The Scholarship Committee of the Coleman High School Alumni Association will be awarding a $2000 scholarship to one boy and a $2000 scholarship to one girl from the Coleman High School Class of 2012.  Applications are available in the Counselor's office and must be returned to her by March 2, 2012.

The Fort Worth Scottish Rite Foundation grants scholarships to graduating seniors.  The Foundation awards scholarships to students in the 35 county area served by the Fort Worth Scottish Rite Foundation.  Scholarship value is $1000.  Applications are available online at www.fortworthscottishrite.org/scholarships.html and must be submitted by March 1.

Scholarships are available to students who meet the following eligibility requirements:  US Citizen, Texas resident, of good character with preference given to Christians who attend church regularly, show financial need, have academic potential, and plan enrollment in a college or vocational school.  Applications can be obtained at www.frostbank.com/wischerscholarship. Deadline to apply is March 1.

FRS will award (30) $2,500 scholarships to rural high school seniors, one per geographic region of the NTCA (National Telecommunications Cooperative Association) membership and one to a student sponsored by a NTCA associate member.  The remaining nineteen awards will be distributed proportionate to the number of applications received per region. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior, be a US citizen, receive any telecommunications service from a current NTCA member, be accepted by a college, have at least a C GPA, and express an interest in returning to a rural community following graduation.Applications can be obtained online at http://www.frs.org and must be submitted by March 1, 2012.

Scholarship awards up to $5,000 per year for a total of 5 years or the completion of a Bachelor's Degree or a total accumulation of 136 semester hours, whichever comes first.  Smaller amounts may be awarded on a one-time basis with no guarantee of future awards.  Charles Gordon Slough established the scholarship with the expressed purpose of helping needy Texas students attend college.  In an agreement with Bank of America, Midland College reviews and recommends the scholarships for Texas residents entering or enrolled in any college or university in the United States.  Applications must be submitted online and can be obtained at www.midland.edu/slough.  Deadline to submit an application is April 1.

Howard Payne will host Financial Aid Workshops on Tuesday, January 31 and Thursday, February 9.  Both of those events will be at 6:30 p.m. in the Richard & Wanda Jackson Room of the Paul & Jane Meyer Faith & Life Leadership Center.  HPU's Director of Student Aid, Glenda Huff, will provide information on the financial aid process and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

1200 scholarships will be awarded to students in grades 9-12.  Each of them is worth $1000.  Students need solid grades plus community service or work experience.  Apply online at www.bestbuy-communityrelations.com or at www.at15.com.  Deadline is February 15, 2012.

Texas Lutheran hosts a Pacesetter Event on February 26, 2012.  Students have the opportunity to compete for scholarships at that event in varying amounts including full tuition.  To be eligible, a student must have been accepted for admission, have a 3.5 or higher GPA, score a 28 or higher on the ACT OR rank in the top 10% of their high school class.  Admissions deadline is February 3.

Each year, TSCA awards one $2000 scholarship to a graduating senior who is the child or grandchild of a TSCA member; five $1000 scholarships to graduating seniors whose school counselors are TSCA members (yes, Mrs. B is) and up to 4 $500 scholarships to those pursuing degrees in school counseling.  Scholarship applications are available at http://www.txca.org/tca/Scholarship_Application1.asp?SnID=644896758.  The deadline for submission is April 15, 2012.

KFC Colonel's Scholars are looking for high school seniors with financial need an an entrepreneurial spirit to qualify for the KFC Colonel's Scholars Program.  Awards are up to $20,000 for tuition, fees, testbooks, room and board.  To qualify:  graduating high school seniors must earn minimum high school cumulative GPA of 2.75; enroll in a public college or university within their state of legal residence; plan to pursue a bachelor's degree; be a US citizen or permanent resident; demonstrate financial need.  Applications will be accepted online from December 1, 2011 to February 8, 2012 at www.kfcsholars.org.

Lincoln Tech will award a $1000 scholarship to 100 students from high schools who wish to study Automotive Technology, Diesel Technology, Collision Repair, Welding Technology, or HVAC at their school.  Please see your counselor for more details.  Deadline to apply is June 1, 2012.

Al's Formal Wear will award two $1000 college scholarships.  Entries are accepted October 15, 2011 through May 31, 2012.  Visit www.alsformalwear.com/SchoolApp for an application. 

This scholarship is for a graduating high school senior from an accredited high school.  Student must have participated in varsity athletics and be ranked in top 25% of class.  More information can be found at www.cfabilene.org.

This 4-year scholarship is given to an area high school senior who is selected as the winner of the annual juried art show at McMurry University.  Contact McMurry School of Arts and Letters for additional information:  325-793-4888.

The Abilene A&M Club created this scholarship to provide awards to local and area high school seniors planning to attend Texas A&M.  For additional information contact the Abilene Chapter at 325-692-6255.

This scholarship honors the memory of Curly Hays, farm and representative for West Texas Utilities as well as a long-time high school and Southwest Conference football referee.  Preference is given to a student who is a member of the Junior Hereford Association.  Information can be found at www.cfabilene.org.  Deadline for applications is April 2.

This scholarship is available to a graduating senior from either Coleman High School or Panther Creek High School.  The fund was established in memory of Zach Moore who was killed in a car/train accident in 1992.  Information regarding this scholarship can be found at www.cfabilene.org.  Applications are due by April 8.

These scholarships are awarded to students who are accepted at colleges in Austin, College Station or Denton.  Applications are being accepted for the 2012-2013 school year with the deadline for applications being January 31, 2012.  Applications are available in the Counselor's office.  Please note:  you must check with your college to see whether freshmen are allowed to live off campus as these scholarships will help pay for the cost of living in specified apartments.

Career and Technology Association of Texas will award (10) $1000 scholarships.  Scholarships are for students actively enrolled in CTE throughout their high school career.  Students must have successfully completed at least three credits in two or more CTE courses.  The application can be found at http://ctat.org/images/uploads/CTAT_Scholarship_Form_2011-2012.pdf. Deadline is March 30.

This fund was established specifically for Coleman High School graduates who want to attend a vocational/technical school.  In order to be eligible for this scholarship, the student must have been enrolled at Coleman High School for the past two years and be in need of financial assistance to attend an accredited vocational/technical school.  Awards will range between $500 and $2000 per year and will be renewable if eligibility is maintained.  Applications can be found at www.cfabilene.org or in the counselor's office.  Applications deadline is April 9, 2012.

The Hazlewood Act authorizes the exemption of tuition, dues, fees, etc. for up to 150 hours of college courses to qualified veterans, spouses, and their children at state supported colleges and universities.  To be eligible to receive the benefits, a veteran must have been a Texas resident upon entry into the military, have an honorable discharge, served at least 181 days of active duty service, and not be in default on an education loan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas not in default on a federal loan.  Eligible veterans may assign unused hours of exemption eligibility to a child under certain conditions.  To be eligible the child must meet certain qualifications.  For more information go to http://texas-veterans.com/education/hazlewood.

RMHC of the Southwest awards scholarships to applicants who have either had a serious childhood injury or illness OR had a sibling who had a serious childhood illness or injury which impacted the family.  Applications are online at www.FMHCsouthwest.com.

January 28, 2012 - SAT
February 11, 2012 - ACT
March 5-9, 2012 - ELA TAKS & TAKS Retests
March 10, 2012 - SAT
March 26 & 27 English 1 EOC Tests
April 14, 2012 - ACT
April 23 - 27, Math, Science & Social Studies TAKS
May 5, 2012 - SAT
May 7, 2012 - Algebra 1 EOC
May 9, 2012 - Biology EOC
May 7, 2012 - Geometry EOC
May 10, 2012 - W. Geography EOC
and US History EOC Field Test
June 2, 2012 - SAT
June 9, 2012 - ACT
July 9 - 13 TAKS & EOC Retesting

The Federal Government offers a grant for college students who plan to teach in one of the identified areas of teacher shortages.  The grant is for $4000 a year.  Teaching fields recognized as shortage areas are:  Bilingual education, English as a Second Language, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Science, Special Education, and Technology Applications.  Talk to the financial aid officer at the college you plan to attend to find out more.

Many of the state universities are now offering scholarships totalling the cost of tuition and fees if you meet the class rank and entrance exam criteria AND your family income falls below a certain level.  For instance:
Angelo State has the Blue & Gold Guarantee - it provides for the cost of tuition & fees if your family income is less than $40,000. 
Texas A&M has the Aggie Assurance program guaranteeing the cost of tuition if your family income is less than $60,000.
Texas State has the Bobcat Promise - awarding the cost of tuition and fees for up to 15 hours a semester if your family income is less than $25,000.

Students should be planning to take the ACT test during the spring of their junior year.  Many colleges now have admissions deadlines in the fall for those students planning to attend in the following fall.  Taking this exam early gives students the option to take it again to improve scores. 

carol.bennington@colemanisd.net