As with most things in life, when it comes to scholarships we like to promote a "work smarter not harder" philosophy. That's why one of our go-to recommendations is the OSAC Scholarship Application. With a single application, you can apply to up to 40 scholarships!
OSAC awards more than $17 million in scholarships annually, and individual awards range from $1,000 to $10,000+ — that's a whole lot of free financial aid. With a pool of over 500 scholarships to choose from, you are bound to be eligible for plenty. In fact, as you fill out the application, a recommended list of scholarships is generated for you based on the information you provide about yourself. And while the OSAC is exclusively for Oregon-based students, most of the scholarships can be applied to schools outside the state.
You might think that such a big opportunity would require a big application, but it's actually quite simple! So what exactly does this application look like? We'll break it down for you here:
Basic personal information
This includes everything from your SSN, when you filed your FAFSA*, your contact information and demographics, etc.
*Need help with your FAFSA? Let us know!
School history & college plans
High school and college experience are both included in the OSAC application. You'll need to know your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, and you'll need to request a copy of your . transcript from your counselor. Additionally, you'll have to select which college you intend to attend and what major and career you hope to pursue. If you aren't certain about where you'll go and what you'll study, no problem—just put down your best guess. The application will use this information to recommend applicable scholarships.
Activities chart
This is perhaps the most tedious section of the application if you haven't already been keeping track of your extracurricular activities throughout high school. For each activity (whether work, volunteer, or school related) you will need to record the frequency, dates, weekly hours, total hours, and responsibilities for each activity. Yes, it's a lot of work to input all that information. And yes, it's worth it (remember: 40 scholarships in 1 application!).
Four personal statements* Each of these essays must be under 1,000 words. We highly recommend writing them in a Google doc so they are automatically saved and don't get lost. Then copy/paste them into the application itself. Before doing so, though, make sure to edit, edit, edit and ask others to help revise them into the best possible essays they can be. Here are the prompts:
What are your specific educational plans and career goals and why? What inspires you to achieve them?
What have you done for your family or community that you care about the most and why?
Describe a personal accomplishment and the strengths and skills you used to achieve it.
Describe a significant change or experience that has occurred in your life. How did you respond and what did you learn about yourself?
*Note: some OSAC scholarships will require an additional essay; watch out for this so nothing is missed!
That's it! So what are you waiting for? The early-bird application deadline is February 18, 2020 at 5:00 PM. If you need more time, the final deadline is March 2, 2020 at 5:00 PM.
And here's a shout out to all you juniors: just because you're not graduating doesn't mean you have to wait until next year to jump on this opportunity. Begin working on the application now so that by the time you submit it as a senior, it's as thorough and polished as can be.
Click here to make an account and start your OSAC Application!