General Information

There are three primary sources for college scholarships.  They include:

1. Scholarships awarded by the college the student will be attending (the biggest source) - Generally based on GPA, ACT Score, special talent, etc.

2. Scholarships awarded by local organizations - Examples:  Keystone Community, American Legion, etc.

3. National scholarships - Best Buy, Coca-Cola, etc.

Finding Scholarships

There are many good sources for scholarship information.  They include:

·         Colleges/Universities

·         “Crate of Cash” located in RCHS Guidance Office

·         RCHS Scholarship Database

·         ScholarshipQuest at EducationQuest.org

·         Fastweb.com

·        ScholarshipMonkey.com

Applying for Scholarships

Scholarship applications (like college applications) are usually very different and due at many different times.  Some require various items like letters of recommendation, resumes, counselor evaluations, essays, or even photos.  Some colleges use the entrance application as their scholarship applications; some require a separate application.  It is important to know what the schools require for scholarship applications and the deadlines.  There is no flexibility with college scholarship applications and deadlines.  Everything must be done well and on-time.  If a student needs a counselor or teacher recommendation, a transcript, or anything else from Roncalli Catholic, requests must be made at least two weeks in advance.  It can take several hours to write a good recommendation, so the more notice the better.  In addition, including a resume with the request will result in a better letter.

Award Letters

In late fall and in the spring, students will hopefully begin receiving award letters.  This comes from the college or scholarship committee stating the scholarship award, the amount, and any additional information.  Students will need to bring a copy of the letter into the Guidance Office to be recognized for their accomplishments.  These will be listed in the Omaha World-Herald in May and at the Awards Assembly at RCHS.  Without an award letter, students will not be recognized for the scholarship so it is important to bring the award letters in as they arrive.