Toyota Community Scholars Program - $20,000 scholarship opportunity

High schools nationwide are asked to nominate one student for the Toyota Community Scholars program. The school's nominee should have a consistent record of academic excellence, be active in school programs, and be recognized as a leader by his/her peers and instructors. In addition, the nominee must have initiated or be actively involved in a service program that addresses a school or community need.

Students who fit this profile should contact the school guidance counselor at their high school to learn more about the nomination process.

Contact
Toyota Community Scholars Scholarship Coordinator
Educational Testing Service
P.O.Box 6730
Princeton, NJ 08541

Phone
609-771-7878


Application Deadline
Application materials are mailed to high schools nationwide in September. Applications are due in early December. Contact school guidance counselor for details on nomination process.

Number Of Awards
100

Maximum Amount
$20,000

Website Address
http://www.toyota.com/about/community/education/


For more information, please click on the "Community Scholars" link at:
http://www.toyota.com/about/community/education


Remember, there are millions more scholarships and grants at Scholarships.com, along with a huge resource section to help you deal with all phases of attending college including essay writing tips!

Tips From The People Who Will Be Reading Your Scholarship Essays

Wondering what goes on inside the heads of scholarship reviewers as they read your essay? So were we. To minimize your worries and maximize your scholarship potential, we went straight to the sources. We contacted men and women who took part in the essay review process and found the qualities of a winning essay. We asked what applicants could do to stand out and what kind of essays made readers cringe. Here is what they had to say:

• Directly Answer The Question
  Too many times, writers make interesting points, but they are not about the questions at hand. If you are asked to answer a specific question, stick to it. Listing off your merits when asked about environmental problems can be tempting, but it can hurt your chances at a scholarship. If you find a way to twist your swamp cleaning experience into the essay, you’re very slick. When it is not that easy to do, just stick with the direct answer.
• Address Your Mistakes
  As nice as it would be, we can’t change our GPA’s before sending out scholarship essays. But don’t despair because of academic problems. If you have done poorly in a class, address the reasons. Explain what went wrong and what you are doing to improve. A few mistakes don’t have to spell disaster. Learning from your errors shows character, and it breathes life into your essay.
• Show That You Are Well Rounded
  There are many good students sending in scholarship essays. If you want to stand out, you need to convince the readers that you are more than just your grades. List organizations in which you took part and hobbies to which you dedicated time. Remember to explain why these hobbies and organizations make you unique. Being part of the Frisbee club might not score you many points. For all the judges know, you could have attended one game and watched the clouds go by. Explain how you contributed, recognition you have received, and, if possible, leadership positions you have held.
• Add A Personal Touch
  Credentials are great and all, but a dash of personality can take your essay above and beyond. Adding a bit of humor or sharing an interesting but relevant experience will make your essay stand out. None of us want to ruin our chances by appearing nonchalant, but adding a little personality will help you in the final round.
• Last But Definitely Not Least, Proofread
  We all know the importance of putting our papers through a spell and grammar check. Still, grammatically incorrect essays continue to be turned in. Until that stops, this point deserves to be repeated. Otherwise excellent applications can be taken out of the running because of spelling mishaps. Even when you have put a lot of time into your essay, it may appear sloppy if it is grammatically incorrect. You have a lot to offer. Make sure your essay stands out for its excellence and not its errors.

Remember, there are millions more scholarships and grants at Scholarships.com, along with loan information and a huge resource section with great tips to help you with your scholarship applications.

And for tons more scholarship opportunities, just conduct a free scholarship search with us.

Scholarship Strategy: Creating a Savvy, Successful Approach

One of the best things about scholarships is that for the most part, they reward the applicants who put forth the most effort. Like teachers who can instantly spot a sloppy homework assignment, scholarship judges can identify poorly composed applications without lifting a finger. Depending upon the award and how many students participate, the process of eliminating underqualified students can be competitive at best, and downright ruthless at worst. You may already be thinking "They won’t pick me, so why waste my time?" The answer: the financial assistance that is obtainable through scholarships is worth it, even if you don’t receive an award from each and every scholarship that you apply to.

Most of the students who succeeded in earning scholarships did so for two reasons:

1. They met the criteria outlined by the scholarship sponsor.
2. They approached the application process strategically and were selective in their pursuit of scholarship opportunities. It’s that simple.

There is no magic recipe that will help you win a scholarship. What there is, however, is a time tested strategy that many students find incredibly helpful in organizing their scholarship search. The students who apply these techniques usually come out ahead in the end.

Make a list. Gather the information for all of the scholarship offers that you are qualified to apply for. The latter part of this suggestion is essential—do not spend valuable time applying for scholarships for which your GPA, major, community involvement requirement, or any other criteria does not meet the standard. There are likely hundreds of awards for which you specifically qualify, so focus your attention on those. Read through your list and eliminate all awards that you are not qualified for.

Assess each individual opportunity. This will take time, but in the end your investment will pay off. After narrowing down your list so that it only includes the scholarships that are most relevant, consider the following categories:

• Deadlines. How long do you have to complete the scholarship?
• Difficulty of preparation. Considering the deadline, do you have time to thoroughly prepare for this award?
• Award amount. How much is the award worth? If it is only worth a couple hundred bucks, consider whether or not you are willing to spend your time on it. Keep in mind that every little bit does help and that you have a greater chance at receiving slightly smaller awards as opposed to full tuition grants, simply because they are less competitive.

Prioritize your opportunities. Now that you have determined the value of the scholarships that you have selected based on when the deadline is, preparation required, and the amount of the award, create a rating system. A simple way to do this is to rate each scholarship with a ( + ) or (– ) sign next to the award. For example, an award with three plus signs is a scholarship for which you must apply. The deadline is far off, average preparation is required, and the reward it $2000. On the other hand, a scholarship with two minus signs might cause you to reconsider before taking the time to apply. It could be that amount of preparation required simply exceeds the amount of effort you are willing to exert because the scholarship award in only $100.

Begin applying. Alright, you’ve determined what scholarships you are actually interested in applying for. Chances are your list is a good bit shorter now, and much more feasible. Begin submitting to the scholarships that you have ranked highest in priority. Good luck!

Check out Scholarships.com for more scholarship strategies and search tips.

Google Scholarships

Among other things, Google provides scholarships to encourage students of various backgrounds, genders and ethnicities to excel in their studies. In hopes that these programs will help dismantle barriers that keep women and minorities from entering computing and technology fields, Google offers the following scholarships:

• Google Anita Borg Scholarship
  The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the legacy of Anita Borg and her efforts to encourage women to pursue careers in computer science and technology. The scholarship is offered in the United States, Europe, and Australia.


• United Negro College Fund/Google Scholarship
  The UNCF/Google Scholarship Program provides scholarships to students attending UNCF member institutions and public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The program offers "last dollar" scholarships based upon unmet financial need for students majoring in computer science or computer engineering.


• Google Hispanic College Fund Scholarship
  Hispanic College Fund Scholarships are given to Hispanic students who demonstrate both academic and financial need. The Google Scholarship Program offers funds to students studying computer science or computer engineering.


• Google Global Community Scholarship for the Grace Hopper Conference
  Students outside the U.S. could apply for the Google Global Community Scholarship for the Grace Hopper Conference.


• Google MESA Scholarship for the National Society of Black Engineers National Convention
  Students currently participating in a MESA Community College or Engineering Program are eligible to apply for a travel stipend to attend the NSBE Convention in Columbus, Ohio.

You can find more scholarships like these at Scholarships.com