or an ACT score of 25. A completed application form with all required attachments must be received by Mrs Latowicki in the Career Center by Wednesday, February 20. Applicants must attend a brief interview with the judges on April 1 and are required to attend the Awards Banquet on Wednesday, May 1, at Fairfield University. Scholarship applications are available in the Career Center. Please note it is the responsibility of the student to report SAT/ACT scores; NHS does not report scores with the transcript.

Milton Fisher Scholarship — This scholarship rewards and encourages local junior and senior students who have solved artistic, scientific, or technical problems in new or unusual ways or who have come up with distinctive solutions to problems faced by their schools, communities, or families. Financial need does affect the judge’s decision about winning projects, but it does determine the amount of each winner receives of the $5,000 per year award. The website www.rbffoundation.org has complete details about the application process and includes some information about projects that have won in previous years. The online application and all supplemental materials must be completed and returned by April 30.

Connecticut Building Congress Scholarship — Graduating high school students from Connecticut, studying construction industry-related subjects at the college level, are eligible for the Connecticut Building Congress Scholarships. The awards will be given for academic merit, extracurricular activities, potential, and financial need. The scholarships may be renewable each year based on performance in school and available resources. Applications are available from the website www.cbc-ct.org/CBCScholarship. The hard copy application must be received in the mail by March 29.

Bohdan Kolinsky Memorial Scholarship for Sports Print Journalism — The Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance will award a $1,500 scholarship to a Connecticut high school senior planning to attend an accredited four-year college with the aim of pursuing a career in sports journalism. The scholarship is renewable annually, subject to the student’s ability to meet specified academic and other goals. Applicants will be judged on the basis of their promise as journalists and their ability to successfully complete college-level academic work. The application may be downloaded from the website www.ctsportswriters.org. The application and supporting materials must be sent via US mail and received by 9 am EST on Tuesday, February 19, or postmarked before 5 pm on Friday, February 15.

Governor’s Coalition for Youth with Disabilities — The Governor’s Coalition for Youth with Disabilities is a nonprofit organization recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of Connecticut high school students with disabilities and promoting educational opportunities to help students achieve their career goals. Eligible candidates must have a documented disability as defined under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and plan to attend a post-secondary school or training program. Governor’s Coalition for Youth with Disabilities works diligently each year to increase the number of available scholarship awards ranging from $500 to $5,000 per student. Connecticut State University System awards one renewable scholarship at each of its four state universities — Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, and Western Connecticut State University. The scholarship is in the amount of $500 per semester, renewable up to eight semesters. Scholarships for trade schools, community colleges or other universities are also available for varying amounts up to $5,000. Refer to the website www.gcyd.org for eligibility criteria. Each application must have an authorized signature from a school official and be submitted by December 31, 2012.

National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Scholarship — The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Scholarship recognizes the importance of high school athletics and distinguishes students for scholastic, leadership, and sportsmanship attributes. Applicants must have participated in two sports for at least two years and have earned at least one varsity letter. The application can be printed from www.caadinc.org/Scholarship2012CT.doc. All completed applications must be submitted by January 31. The principal or athletic director must sign the application before submission.