Scholarship Checklist:
Incoming Freshman for Spring

It's never too early to start getting ready for college! Take the following steps in high school, to help you qualify for college scholarships.

Freshman and Sophomore Years

• Focus on earning high grades and preparing for the ACT and SAT. A great start will help you reach your academic goals and qualify for more scholarships!
• Build your scholarship resumé! Many scholarship committees will consider your activities, leadership, and community service in high school. Find some areas of interest in your school and/or community, and get involved in those areas. Join clubs at school, and take on leadership roles such as officer positions in those clubs. Watch for opportunities to perform community service; aim for services which make a significant impact on your community. Keep good notes on your leadership roles and community involvement, so that you can brag about yourself on your scholarship applications!

Junior Year

• All year: Continue to focus on your grades. Many scholarships will consider your GPA only through the end of your junior year.
• Fall: Start searching for scholarship opportunities; visit our Private Scholarships webpage for suggestions on where and how to search. Begin a scholarship folder with information about scholarships in which you are interested. Note the source of the scholarship, requirements, application process, and deadline to apply.
• Spring: Take the ACT and/or SAT at least twice, including the test with your high school class in April and one other test date. Take an ACT prep class or use software to prepare for the test.
• Summer: Begin applying for private and institutional scholarships.

Senior Year (Last semester)

• September: Take the ACT one more time, if needed. Take the SAT at least once; some students score higher on one test than on the other!
• By October 1: Apply for admission to MTSU and submit test scores and transcripts by October 1 to be considered for MTSU academic scholarships. (Please Note: We will accept your ACT and/or SAT scores through October 31.)
• Throughout the fall semester: Continue to focus on your grades. The lottery scholarship and some private scholarships will consider your GPA through the end of high school.
• Continue to search for and apply for private and institutional scholarships.
• File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is the application for federal grants and loans, the lottery scholarship, and other aid. (During your first semester at MTSU, file your FAFSA in early January if you expect to qualify for need-based aid!)
• If you expect to qualify for a lottery scholarship, contact contact one of our lottery staff members so that we can determine your eligibility status. ( Please Note: If you expect to qualify for the lottery scholarship based solely on your high school GPA, please be aware that we will not be able to verify your eligibility until your high school reports your final cumulative GPA to the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation. Because of the short time between the end of the fall semester and the beginning of the spring semester, your lottery scholarship may therefore be delayed until after the beginning of your first semester at MTSU.)
• Submit scholarship acceptance forms or other required paperwork by the stated deadline.
• If you have been offered multiple scholarships, initially accept all that are offered. Make a final decision as soon as possible, then notify schools or donors of any scholarships you wish to decline.

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Updated September 2012