GLHS Guidance Department

Scholarship opportunities

Applying for college and paying for college are two very difficult tasks. The scholarship opportunities listing is one source of information for parents and students. Although it is not comprehensive, it does serve as a very good starting point. This list will be updated with any new scholarship information on a frequent basis. If you have any questions regarding scholarships, please feel free to contact Jenny Vowell at (706) 382-3100 ext. 3013.

Robert C. Byrd Scholarship application now available

The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship is a $1,500 (amount for 2008 graduates) award renewable for up to three additional years which will be made, contingent upon receipt of a federal grant, to an equal number of graduating seniors or equivalents in each congressional district. The award is made without consideration of the applicant's choice of institution of higher learning. It will not be based on the applicant's financial need and will be applicable to educational costs for the 2008-2009 school year. Permanent residents of Georgia who are temporarily not in residence may generate the application process by contacting the Georgia Department of Education and requesting nomination materials. [Application form (193k Microsoft Word Document)]

Criteria

The applicant must:

  1. Be a graduate of a public or private secondary school or hold a General Educational Development (GED) certificate given in the year of the award.
  2. Be a legal resident of Georgia.
  3. Be a citizen of the United States, a national, or a permanent resident who meets the residency requirement listed above, and provides documentation from the Immigration Naturalization Service.
  4. Have applied or been accepted for enrollment at an institution of higher education as defined in the Student Assistance General Provisions, 34 CFR 600.4. This could be a proprietary institution of higher education or a postsecondary vocational institution.
  5. Have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.
  6. Show promise of continued academic achievement.
  7. File application materials, which include all requested documentation on or before February 2 of the current school year.

Documentation

Documents must be submitted to verify the following state criteria:

  1. A certified transcript of the student's high school record showing all courses taken, a non-weighted, cumulative numeric average (i.e., 0-100 scale) in core courses, and date of graduation.
  2. Documents proving citizenship (photocopy of birth certificate or statement verifying naturalization including date and number).
  3. A test record of the student's performance on all nationally normed tests for which the school has records. This must include scores on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), the SAT Reasoning Test, and/or the American College Test (ACT). See the section below, "Application Scoring", part 1, for specific information. No minimum test scores are required for eligibility.
  4. A signed Certification of Eligibility for Federal Assistance in Certain Programs, ED.80-0016 (Revised 2/01).
  5. A short essay (Please see page 2 of the application for instructions.).

Application scoring

Local school and state selections will be made by adding the following scores together:

  1. A combined score on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) at one or more sitting(s); a combined score on the critical reading and mathematical reasoning skills sections of the SAT Reasoning Test at one or more sittings; or, a composite score at one sitting on the American College Test (ACT). The SAT or SAT Reasoning Test scores will be divided by ten. The ACT score will be converted to the SAT equivalent and then divided by ten.
  2. A non-weighted, cumulative numeric average (i.e., 0-100 scale) in core courses. Core courses are chosen from English/language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and foreign language for a College Preparatory or College Preparatory with Distinction program of study. For a Technology/Career-preparatory or Technology/Career-preparatory with Distinction program of study, four vocational units are also considered to be core courses.
  3. Essay score (0-60). Total score will be based on content, organization, and mechanics.