Dear student,
 

Scholarships and grants are helpful ways to fund your college education. They provide you with free money that can go towards tuition or other educational expenses.
 

To find and apply for scholarships, sign up for Going Merry (https://www.goingmerry.com) -- it’s free! Going Merry has thousands of national, regional, and local scholarships. There are also opportunities for every grade level, from freshmen to seniors. 

To sign up, go to: App. Goingmerry

You can also download the Going Merry mobile app (and sign up that way) on iOS or Android.

Here are some reasons why I recommend Going Merry above other scholarship sites: 

• Scholarship bundles: You can apply to multiple scholarships using one application and the same essay prompt.

• Vetted scholarships: The Going Merry team periodically reviews every scholarship listing, to ensure the scholarship program is still active and the information is correct.

• Personal matching: Once signed up, you’ll answer a few questions to fill out a basic profile, and then get matched to scholarships that fit your background, academics, interests, etc. 

• Clear organization: You can shortlist favorites and get deadline reminders about them. All drafts and applications are saved, and you’ll get updates on the scholarships you’ve applied to. 

• Direct, auto-filled applications: You can apply to many scholarships directly on the site (with forms helpfully pre-filled). 

Financial aid applications: Seniors can also submit the FAFSA® through Going Merry, using their more user-friendly version of the government form, which they call “the FAFSA® Made Easier.”

Happy applying--and good luck winning!

✏️Worksheet: Finding Scholarships & Grants

It’s our favorite time of year: scholarship season is finally here! As the last of the regular decision college applications come due, it’s time for students to start thinking about how to pay for school. We’re here to make it less stressful. 

Share our Researching Grants & Scholarships Worksheet with your students to teach them why scholarships and grants are the best form of financial aid, the difference between the two, and how to find ones they’re eligible for (and apply to them).

Get our Researching Grants & Scholarships Worksheet

Do you have class time with students? Use our free lesson plan slide deck to guide them through the basics of grants and scholarships.

📝 Known 24-25 FAFSA® Issues + Workarounds

Are you already tired of hearing about the new FAFSA®? You’re not alone. The new 24-25 FAFSA® application had a soft launch on December 30th. While some families were able to access it, others had a more difficult time. We’re hopeful the government can sort out the issues quickly!

In the meantime, you canrefer to this slide deck to see all the known issues and workarounds (starting from slide 9). You can also get regular status updates on the FAFSA® issues from the government here.

See all Known FAFSA® Issues + Workarounds Here

Share thisFAFSA® Prep Assignment worksheet with your students and their parents so they’re ready to go. It covers all the important changes and will give families a head start in gathering all the documents they may need.

Get our 24-25 FAFSA® Prep Assignment Worksheet here

⭐ How to Make a Stellar Student Resume

Many of your students just spent the better part of the fall completing college applications – sorting through extracurriculars, writing essays, and thinking about their futures. Now is the perfect time to take all of that information and create a stellar student resume. 

Having a great resume on hand is perfect for students who might be pursuing full-time work after high school or for those who may want to work a part-time job during college. (Plus, it also makes it even easier for students to reference this information when applying for scholarships!)

We’ve outlined our top 6 tips for creating a student resume that actually stands out. Copy and paste the list below into your next email to students to get them started! 

Choose an Organized Format: Consider factors like your level of experience, industry norms, and readability. Consider using a free resume template! 

Add Contact Information: Make it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to reach out to you by putting your contact information at the top of your resume. Include a working email and phone number. 

Showcase your Experience: As a student, prioritize relevant education over work experience. Create an Education section and use it to showcase your academic achievements, coursework, and acquired skills. 

Add Skills and Activities Sections: In the Skills section, showcase both hard (technical) and soft (personal) skills. For Extracurriculars, make sure to highlight your level of commitment (i.e. how many years you’ve participated in the activity) and any leadership positions you’ve held. 

Use Action Verbs & Bullet Points: Start your bullet points with strong action verbs to describe your achievements, responsibilities, and experiences. Some great examples are: Implemented, Resolved, Analyzed, Developed, Led, and Volunteered. 

Keep it Short: Be concise and stick to one page.

Explore our Detailed Guide to Student Resumes here

We're always making more resources.

What topics should we focus on this time of year?

Writing Scholarship Essays

The "Real Cost" of College

Starting the College Process with Juniors

How to Choose the Right College (after being accepted)

Other (Submit your own suggestion!)

Thewashboard

Gearup Washington Scholarships

Scholarships

Fastweb

Questbridge

Actsix

If you, as the parent, want to also sign up just to browse around and recommend specific scholarships to your child, you can sign up for a student account yourself. Here’s what Going Merry recommends in that case:

• Use your own name and email to sign up, but fill out the initial questions and your Profile based on your child--so put their class year, school, GPA, SAT/ACT scores, ethnicity, extracurriculars, etc. This allows you to see a “Matched scholarships” list with scholarships your child is eligible for. 

• Primarily, we recommend parents to browse the scholarships list and then note (and pass on) any scholarships they think their children should apply for. So if you see a scholarship your child should apply for, you can send them a link to it by copying the public link, which is a button on the right side. (You can access this “public link” URL without being logged in.)

• If your child wants to apply, they should create their own Going Merry account linked to their own email address. They will also be able to upload documents, copy and paste essays, request recommendation letters, etc. using their own account. 

Best of luck to your family, in applying for scholarships!

National Scholarship List

Scholarship Search Tips

Scholarship Night Recording Dec. 7th

The College Bound Scholarship Program