Scholarships and Financial AidDHSHS

This version was updated May 3, 2012.

Loans are borrowed money that you must repay, usually with interest.

Work Study or Student Employment Programs let you earn money for college in a job on or off campus.

Scholarships are free money for college and are usually based on your area of study or merit, such as good grades, special talents, or community service.

Financial Aid Terms

Grants are money you don’t have to pay back and are usually based on financial need.

• These scam-spotting rules are from www.FastWeb.com:

• Don’t pay money to get money.• Too good to be true? It probably is.• Spend time, not money.• Legitimate scholarships are never

guaranteed.• Feel suspicious? Trust your instinct.

Beware of scholarship scams!

DHSHS Scholarship Application

• When your completed DHSHS scholarship application is received in the Career Center, a scholarship file is made for you.

• Copies of your application

are submitted for you when you fit specific eligibility requirements for GPA, test scores, activities, etc., for local scholarship opportunities.

* An asterisk means an extra form, essay, photograph, or family member’s military Honorable Discharge papers must also be submitted.

• Many of the Local Scholarship providers accept the DHSHS Scholarship Application.

Local Scholarships – page 1

• COD Alumni Association in conjunction with Pathways to Success*

• Desert Healthcare District Healthcare Professionals with Pathways to Success*

• Coachella Valley Pathways to Success – CVPTS*

• Coachella Valley Alumnae Panhellenic - CVAP

• Daughters of the American Revolution, Cahuilla Chapter*

• Desert Escrow Association*• Desert Hot Springs Rotary• Desert Hot Springs Women’s Club

• American Legion, Owen Coffman Post #519*

• APWA – American Public Works Association*

• Othel Britton Memorial Scholarship Foundation

• Reynaldo Carreon, M.D. Foundation* with Pathways to Success

• California Desert Association of Realtors*

• California Retired Teachers Association, Division #89

• California Women for Agriculture*

• Walter Clark Legal Group

Local Scholarships – page 2

• Palm Springs Historical Society• Palm Springs Leadership

Association - PSLA• Palm Springs Teachers

Association* - PSTA• Palm Springs Lion’s Club• Parissa Labbaf Memorial

Scholarship• SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union• UCLA Club of the Desert*• USC Trojan League of the Desert*• Women Leaders Forum* with

Pathways to Success

• Elks Club*• The Gas Company*• La Quinta Arts Foundation*• Ladies of Mission Lakes• NPS Commercial/Taber Family• National Charity League*• National League of American Pen

Women*• Navy League Scholarship Fund*• Negro Academic Scholarship Fund• Paletteers Art Club• Palm Springs Art Museum*

Local Scholarships – page 3

1. Members of scholarship committees read your application and make their decisions according to their own unique criteria.

2. At some point you may receive an invitation to be interviewed.

ALL applications (college, job, and scholarship) will require time, energy, attention to detail, accuracy, and thought from you.

Coachella ValleyPanhellenic Association

• Two female students were chosen to receive scholarships from the Class of 2012.

DHS Women’s Club

• 20 students from the Class of 2012 will receive scholarships from the DHS Women’s Club.

National Charity League

• Four female candidates will receive scholarships from NCL this year.

• Apply for FAFSA after January 1, 2012• Colleges where you have been accepted for

admission will give you a financial aid offer to review in the spring

Financial Aid & FAFSA

• Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov after January 1

• www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov

Information you need to fill out FAFSA

• Your Social Security Number, and your parents’ Social Security Numbers.

• Date of birth for you and for your parents (month, day, year).

• Month and year your parents were married, or divorced.

• Your driver’s license number, if you have one.• Your Alien Registration Number, if you are not a

U.S. citizen.• 2011 Federal tax information--for yourself and

for your parents.

Get a PIN

• Before you start filling out your FAFSA online, get a PIN (personal identification number).

• Go to www.pin.ed.gov. • Get a PIN for yourself, and ask one of your

parents to get one. • This lets you sign your FAFSA electronically.

• Signed into law in September 2011• Effective for 2013-2014 school year• Visit www.caldreamact.org

AB 131 Dream Act

Parissa Labbaf Memorial Scholarship

• Three $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to graduating DHSHS students

• Candidates must demonstrate financial need, have excellent grades, and be accepted by a 4-year college to pursue a B.S. or B.A.

• Visit http://desertstarweekly.com/2011/11/11/desert-hot-springs-scholarship-announcement-2/

• Winners have been selected from the DHSHS Scholarship Application entries