Hands on Banking

This link will take you to Hands on Banking, which is an amazing resource to answer credit, budget, checking,and basic money management questions: http://www.handsonbanking.org/htdocs/en/y/

Extremely Important Information for your 12-13 FAFSA!

GTC FINANCIAL AID: 2012-13 FINANCIAL AID CHANGES COMING!
Please read the information on the links below as they contain important notification about the 2012-13 FAFSA available January 1, 2012, and acceptable documentation. If you and/or your parents are required to file a federal tax return, we advise you to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT -available Feb 1, 2012) when completing the FAFSA after filing your 2011 federal tax return. This allows you to transfer your federal tax data directly to your FAFSA. The benefit of utilizing the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is that it will simplify and expedite the verification process.
File your tax return first, then:
• Electronically filed tax return data will be available online from the IRS site in 1-2 weeks
• Data from paper tax returns will be available in 6-8 weeks.
We can only accept official IRS tax return transcripts if you are selected for verification after the FAFSA is processed and you did not use the DRT, or if you change your answers to the income questions on the FAFSA after using the DRT.

http://www.gvltec.edu/FA12-13changes/

New Scholarship Opportunities!

SMART Scholarship $25,000 Deadline: December 15, 2011
Apply at: http://www.studentscholarships.org/awards.php

Union Plus Scholarship $4,000 Deadline: January 31, 2012
Apply at: http://www.studentscholarships.org/awards.php

National FFA Scholarships $1,000 Deadline: February 22, 2012
Apply at: http://www.studentscholarships.org/awards.php

Peace Scholarships $1,000 Deadline: March 1, 2012
Apply at: http://www.studentscholarships.org/awards.php

Odenza Marketing Scholarship $500 Deadline: March 30, 2012
Apply at: http://www.studentscholarships.org/awards.php

Vancouver Restaurant Scholarship $500 Deadline: May 30, 2012
Apply at: http://www.studentscholarships.org/awards.php

Healthy Lifestyles Scholarship $5,000 Deadline: May 30, 2012
Apply at: http://www.studentscholarships.org/awards.php

Big Dig Scholarship $3,000 Deadline: June 1, 2012
Apply at: http://www.studentscholarships.org/awards.php

Man Mac Automatic Scholarship $500 Deadline: June 15, 2012
Apply at: http://www.studentscholarships.org/awards.php

BBG Communications Scholarship $1,000 Deadline: June 30, 2012
Apply at: http://www.studentscholarships.org/awards.php

Education-Portal.com's Textbook for a Year Scholarship, is a chance for students to win $1000 to pay for textbooks.

Education-Portal.com is offering this scholarship a second time because so many of previous student applicants wrote about the major barrier the rising cost of textbooks has been to their education and they want to help.

"At Education-Portal.com, we're committed to increasing access to education for every student. We know that many students struggle to cover the growing price of pursuing a higher education and want to help students manage costs by providing regular scholarship opportunities and high quality information about how to manage and save money while in college.

Students have until December 9 to enter to win Free Textbooks for a Year. Please share this link with your students; it contains all necessary information about the scholarship, including how to apply: http://education-portal.com/articles/Textbook_Scholarship.html."

 Start by completing your FAFSA each year at http://www.fafsa.gov/.

The FAFSA for the upcoming year becomes available January 1st each year for the upcoming academic year. (Example, the 2012-2013 FAFSA will become available January 1, 2012 and is your application for Federal Student Aid for the Fall of 2012, Spring of 2013 and Summer of 2013.)

 Great site to initiate your search is www.fastweb.com
• Create Account
• Create Profile
• Enter Student Activities/Parent Activities
• Search Results are automatically generated
• Categorize results by type, requirements, due dates, and award amounts.

 Other sites to try:
African American Scholarships http://www.free-4u.com/african.htm
Broke Scholar www.brokescholar.com
College Board www.collegeboard.com
College Net www.collegenet.com
College Planning Network www.collegeplan.org
Fast Aid www.fastaid.com
Gates Millennium Scholars www.gmsp.org
Go College www.gocollege.com
Military Scholarships www.military.com
National Hispanic Scholarship Fund www.hsf.com
Next Student www.nextstudent.com
Petersons www.petersons.com
Princeton Review www.princetonreview.com
Sallie Mae’s College Answer www.collegeanswer.com

 Tips for your scholarship search
• Start Early!!! Almost every scholarship has a deadline and many give priority to applications submitted early.
• Compile a list of accomplishments, awards, professional experience, education credentials, and volunteer organizations. Having this list handy can save you hours during the application process as most will ask for this information
• Be aggressive. Scholarships are designed to reward deserving and persistent students who are willing to “do what it takes” to further their education. A scholarship committee is not impressed by a “less than your best” effort. Plan accordingly!
• Identify and contact at least three people who would be willing to write an impressive recommendation letter on your behalf.
• Apply for every scholarship for which you are eligible. You never know what somebody else may see in you. Remember scholarships are available for almost every facet of student life and education.
• Follow Up! Don’t let your scholarship application slip through the cracks. Scholarship committees will also appreciate the dedication you show in your future endeavors.
• Be organized! This is a great time to hone your organizational skills. Keep track of all deadlines, signatures, recommendation letters, and any necessary follow-up questions from a scholarship organization.
• Don’t underestimate the importance of applying for scholarships. After all, a successful scholarship search could land you with a free ride and money to spare! How’s that for motivation!!

Update to previous Campus Explorer blog post.

Name: Campus Explorer Exclusive Scholarship

Contact: Debra Eckerling
Company: Campus Explorer
Address: 2850 Ocean Park Blvd. #310, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Email Address: scholarships@campusexplorer.com
Website: https://www.campusexplorer.com/campus-explorer-scholarships/

Scholarship Description:
The Campus Explorer Exclusive Scholarship (https://www.campusexplorer.com/campus-explorer-scholarships/) is a monthly $1,000 giveaway, designed to help students pay for their higher-education expenses. Every month, Campus Explorer will announce a new scholarship – and a new way to win. A winner will be randomly selected from the entrants.

The contest is open to legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 16 years old at the time of entry.

At Campus Explorer, we believe everyone deserves a fulfilling education. Visit CampusExplorer.com for free college planning tools, tips and advice on paying for college and career information.

Check the website (http://CampusExplorer.com), blog (http://Blog.CampusExplorer.com) and social-media sites - including Facebook (http://Facebook.com/CampusExplorer) and Twitter (http://Twitter.com/CampusExplorer) - regularly to see the newest scholarship and meet the lucky winners.

Foundation, Inc. has notified us of a new scholarship opportunity

The AWS Foundation is dedicated to meeting the needs for education and research in the field of welding and related joining technologies.  Please see the District Scholarship Program Opportunity at http://www.aws.org/foundation/